TRAVEL | SIGNS | MONTHLY CHALLENGE
I’m Happy When I See the Signs
An editor's response to the Globetrotters’ January prompt — SIGNS
There is no doubt that signs are around us all the time — and I’m not just talking about physical signs, either. I’m talking about small and seemingly insignificant things that happen in our lives that point us in a direction. Hopefully, they point us in a good direction, but the signs that our gut instincts give us can also mean that we are heading in the wrong direction.
When Chris and I decided to pull the plug on our conventional life in 2017 — selling all of our possessions and closing down our businesses to travel full-time — the signs we were making the right moves were abundant.
From securing our first housesitting gig while putting in virtually no effort, to our house selling in 4 hours above the asking price — to the perfect couple that bought it, and the numerous serendipitous ways that we are still pointed in this direction. I do not doubt that we made a good decision and are on a better path because of it.
As we have moved around the world, we have operated mostly by allowing the signs from the universe to show us the way. From accidentally arriving to incredible places where we have stayed to paint murals, to randomly meeting strangers on the street who turn out to be lifelong friends. Each time these good things happen to us, we know that it is a sign that we are heading in the right direction.
When bad things start to happen, and we find ourselves banging up against numerous frustrations and aggravations, we step back, take a moment, and reassess our direction. We keep navigating ourselves towards places and situations that make us happy, eventually following the signs to get back on the right path.
But while these personal signs are solely left to us to interpret, there are other signs in life that show us the way also, and we have come upon our fair share of many different man-made signs over the course of our travels.
This cute ‘do not enter’ sign was positioned in an area of Milan, Italy where vehicles were restricted. I’m thinking that the locals didn’t agree with this ruling.
We couldn’t resist stopping to grab a picture with this sign in Antalya, Turkey. One of our Ugandan friends calls my partner ‘Big Man’ since he towers over him and all of his community members at 6'3" (190cm).
He sends me WhatsApp messages and tells me to say “hi to the Big Man” often.
Stop signs around the world are all the same colors and shapes, but they definitely have different writing on them. I laughed when a friend said that this Arabic stop sign in Morocco looked like 2 canoeists out for a paddle:)
This one made me giggle while trying to find where we had to go at the immigration office of Port Sudan, Sudan when we were renewing our visas.
Yup, that’s us, just a couple of ‘foreingeners’:)
Sometimes signs are subtly altered like the one below that we saw in Bulgaria. A subliminal message of love. I LOVE it!
And this one, I am particularly fond of. I had previously passed the Equator heading north and south by boat but had never stood at it on land. This sign told us we were in the right spot in Uganda just outside Queen Elizabeth National Park, where we stayed for about a year between 2021/2022.
Throughout our full-time travels over the past 6+ years, we have also created our fair share of signs for business owners. As artists, we trade our artistic skills for food and accommodation in many places that we visit. Occasionally we deem that a sign is needed to point people in the right direction, so we go ahead and paint it. It often amazes us that many people in these regions don’t understand the importance of signs.
While staying in Uganda, we painted a large ‘gift shop’ sign on the front of this building so that people driving by knew that it was there. Previous to this, there was no indication that there was a place to purchase locally-made crafts. First, we painted a bold sign on the roadside, then covered the building in signs to show tourists what it is.
Also in Uganda, but up in the Rwenzori Mountains, we stayed a couple of different times to paint murals on two separate buildings. At the Community Visitors Centre, we painted a large mural facing the road that pointed out the Restaurant and Gift Shop, plus the local Sacco (lending facility). We also painted a sign for the roadside so it would catch people's attention as they were passing by.
On another occasion, but in the same community, we stayed up closer to the Rwenzori National Park and at a beautiful lodge that hung on the side of the hillside. This lodge had no way to welcome its guests, so we painted them a welcome sign at the reception desk, plus some other signs to tell people what they are all about.
While painting at yet another location in Uganda, we came across a need for a sign that gently told people to be patient while waiting for their food. I hope this sign has helped them with some of the complaints they were getting about slow service.
In Egypt, we spent almost three weeks staying on Elephantine Island — located in the Nile River — outside of Aswan. Though we didn’t have the best time in Egypt, we did enjoy doing a bit of artwork at the place we were staying. This sign helped people understand that they were at the front door and to open it!
Previously, this establishment didn’t have much of an indication of what it even was on the front of the building. Plus, the owner complained that people were too shy to open the front door without knocking. Hopefully, we rectified that.
I think Chris did a great job of this 3D lettering.
During our travels through Tanzania, we were told by friends to message a man in Arusha to discuss accommodations. They had found him through his host listing on Couchsurfing.com, but we didn’t realize that he owned a safari company until we got to his property. Because of Covid and it being so quiet, he gave us an incredible room at the safari company’s headquarters completely for free and we were thrilled to rest in a nice place for a few days.
One day we were in the city and stopped to have a beer at a local bar. It was there that we happened to run into the owner of the company (surely a good sign) and he also insisted on buying us a beer. One conversation led to the other, and soon he found out that we are artists. We showed him some of our photos of past murals and told him that we would be happy to paint a project for him in exchange for what he provided for us.
Using his logo as a guide, we painted this sign for him in the main reception office. He was thrilled.
Painting murals has become our favorite thing to do while we travel. Whether we are painting signs, or just painting fun artwork, we relish the experiences we have while doing so. Each time we paint a mural we achieve a greater connection with the places that we stay, and we learn a little bit more about people and places as we go. If you are an artist, I highly recommend this way to travel and experience the world.
I also couldn’t finish this article without this homage to a popular Canadian brand. If you are Canadian, you will know what big box store this sign reminds you of. Let me know in the comments if you do!
And speaking of Canada, we returned back last March to a very welcoming sign. While we were thrilled to arrive and have a country to stay in for a while, I can say with authority that we are getting anxious to leave again soon. A couple of things are holding us back from that in the next few months, but once we get all of our ducks in a row, we will be off into the wild blue yonder again and we can not wait!
Signs are an integral part of our world — especially when we are traveling to foreign places where we know nothing and need direction to get to where we are going. But beyond physical ones, signs can also take on all sorts of forms.
So now it is your turn! Here at Globetrotters, we want to hear all about how signs have impacted your travels. As usual, we editors look forward to your submissions and can’t wait to read your stories.
To learn more about the prompt, please read the introduction post by my co-editor Anne Bonfert:
As it is now officially the first day of 2024, I want to wish you a wonderful year and look forward to getting to know all of you globetrotters better through your brilliant storytelling and vivid pictures!
Don’t forget to always follow the signs to a better and more fulfilling life. Happy New Year! May this be your best year yet:)
Read these previously written travel articles about signs by fellow globetrotters:
Sally Prag shares some cute ones in the UK:
And Kenny Minker had me in stitches with these signs from around the world:
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