Wanderboomer

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Make a Difference with Meaningful Trip

“It doesn’t take much to do good,” claims Joe Staiano, founder of Seattle-based Meaningful Trip. He should know.

At home, Staiano devotes his time to several non-profit organizations: ICO (Inner City Outings) through the Sierra Club, IRC (the International Rescue Committee) and Camp Erin, founded by All-Star major league baseball pitcher, Jaime Moyer and his wife Karen, for children grieving the death of someone close to them.

For 10 years Staiano coordinated overseas tours for REI Adventures to such dream destinations as Ecuador/the Galapagos Islands, Turkey and India.  He then spent the next 7 years working in community-based tourism and volunteering his expertise in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Moved to make a difference in the lives of the people he met beyond his own volunteer efforts, Staiano started Meaningful Trip with the goal of giving back to the local communities. Volunteer tourism is a worthy goal, he recognizes, and “the travel and tourism industry can do even more,” starting with his own company.

First, in addition to ensuring the travel expertise of his global partners, Staiano goes further by asking tough questions, such as: “How many women are on your staff?” What are your environmental values?” “What do you do to support your community?”

Second,  a portion of each client’s fees, typically 5 – 10%, is donated to women’s empowerment, health, education, and poverty alleviation. His company also supports hunger and anti-trafficking programs in the U.S.

The third leg of Meaningful Trip’s “Triple Give” giving mechanism extends to Staiano’s dream of “building a community that cares” when clients return from their travels. Through meaningful dinner parties and thought-provoking conversations, Staiano encourages people to explore actions that make a difference in their local communities.

“Travel with an open heart and open mind.  Meaningful travel and you can change the world,” says Staiano.

For more information on responsible travel and all of  Meaningful Trip’s itineraries, including a Founder’s trek in Nepal in November, click : http://www.MeaningfulTrip.com or contact: info@meaningfultrip.com.

*All photos: Copyright Joe Staiano

How are you making a difference in your travels or in your own communities, Wanderboomers? Share your experiences with us here.

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Gauguin Pays a Visit to Seattle

Woman with a Mango, Paul Gauguin, 1892

Lucky Seattle to have scored the current featured exhibit at The Seattle Art Museum (SAM), Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise. What a lovely way for visitors to wile away a cloudy afternoon (as suggested in my last post). I came away feeling so enriched by the dazzling colors of Gauguin’s paintings, so appreciative of the opportunity to learn more about his life and peripatetic lifestyle.

From the program notes and audio guide to the exhibit, we learn that Gauguin’s wanderings began early when as a toddler he set sail for Peru with his family to live with relatives for four years. As a young merchant marine, his travels took him to Brazil, India, the Arctic Circle and the United Kingdom. His settling down period came with his return to Paris when he married a Danish woman and began a career as a stockbroker while painting on the side.

Letters from Brittany and the South Seas

But Gauguin’s domestic bliss and banking success were interrupted by the stock market crash after which he developed a lifelong obsession with art. Gauguin moved his family to Copenhagen and returned to Brittany, before continuing on to Martinique to paint.  He returned to France and later spent time with Van Gogh in Arles.

Still restless, Gauguin traversed the globe in search of a place of unspoiled beauty, an idyllic landscape far away from France and impressionism where he could paint in earnest.

The exhibit follows Gauguin’s trail to Tahiti and his adaptation of Polynesian sources in his artwork, from carvings to sculptures to paintings. Ultimately, Gauguin’s quest for a simpler time away from French colonial influences led him to an even more remote location, the Marquesas Islands, where he died and was buried in 1903.

After wallowing in the sunny yellows and brilliant blues of Gauguin’s paintings, you’ll (almost) forget about those gray Seattle skies, dreaming instead of  an unforgettable South Sea island paradise.

Seattle Art Museum Downtown
1300 First Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101-2003
206.654.3100

Hours

Tuesday–Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
Thursday & Friday: 10 am–9 pm
Monday: closed (except for Members Mondays)
Extended hours Monday, April 23 (yes, Monday!) to Sunday, April 29 from 10 am to 9 pm.

  • $23 adults
  • $20 Senior (62+), Military (with ID)
  • $18 (students with ID) and youth (13–17)
  • FREE for children 12 and under
  • FREE for SAM members
  • $3 off Thursday and Friday 5–9 pm

Includes access to the SAM collections and installations and a free audio guide.

Do you have a favorite Gauguin painting, Wanderboomers? Share with us here.

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Passports with Purpose Needs You!

What if you knew that your donation of only $10.00 had the power to totally transform a child’s life? Would you consider that a good return on your investment? Now in its fourth year, Passports with Purpose, is an annual fundraiser hosted by the travel bloggers’ community to spark positive change in the world through travel. This year’s fundraiser supports Room to Read, with the goal of $80,000. to build two libraries in Zambia. Last year’s event brought in nearly $65,000. to build 25 homes in a small village in South India. And in 2009, travel bloggers raised funds of almost $30,000. to build a rural school in Cambodia.

Think back to how your own life has been changed forever because of books. Maybe a teacher introduced you to a favorite author. Perhaps a librarian kindled your imagination with a book carefully selected just for you. Reading offers the thrill of escapes and adventures, magic and mysteries, even problem-solving strategies – opening up a wide world of possibilities you might never have discovered otherwise.

Your gift of $10.00 between now and December 16th can have precisely that impact. Donations go directly to the fundraiser minus a small charge for using PayPal. As if that weren’t enough, how about this? For each $10.00 donation, you have the chance to win prizes donated by event sponsors! Prizes include clothing, electronics (Kindle Fire, anyone? Or maybe you prefer a Nook tablet?), gift certificates, hotel stays, tours and travel gear. See for yourself. Please consider making a difference this holiday season through your donation to Passports with Purpose. Just one click will take you to the site. Thank you!! How has your life been influenced by the books you read as a child, Wanderboomers? What were your favorites?

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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