I’ve said before that sometimes travel is where you find it. You aren’t always going to be able to afford the safari in Africa, the bungee jumping tour of New Zealand, or the month of Eurailing around Europe. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit at home, content with trips to the mall or the grocery store.
So how about looking at the world upside-down and backwards? From inside a camera? That moves? You can do it on the Bus Obscura. The Bus Obscura is a common school bus that has been transformed into a pinhole camera. Or hundreds of cameras, actually. The windows are blacked out (except where the driver needs to see – there’s a black curtain hanging behind him to shut out the light to the rest of the bus) and there are hundreds of pinholes made in them. The images that come through are reflected onto screens, so as the bus drives, you’re surrounded by all these little upside-down, backwards images, just what you would see from inside a camera.
The concept was created by artist Simon Lee in New York. Over the past few years, he’s created many buses, trams and vans for the project and they’ve traveled Africa, Europe, and the U.S.
Most recently the bus stopped in the San Francisco area and I got a 20-minute tour of my hometown like I’d never seen it before. The sky was down, the grass was up, the music was haunting, and when i finally stepped off the bus I felt as if I’d been in another universe. It was quick, but it was just what I needed to refresh my sense of adventure and excitement for new experiences and destinations.
Unfortunately, I can’t find a list of other cities the bus is visiting. The Bus Obscura seems to have a schedule obscura. Keep an eye on your local event listings though, and if the bus is anywhere near you, take a free ride. If it’s not, have a look at what others have seen through the lens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWbo4WsLmyg
Or maybe you can come up with your own new way to look at things.
What’s that? You don’t have any photos of you doing something incredibly adventurous? Well then it’s about time you did. Start planning your travel adventure now and be ready for the next photo contest that comes up. How about a week of 
You don’t have the money to travel to Australia for an 
Load up your iPod or other DJ-ing device with Kylie Minogue, Men at Work, Crowded House, iOTA, Karnivool, Killing Heidi, Midnight Oil, AC/DC, Silverchair, Flight of the Conchords, Howie Day and INXS, and you’ve got an international event on your hands. (Shags in swags optional.) 
If you’re a seasoned traveler, or if you’ve done your studying up on how to be a prepared traveler, you probably have a well-packed carry-on bag for long flights. You’ve got your liquids (all under 4oz.) in a Ziplock bag. You have the smallest possible mp3 played stashed with your favorite tunes. You have a book or a couple of magazines, a light snack, and maybe even a change of socks so you can feel somewhat fresh when you land.
Looks like there’s no need to panic. The plans to improve the Eiffel Tower with a little hat/observation deck that were widely reported as being approved and ready for construction, were actually just a suggestion, and there will be no changes made to our favorite antenna:
You want to help people, and you want to travel, and you want to buy cute shoes. All are valid ambitions to have in life. And now, you may be able to do all three.
I’ve written about my friend, Jane Stillwater, a few times before. She’s in her 60s, a grandmother, an activist, and a worldwide traveler. She’s not at all rich, in fact she probably travels on less than most students, but in the last year she’s been to Kuwiat (where she barely made it out of the airport because her funds were so low), Iraq, around Africa, and her latest destination: China.