Worth a Trip? A Visit to the Blue Smurf Village in Andalusia, Spain

Lars Wagoner
July
12
/ 2016

When I think southern Spain, one of the first things that comes to mind is solid white villages, lightly sprinkled into the folds and valleys across the coastline hills. But a few years ago, during the filming of The Smurfs 3D, this iconic tradition was broken… let me explain.

Before filming, in summer 2011, Sony painted a typical white Andaluz (southern Spanish) town blue, presumably because Smurfs are blue. To achieve this, they used 4000 litres (1,100 US gal-lons) of paint, creating a vibrant blue village in Andalusia, Spain.

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#VolunteerAbroadBecause...Cultural Interchange Brings Understanding

Dr. Jessie Voigts
July
12
/ 2016

John Dwyer, of Over50andOverseas.com (read another of our interviews with him here!), notes, “In 1991 I joined the Peace Corps. My Peace Corps service in Guatemala in 1991-92 led to work as a United Nations Volunteer in the first elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian War. I have since worked elections in 12 other countries.

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Know New Zealand?

Craig Martin
July
12
/ 2016

"Sure, I know New Zealand. Lord of the Rings, Narnia and all that…"

New Zealand is a large country with a small population: about four million people in a country a little larger than Britain, a little smaller than Italy. This means there's a lot of unspoiled land to explore. In the new millennium, New Zealand's amazing landscapes have been pushed into international focus thanks to the work of Kiwi directors Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) and Andrew Adamson (Shrek 1 & 2, Chronicles of Narnia) but there's plenty more where that came from.

Studying Abroad? Here's Your Ultimate Packing List

Heather Robinette
July
11
/ 2016

Packing for short trips is hard. Packing for long-term study abroad trips is even harder. I will admit, I procrastinated until the last day to pack. It felt like such a daunting task. The biggest thing I learned is if you forget something, you typically can find it there or something close to it. So don’t overthink it too much! I put together this packing list to hopefully help you make packing a little easier.

Girls Who Travel

Dr. Jessie Voigts
July
06
/ 2016

Need a great summer read? I’ve got a great anytime read for you, dear wanderers. Girls Who Travel, a novel by Nicole Trilivas, landed in my hands last week. Let me tell you from experience: don’t start reading this book at 11pm. Because pretty soon it’ll be the early hours of the morning, and birds will be chirping, and coffee never looked so good, but you’ll be imagining drinking it in London, not stumbling to in your kitchen. But the good news is that your reading wanderlust will be supremely satisfied.

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Through the Eyes of an Educator: New York City, New York

Stacey Ebert
July
05
/ 2016

My Dad works in New York City and I grew up a 45-minute train ride away from Manhattan. For me and countless others in the metropolitan area, those famous five boroughs are ‘the city.’ Manhattan has a pulse all its own. Millions call this place home and even more travel in and out daily, weekly, monthly, and of course, to visit. Thousands show up ready to move in and make a new start, embrace a new journey, try their hands at something new, or break into a new world.

Artist of the Month: Carla O’Connor, AWS-df/NWS

Andrea Hupke d…
July
01
/ 2016

We are very happy to present you Carla O'Connor and her wonderful watercolor art. I have been following Carla's art ever since I took a DVD workshop with her. I loved being introduced to her technique and also to her open-minded generosity. Thank you Carla for accepting to be presented as our artist of the month at The Wandering Educators.

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