Malls have never really appealed to me. Growing up in upstate NY, there was a fair amount of time killed in these temples to consumerism. My friends and I would walk the halls, buy the pretzels, see the movies (lots of them), and window shop for clothes we didn’t need and couldn’t afford in an effort to detach from the boring reality of being a high schooler with no money, no rights, and no outlets … Read more »

“Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you.”

These words ring through my head as my new friend hangs her head and cries. She is devastated.

My friend attends a school run by those who seem to be more fortunate. She attends school for free in a nation where free is synonymous with poor quality and any kind of quality education costs at least a small sum. This young girl … Read more »

Have you ever wondered if the culture that surrounds you has more of an influence on your kid than you do? Have you ever muttered the phrase “I guess it’s just what kids do these days” out of frustration? Have you ever encouraged, pushed, or flat out made your kid do something because “someday society will demand this of you”, even though you secretly thought the cultural norm you were pushing was, well, dumb?

People … Read more »

A few weeks ago, we arrived back in the city we inhabited before we took off on our indefinite journey around the world. For all of it’s grit and rough edges, it’s my favorite city on earth. As I got reacquainted with the culture, the (fabulous) food selection, the people, and the daily grind I paused more than once to marvel at how many people spend their days running from place to place, chatting away … Read more »

Last week, I heard that a friend of mine had been in a serious motorcycle accident in Bali. A serious accident – broken ribs, fractured pelvis, collapsed lung. He wrote about the experience – about his injuries, about being restricted to the fetal position in the hospital and now, 2 weeks later, being able to finally stand up for the first time. All amazing things to hear for someone that you care about, but what … Read more »

Imagine that you are walking along an unfamiliar street in a foreign country. You’re exploring the neighborhood and taking in all you can when a stranger approaches you and tells you that you need to hand over your camera, your most prized possession, in order to continue to do what you are doing. When you ask why, he replies, “because I said so.”

Now imagine you are sitting in you living room, watching tv when … Read more »

While this is my story, I’m sharing it because we all have family and those that we love. When we least expect it, tragedies happen and the skills that we hone while traveling can be invaluable in getting us through.

Truth is – this year has been a roller coaster of euphoria and darkness. In February, I rode a Ural motorcycle through some of the harshest ice roads in Siberia and into the Arctic Circle. … Read more »

There is a moment on every trip where I recognize just how embedded in my being the cultural norms from my home country really are. Like most travelers, I seem to see norms revolving around eating, social interactions, personal space, even pace of walking pop up around almost every corner as I explore foreign streets. But every once in a while a “bigger” norm comes into focus and I start pondering whether I am happy … Read more »

“Don’t talk to strangers!” 

Possibly the worst advice I have ever gotten.

It’s a phrase most kids hear repeatedly from the moment they start to take their first steps into the world. Adults repeat these four words to kids like a mantra, hoping to keep the potential danger of a predator at bay. It is also one of many phrases we repeat to our kids that makes absolutely no sense in adulthood, especially once you … Read more »

Each time I touch my feet to the soil of a new country, I am reminded of just how huge our world really is. Every so often, I catch my breath when I think about the diversity of our cultures, the depths of our oceans, the span of our land, and the sheer volume of people that call earth “home”.

I am simultaneously pulled along by an undeniable knowledge of our interconnectedness. Of a deep … Read more »