The front passenger car door suddenly opened. Our driver was noticeably relieved to have his companion back in the car. Martin and I stared at him in disbelief. The passenger had just bought something to drink, probably used the bathroom, and gotten back into the car while we sat in traffic. Creeping through Mumbai in […]
Indian Wedding and More: October 2019 Reflections Read More »
School started again in September, and I began my third year teaching at Shenzhen Polytechnic. For all three years, I’ve taught English as a Foreign Language to students in a marketing major preparing to potentially study at a college in Australia. As a result, these students take a lot of English classes. I usually teach
School’s Back! September 2019 Reflections Read More »
I can’t figure out this past February. It’s like Katy Perry is playing Hot N Cold on repeat. While Shenzhen/Hong Kong isn’t getting the extreme cold and massive amounts of snow my home state of Minnesota is this winter, it has had extreme mood swings. The weather’s been hot or cold, wet or dry, clean
Antithetical February: Reflections Read More »
I had my 20th High School Reunion this summer. I didn’t go, to state the obvious. I would have liked to have gone, but I’m in Asia. When I graduated High school, I had so many ideas of what my life would be like. I tried to imagine my life after 10 years, after 20
I Found Tranquility in Hectic Hong Kong Read More »
After our amazing bothy experience near Arisaig, we decided we needed to find another bothy. So, we looked on our trusty offline map (we use Maps.me) and found a bothy in Knoydart, the remotest part of the UK. The only way to get there is by boat or on foot. Within two hours, we had
Wild Camping in the Remotest Part of the UK: Knoydart Read More »
I’ve never liked planning my vacations very far in advance. So, it wasn’t out of the norm for Martin and I to be sitting in Edinburgh and suddenly decide to go on a road trip through the Scottish Highlands at the end of the week. We found a rental car, bought a tent and a
Scottish Highlands Road Trip Read More »
I have no concept of time anymore. One week on the road can feel like a lifetime. Martin and I spent nearly eight weeks in Vietnam; six of those weeks were on motorbikes. I have no idea what that means. I do know that coming back to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) was like coming
The Pain and Pleasure of Vietnam Read More »
After two weeks in Vietnam, culture shock has finally kicked in. Cravings for the familiar instead of the novel are running rampant. I found avocados and almost started crying for joy. I have PB&J sandwiches planned for breakfast tomorrow; I can hardly wait. People told me Vietnam would be different. I believed them, and now
That’s Different, Vietnam! Read More »
As much as I hate to admit it, it is holiday season. Even in Australia, Christmas music is playing everywhere. In fact, last night the dreadful sound snuck from the nearby carnival into my kitchen through the open window. I was not pleased. Fortunately, Sydney beaches provide the perfect antidepressant for the holidays. The sun, the
Sydney Beaches: A Natural Antidepressant Read More »
We had five extra days in Minnesota with no plans. After seeing familiar sites and familiar faces for the past 8 weeks, we decided to go someplace new – we decided to hike part of the Superior Hiking Trail. The Superior Hiking Trail is 310 miles long along the north shore of Lake Superior in
Superior Hiking Trail: The Brutal Beauty Read More »