The world looks vastly different outside the bubble. Gone were the subliminal and overt messages about what a socially acceptable life is supposed to look like. Truthfully, once you you leave it behind, it can be a bit shocking to realize just how pervasive our social conditioning is. I was able to escape the noisy…
Tag: travel
Australian View: Why Waste a Good Flood?
Why waste a good flood? This sentiment, delivered with a laugh, from a grizzled ex-Brit has now become part of my philosophy. The wise words came from the cab driver conveying us to the Brisbane airport. It was the last day of a two-week, five city journey. Our knowledge of Brisbane had been limited. We…
What’s Your Litmus Test?
The “why” didn’t fully dawn on me until I was in the final burst of last-minute packing for a Thanksgiving family visit. Our direct flight was just under an hour and half. The destination: a picturesque part of the country, home to the world’s largest international independent film festival, a former winter Olympic site, and some…
Jet Lag, Mailbag, and More
A week ago I was in County Kerry, Ireland playing tourist with my niece, nephew and my better half — snapping photographs around the Ring of Kerry, hiking through the Killarney National Park, touring a grand house that once hosted Queen Victoria, and eating the requisite Irish stew and fish and chips. Above us the…
Spring Break, Spring Cleaning and Springing Forward
Spring is almost here! What does that mean for you? Me? I’m counting the days until we leave for Ireland where the hills are always gloriously green. (Yes, there will be rain so I’ve picked up a new water-repellent, hooded jacket to keep me from getting soaked to the skin). Most of all I’m looking…
Oh, The Places We’ll Go!
The New Year is still all fresh and pregnant with anticipation. (Oh, but it feels good to use that word in a way that evokes new life of a different kind…) Here I sit (imagine me in this chair here) with a glass of wine and scrumptious salmon cakes while Mr. T is off in…