From Australia, to Asia, through the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Europe, I can’t really say in which city or country I’ve been the most uncomfortable. It’s actually more accurate to say that I don’t want to say, because I feel it unfair and inaccurate of me to paint any culture we’ve encountered as unwelcoming. All have been exceptionally accommodating, […]
The Benefits of Looking Up
We’ve been scuba diving in four countries, and while seeing the colors, corals, and exotic fish is engaging, one of my favorite features of scuba diving is swimming on my back, looking up from under the sea into the sunlight shining down. With diving, you can experience how the light pierces and penetrates the ocean surface. On a cloudless, sunny […]
The Everlasting Lure of The Last Supper
When traveling around the world, companion compromises must made. He wanted Berlin, and I wanted two quick stops – one to see the pyramids in Egypt and the other to see The Last Supper painting by Leonardo Da Vinci in Milan. Seeing both in person was worth whatever awaits us in Berlin. The pyramids are obvious marvels of creation. Today […]
Holy Moly
Post-Jerusalem I’ve been waiting to write this blog post. I wanted to see if my feelings changed after the proverbial dust settled from visiting the 3,000+ year old city. They didn’t, so here I am. I can’t begin to walk you through the sites. The magnificence of such sacred places can be insinuated in images, but feelings doesn’t translate onto […]
Shabbat Shalom, Far from Home
We are now in Israel, specifically Jerusalem, and what an amazing city this is. Many people, at least many Americans, associate Israel with Judaism. And while the majority of the Israelite population is Jewish (approximately 75%), you don’t need to be of the same faith to appreciate the surroundings. After all, Jesus has a very important history here. As does, […]
Unexpected Inspirations: Part Two
The Cambodian Temples located in/around Siem Reap are magnificent ruins with extraordinary detail. It is the Cambodian people however that inspire me most. As part of Oakley’s homeschooling, we read a book on the Khmer Rouge, a Communist organization founded by educated idealists and Cambodian Nationalists that assumed control of the country in the 1970s. For 4 years, the Khmer […]
Unexpected Inspirations: Part One
While in Thailand we visited the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary. This 25+ acre complex was originally built by the founder, Mr. Montri Todtane, with the help of the heralded Lek Sangduen Chailert. Mr. Todtane had a simple intention: create a retirement home for his trusted two elephants who had worked with him giving treks to tourist. He loved his large four-legged […]
Easy Go, Easy Come
My caring and generous best friend Christine (the one who brought me not just one, but two pairs of pants) is visiting us in Australia with her fantastic husband and kids, who my husband, kids and myself so conveniently adore. The adventures diving on the Great Barrier Reef, feeding crocodiles, and snuggling koala bears have been as plentiful as they’ve […]
Starry, Starless Night
We’re spending the last of our days in New Zealand down in the Fiorlands to get up close and personal with what’s been called the Eighth Wonder of the World. Aside from seeing these majestic mountains of rock and timber that fade, or rather fall precipitously, into the water, I’ve spent a lot of time doing something else that I […]
The Pitfalls of Poor Packing
On our 2nd continent in our 3rd of 20+ weeks of travel, I’m already regretting my packing choices. Packing for nearly 6 months of nomad homelessness presents its own sort of challenge, but adding to it the perquisite of packing and storing all of one’s possessions in advance of such worldwide wandering was arguably a regrettable undertaking, if not absurd […]