The view from the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, CN.

Though the CN Tower is certainly a tourist attraction, it offers a spectacular view across Toronto’s cityscape and beyond. The CN Tower held the title of the world’s largest freestanding structure for 34 years and features a glass floor at 1,122 ft (not for those afraid of heights). When the tower first opened in 1976, it also contained Sparkles disco, “the highest disco in the world.”

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Anyone who is (or ever has been) a cube-dweller knows that Mondays are often the roughest day of the week. So what better day could there be to fondly reflect on our past travels? As I remain a 9 to 5-er planning my escape, I will post a favorite photo or reflections from my past travels each Monday. I invite you to do the same on your own blog, or via Facebook / Twitter (hashtag #MondayMemory). Share your travel-related happiness, and help make everyone’s Monday a little bit better!

Those of you who are active travel bloggers and Facebook/Twitter users have likely seen a number of people lately proclaiming “I am an Indie Traveler” or requesting that you sign the Indie Travel Manifesto. If you haven’t already followed a link to the related site or video, you might be wondering:  ”So what is this thing?” With all the noise out there, maybe you’ve been hesitant to jump on board and check it out.

I happened to come across a link about it from Runaway Juno in the midst of checking my Twitter feed on the fly, but didn’t get a chance to look into it until a day later when yTravelBlog posted  the video on Facebook. I watched the video and – at the risk of sounding totally cheesy and revealing that I’m a newbie to this whole long-term travel scene – it brought tears to my eyes.

This incredibly simple and eloquent manifesto describes the values, goals and interests of a specific “category” of traveler – the brave adventurers, the curious rebels; the ones who open their eyes, minds, and hearts wherever they go, whether their journey is around the world or around the corner.

But what brought tears to my eyes is that this manifesto describes me. Still years away from my long term travel goal, I have gone through a rollercoaster of emotion and change in the past few months. As I have started to plan my adventure and introduced myself to the travel community, I have felt at times a bit intimidated and overwhelmed. Excited but doubtful. Motivated but (I’ll admit it) freaked out. 

When I listened to the manifesto, it was like a rush of calm. My mind and my heart fell into sync and I realized I finally get it. I belong to the world and it belongs to me.

I am an indie traveler.

Watch, read, sign, and pass it on.

READ THE MANIFESTO             SIGN THE MANIFESTO               LEARN MORE 

Anyone who is (or ever has been) a cube-dweller knows that Mondays are often the roughest day of the week. So what better day could there be to remind those of us who are still in corporate chains that there is a life outside the cube? As I remain a 9 to 5-er planning my escape, I will post a favorite photo or reflections from my past travels each Monday. I invite you to do the same on your own blog, or via Facebook / Twitter (please tag me, and on Twitter use hashtag #MondayMemory). Share your travel-related happiness, and help make every Monday a little bit better!

Monday Memory 02.06.2012 : Wig Shop Window – Asheville, NC

In the window of Kim's Wig Shop in Asheville, NC, you can see the reflection of Woolworth Walk, a landmark established in 1938, now converted to a gallery for local artists. The building contains a working replica of the soda fountain from the five and dime's luncheonette, where you can still get an old fashioned egg-cream while browsing a variety of local paintings and other art pieces.