My home and my life are full of the random crap that I’ve picked up along the way, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  It’s interesting to me to look around and see the assortment of things I’ve hung on the walls around me.  Artwork from the Pacific Northwestern U.S. hangs on one wall, […]

Maybe you’re a Francophile, or you want to impress that someone special.  Maybe the boss is coming over for dinner.  Maybe it’s just a dinner for one, but you want something that’s really a treat, but really easy to make.  I have just the thing for you. I freely admit to being a member of […]

Her name was Keiko, – at least that’s what I imagine it to be.  She never told me her real name.  Our time together in the Narita International Airport outside of Tokyo was brief, but her touch would stay with me forever. I was traveling back from a trip to China in the early years […]

Last week while I was working, I looked up and was struck by the change in the sunlight coming in through the blinds.  I realized it was the start of autumn, and the itch to travel took hold.  The next few weeks are the perfect time to hit the road for a New England expedition.  […]

If you are planning a trip to Paris, you will at some point, end up at the Louvre.  It’s as though all the roads in the city somehow keep directing you back to the art and the history contained in side the huge building.  However, if and when you decide to go, you will quickly […]

Recently, I spent a few lazy summer days traveling around the great state of Alabama.  The motto of the state is “Alabama the beautiful,” and it really is fitting.  The geographic diversity of Alabama is nothing short of amazing.  From the white sugar beaches in the south, the flat farmlands of the black belt, the […]

When flying, tradition and social norms dictate that certain rules must be followed by you and your neighbor: Greet each other when first meeting, but names are not necessarily to be exchanged. Apologize if you have to climb over one another to get to your seat. Politely make small talk about how crowded the flight […]

If you are planning trip to somewhere other than a western country, you need to be prepared to make some alterations in your normal routines in order to ensure that you stay healthy and don’t end up getting sick.  The World Bank estimates that 21% of the communicable disease in India, for example, are related […]

There is  an art to writing the perfect postcard to someone back home.  Too often people rely on the obvious: where they are, the weather, and the ubiquitous “wish you were here.”  Boo!  Hiss!  A post card can be so much more! Let’s back up, though. Buying something for everyone that either asks you to, […]

If you want to gain insights into a different culture’s, well, culture, there are a variety of ways to go about the process.  For some people, it involves trips to museums while traveling in a new city.  Others read ferociously about their destinations. While some brave souls simply choose to wander the streets of their […]