The one-year anniversary of our move to Mexico came and went last week with little fanfare. I was aware that it was coming up but unlike previous years of life in other countries, this one seemed routine. I think that’s because it is is … [Continue reading]
A few years ago an old friend from childhood called me out on Facebook for being “un-American” and deleted me. I’m not really sure what I did to give him that impression but I was living in the Middle East at the time, and at the end of the … [Continue reading]
Planning for any trip can be a daunting task. Planning for a trip of indeterminite length and unknown starting and ending points is a whole other monster entirely. At the same time it's exciting and fresh. I think back to the first trip I made … [Continue reading]
If any of you know me personally then you’re likely fully aware of the fact that I am completely and utterly devoid of religion. I don’t believe in God, Buddha, Mohammed, or any of the other forms these deities choose to take, or their believers … [Continue reading]
I think that I’m a pretty weather-savvy person. After all, I took a meteorology course in university and I can easily explain orographic lift. What I seem to have forgotten is that temperatures drop at altitude, and I also seem to have forgotten that … [Continue reading]
It started as an off-handed comment - you know, something similar to "A cold beer sure would be nice right now". We had been living in Panama for some time at that point and at that time we owned a Nissan Patrol. As per usual we had been talking … [Continue reading]
Biking isn’t just for kids on dirt bikes or adults in spandex. More people are biking in cities all over the country now more than ever before, and with good reason: bicycling improves muscle tone, promotes fat and calorie burning, … [Continue reading]
For visitors to the Pacific Northwest this fall, there is no shortage of activities in Seattle, the region’s largest and fastest-growing city. Baseball fans can check out aMariners game, foodies can stroll around Pike Place Market for … [Continue reading]
Tipping is a hot topic in the United States these days, as rising minimum wages call into question the standard practice of making servers reliant on tips. For travelers abroad, tipping is an equally sticky issue. Figuring out what to tip when can … [Continue reading]
Being in a foreign environment tends to provide travelers with a feeling of anonymity. It’s regarded as a space governed by different social rules, and while abroad people often engage in behavior that they would normally not allow. But we … [Continue reading]