A Lesson in Staying Open
When chance encounters waylay your travel plans, staying open to the possibilities may mean that you experience something much more valuable.
Stories of my travels around the world.
When chance encounters waylay your travel plans, staying open to the possibilities may mean that you experience something much more valuable.
Eliff led me to the bath chamber where hot water was run into large basins. We could temper the water with a cold tap if we wanted to. But you want to use it as hot as you can stand.
Being a permanent nomad can be a bit confusing. I often am asked, “Where are you from?” and I find myself in a pickle. How do I answer? Especially now…when I am supposed to be “home”—wherever that is
I was enthralled—and frustrated! I wanted to wander the streets, savor the aromas—really get a feel for this foreign place. But it was not to be. “Tour 201–boarding in 5 minutes.” Uggghhh!
People often ask me if I am afraid to travel alone.
Yes, sometimes I am afraid when traveling. But no more often than when I am at home. Experience helps. Sometimes you just need to step out and meet your fears head-on.
I was not planning to visit Liverpool, by my daughter gave me a great idea to make the visit worthwhile!
You never know what to expect when traveling, but often things work out better than you planned!
With access to the internet almost universal, working on the road is pretty much a piece of cake—well, as long I don’t have to teach my computer to speak English!
I asked owner what it was. He did not have enough English to describe it. He just kissed his fingertips and smiled. I threw caution to the wind.
I got to thinking about how challenging this marathon voyage might be when I booked it. I wondered if I was biting off more than I could chew—would it be too much for me?
It has been an astounding year of experiences. It was really hard to pick just ten things cool things, but here are the ones I chose.
HEN, there are days when I have what I call “pinch-myself moments.” And those make all the other regular and challenging days of my travel lifestyle worthwhile.
I am lingering in the Douro River Valley here in Portugal. Sometimes, when I walk through the countryside, I feel like I am in a scene from Under the Tuscan Sun.
Sometimes (well, many times) when you are traveling, things don’t turn out the way you envisioned them. I had such great plans to visit some parts of Scotland and for the past year I had even visualized myself there.
Luckily, everyone thought is was very funny. I had to repeat peluquería over and over before I could hear the difference and get the pronunciation down. Today, I am still repeating it in my head, especially whenever I pass one of the many salons on the street!
The Festival takes on a new meaning in Puno, where the Virgin of Candelaria is the patron saint and the celebration goes on for two weeks! Dancing and music go on every day and last late into the night.
There was a group of women right next to me and one of them handed me her beautiful shawl and hat to put on. We laughed as I modeled for the camera.
On Saturday, the day after I arrived in Arequipa, I decided that I would go and explore the city on my own….it was quite an experience as I learned how to dodge taxis and try not to let the sights and sounds overwhelm me.
Then I had to find a place to sleep in the airport. I did not want to try to figure out where to stay over just one night when I would be leaving Lima immediately the next day. I found a place where other travelers were awaiting flights the next day and we all slept together on the floor.