Two Weeks In
(Originally posted August 2015) Two weeks ago my family dropped me off at the Madison airport. The last time I went up that same escalator toward security was over ten years ago and I was traveling to Venezuela, an experience that inspired my life in so many ways and kick started my love of…
The Night Before
(Originally posted July 2015) Almost a year ago, I started to get serious about following my dream to move abroad. I often told myself that I would take a year off to travel, live and work in another country when I became tenured in the school district. Wanting that job security seemed like a…
Cancun – Spring Break 2013
I guess I was left speechless from the 2013 Spring Break trip to Cancun with Maria, Toño, Sara and Terry. So here’s some pictures instead:
Mexico City and a Visit to Copales
When you realize five years later that you never wrote the update…. Here’s pictures from a visit to Mexico City and a trip back to Copales in 2013: Cuetzalan, Puebla Copales
Reflections on Cuba
(Originally posted June 2014) So, how was your trip? After several years of writing these post-trip updates for my friends and family, this has been one of the most challenging experiences to summarize. While participating in the Witness for Peace Education Delegation allowed me to visit Cuba, opened doors to speak with a variety…
Adventures in Panama
(Originally posted July 2013) Panamá City Our adventure started as we exited the airplane in Panamá City. Debbie and I had flown together from Minneapolis and Olivia arrived separately from Madison. We found her waving excitedly as we exited the walkway. Together we breezed through immigration and customs and onward to Panamá City. Our female…
Andando en Antigua y Atitlán, Guatemala
(Originally posted June 2012) Stepping of the bus in Antigua, the hum of Latin America welcomes me back, despite Guatemala being a new stamp for my passport. The sound of chicken buses chugging up the hills, blaring horns and music spilling out of windows. The sound of motorcycles skipping around vehicles, pedestrians and stray dogs.…
Adventures in Belize
(Originally posted January 2012) From the moment the plane landed in Belize City, I knew I would love this country. I found my sunglasses at the bottom of my carry on and stepped off the plane into the warm, humid air. Belize has been incredibly easy to navigate and we arrived in Placencia a few…
Venezuela – Part Two
(Originally posted August 2010) Greeting from the Houston International Airport where I am sitting out a five hour layover waiting for the last leg of the journey back to Minneapolis. I’m currently enjoying a full size cup of coffee rather than the shot glass sized plastic cups I’ve been downing the past few weeks.…
Venezuela – Part One
(Originally posted August 2010) After a week of being back in Mérida, I’m settling into the routine and rhythm of a place that feels like home. It’s been four years since I’ve eaten arepa, stared out the bus window at the enormous Andes mountains or had café con leche with my Venezuelan family and…