This past weekend I traveled to Gadsden, Alabama to take part in the Barbarian Challenge.  It was my third year to run in the race and I had the absolute worst finishing time ever for me, but it was also the most fun, most rewarding, and most moving race I’ve ever been a part of. […]

If you’re like me, when you think of a safari, at least in the historic sense, images of Teddy Roosevelt, his shotgun, and the carcasses of elephants and rhinos come to mind.  If not Teddy, then you probably envision a Danish aristocrat staring down a lioness and having her hair washed by a dashing American […]

I’ve been on the road again, and this time, I decided to visit a very different part of the world.  I did a quick trip through southern Africa.  It was an amazing trip!  I’ve never been anywhere in Africa before, so a safari seemed like the perfect way to start. Preparations for my trip actually […]

Music Festival season is in high gear these days.  The yearly calendar typically begins with Cochella in California each year, and carries on throughout the summer.  A music festival of some sort can mark nearly every weekend.  Some are festivals hosted by towns and cities, while other are huge corporate multi-stage festivals attracting hundreds of […]

When traveling, it is important to remain calm at all times.  When the airline has no idea who you are in the middle of a layover, remain calm.  When you must fly seated next to an irate, possibly alcoholic Pakistani princess, remain calm.  When men with machine guns lock you up, remain calm.  When you […]

Mac and Cheese Mashed potatoes Meatloaf Cookies Cake Fish and Chips Miso Soup Carbohydrates Deep Fried Goodness What is it about certain foods?  Why do some bring us positive feelings? Why do they remind us of home, even though we may not realize it, and they  they may not even have any real ties to […]

This is the second in a series of articles about the transformative power of traveling.  No one really knows the impact a trip is going to have on their life.  It can be a restorative escape, educational, or thought provoking – often all at the same time.  Sometimes the experiences a person has while traveling, […]

Don’t email me angry emails barking that if I “like’em so much I ought to move there!”  I’m perfectly happy to be an American and to experience the best of American culture and everything it has to offer, both good and bad.  Thank you very much.  However there is one thing that I have always […]

Question:  What do four Americans, a Taiwanese manicurist, an Aussie comedienne, a Tanzanian priest, a Mexican housewife, and an unfortunately named Austrian woman known as “Irmgaard” have in common? Answer: Not much. There we were, though, on the first day of language school.  Last week I was in Paris attending classes at the Alliance Francaise.  […]

It goes without saying that Paris is unique.  Yes, it’s beautiful, and special, and oh so French, but so are lots of other places.  Paris is different because of its melancholy nature.  The gray skies and stone buildings combine with the people- sullen looking men and women who have mastered the look of perpetual annoyance, […]