Tiny Travel Stories (Vol. 1, No. 3)
A photo story you can smell
Yellowstone National Park is one of the few reasons why a person would willingly travel to smell rotten eggs. Really, the hydrogen sulfide gas emitted from the hot springs and steam vents is what perfumes the land so pungently.
It was nearing 3:00 pm, so I knew that I had to find Wifi quickly. The only problem: I was in the middle of Yellowstone National Park. Every Wednesday at 3:00 pm since the beginning of the school year, I participated in a Skype Business call with my boss. I was a graphic design intern for the Center for Disease Control. That week, I completed my assignment on the plane ride over to Montana, so I felt no reason to cancel the Skype call.
Get Ellie Gabriel’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
I searched the park map for a Wifi symbol and settled on Old Faithful! The visitor center, that is.
When we arrived at the visitor center, I found a bench in the lobby and took out my laptop. Unfortunately, tourists pay no mind to people on random Skype meetings, so it was hard for me to hear over their chattering voices. I could not find my headphones, so I settled for the Bluetooth sunglasses I already had on. I was now officially sitting indoors with dark sunglasses on–which made it difficult to see my laptop screen clearly, seemingly talking to myself, attempting to collaborate via Skype Business as the Old Faithful geyser bursts a mere walk away. I am not sure if this scene made me look like the most organized person ever or the least.
Want to read this story later? Save it in Journal.
One of the visitor center’s walls was glass, so I could watch the events unfolding outside. I waited until after the Skype call, though, to take photographs. Nature deserves my full attention.
Here was the result:
📝 Save this story in Journal.
🌎 Wake up every Sunday morning to the week’s most noteworthy stories in Society waiting in your inbox. Read the Noteworthy in Society newsletter.
