Travel Talkers Toastmasters

The theme of the second meeting of Travel Talkers was “Expectations.” Do you plan your trips in great detail and never deviate? Or do you arrive at a destination and take advantage of what you find ? If your first choice for a tour or a place to eat is not available, how do you react? Do you take the time to reset your expectations and enjoy what the new city has to offer?

Those joining the meeting came from California, Arizona, Minnesota, The Bahamas, and China. Our speakers took us to Sydney, Dublin, and Yosemite National Park. We are a diverse group of members with diverse travel stories. But what we all have in common is a love of travel and a desire to share our stories.

Meghan was our Destination Master and she provided clues for a destination she is planning to visit later this month to enjoy a large glass of dark ale. Her clues about the destination: It is a city on the coast with a body of water with the same name as the city. It has a University founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. It is the home of many writers including James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and William Butler Yeats. If you guessed Dublin, you are correct.

Our speaker was Raji Bandanapudi. Her speech, “Top of the World at 8,831 Feet” was a travel story about determination and beauty. Raji and her friends hiked to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. The start of the hike through the forest passing by Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls was beautiful, cool and relaxing. Then the trail became a very steep switchback with no grass or shade. The last push to reach the top required the use of cables on the smooth top of the giant granite dome. The hike was 16 miles one way, with a gain of 2,500 feet in the final 5 miles. Before reaching the top, Raji wondered if she would make it or if she should turn back. She faced her fears and proceed ahead. Once she reached the top of Half Dome, she felt like she was standing on top of the world. As we heard her speech, it brought back memories of other hikes and personal fears we had faced and overcome to reach our goal.

The final segment of the meeting was Travel Topics with great questions prepared by Elma. Meghan was asked where would she go if someone gave her unlimited money for a trip. She said she would go to the only continent on Earth that she has never visited, Antarctica, to see the penguins. Viji told us about her packing tips–she always make sures she has extra toiletries. Shanthi told us about a train trip that was almost a catastrophe when part of the travel party missed the train connection and had to take an uber to the next station to meet the group. Kat was asked about how the internet has changed travel and she said that researching trips, looking for reviews and shopping for the best prices is all much easier on line. Raji was asked to tell us about the best way to visit India, where she has many friends and family. She suggested that talking to your friends from India before you go would help you focus your trip on the best sights and the best food in the area that you want to visit. India is a huge country with many big cities and national shrines.

Join us for our next meeting on October 13 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm Pacific (-7 UTC). The meeting theme is “Travel on the Cheap”. Toastmaster, Helen; Destination Master, Katsuko; Speaker, Vernita; Travel Topics Master, Viji.

Register for the meeting: https://tinyurl.com/TravelTalkersZoomLink

Looking forward to hearing your Travel Stories!

Helen Josephine, Travel Talkers Toastmasters