The sweat cooled from my skin at 7:30am Christmas morning as I pondered this holiday travel experiment with Ana; on the opposite side of the globe my nephews back home slept in eager anticipation of heaps of presents, but instead of a big traditional Christmas here in Thailand, I gave Ana an entrance ticket into a 10K run in the Chiang Mai Christmas Marathon…roughly 6.2 miles of running at 6:00am on Christmas morning…
Not exactly the same.
Okay fine, not even remotely the same.
But I faced a challenge traveling on the road with my …

The cheerful, poppy Thai music suffusing the expansive temple yard was at odds with the swelling energy in the crowd as thousands of amber lanterns were held in firm grips, groups of friends shared a last moment amidst the frenzy making urgent, unspoken wishes.
I watched in wonder as our plain white rice paper lantern, a khom loi in Thai, filled with hot air. I looked around me and my breath caught, we collectively waited for the signal to release our lanterns into the night; a sea of open-faced hope surrounded me.
Expressions indelibly etched on …

Last month’s Chinese New Year celebrations embraced Chiang Mai’s small Chinatown section with wholehearted enthusiasm. The signature red Chinese lanterns adorned every doorway.

Every shop entrance strung crimson bulbs from end to end. And the effect, as evening settled over Little China, was faintly magical. The tinted light tinkling out of the lanterns warred with the harsh street lights for ambient command of the Chinese New Year festivities.

Crowds thronged the main-stage hours before the performances and the long row of stop-light red food stalls offered up mounds of fresh, steaming food for the …

I had this realization the other day that my perception of time/years/events are all a wee bit different than many people.
More specifically, different than about 11/12ths of the population (ie. the 11 months of birthdays that do not fall around Christmas/New Years by the way) because I measure time not always by the year – but instead by my age. I am a single age for the overwhelming majority of the year so significant events, new resolutions and goals – all of these are remembered by my age at the time.
Do …

Happy Holidays! In honor of the joy and happiness suffusing the holiday season I invite you to join me on a photo stroll through the markets and streets of Ubud, Bali, where the whole city smiled at me.
From the cheeky grin of mischievous children to an open, toothy smile from market vendors, an openness and joy is inherent.
Follow me on a tour of Bali’s Smiles
You step out of your room and into the family compound area of the guesthouse. You’ve had your tea and breakfast, brought right to your front patio and the …

This week I welcome a guest post from Alex at World Reviewer.com – we swapped posts because I loved her idea about a look at the simple ways that we can give back to the community during the current holiday season. Some are exceeding simple to execute, so why not read through and find even just one way to give back to worthy causes and those a bit less fortunate ; volunteering and donating feels good and Alex suggestion are easily implementable. Would love to know what ways you and …

Happy Forth of July from Washington, DC!

Happy Fourth from the Washington Monument in DC! I visited a friend in the city and we camped out all day enjoying the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the lawn and then hunkered down with thousands of others to watch the 20 minutes of huge fireworks blossoming around the Washington monument.

It was so fun to see the patriotism of red, white, and blue blankets, shirts, towels and chairs spread all across the lawns around the reflection pond and monument. Although I …

Semana Santa is certainly a week for the religious, but it’s also a week where the Antiguan community comes together and all of the residents are on the same team. The same goal. There is a single minded purpose to many of the activities and a devotion within the community that makes this week unlike anything I’ve ever previously experienced – it’s one of the richest holiday experiences I have had abroad.
Let’s take just one last look at the people and highlights from Semana Santa in …