Climbing Kilimanjaro
Tanzania, July 2017 June 29th After months of training and two long flights, I arrived in Moshi, Tanzania. Feeling jet lagged but excited to start the new adventure, I went down to the hotel breakfast. One or two at a time, our group accumulated and started to get to know each other over several cups…
Travels through Cuba
(Originally posted June 2017) Arriving in La Habana Cuba is a complex place. Three years ago I visited Cuba for ten days with an educators delegation with Witness for Peace. This time, I spent two weeks traveling around with friends and a backpack, with fewer government restrictions and more choice in our itinerary and explorations.…
Yeehaw! Austin, Texas
(Originally posted March 2017) Straight from the airport, we dragged our roller bags to a small food truck park known for some of the best BBQ in town. The line was long and only halfway in the share. Other diners knew to come with their six packs, easing into the weekend early. That was Thursday…
24 Hours at the FM4
(Originally posted February 2017) The FM4 has been a place continual change. In the past year of volunteering at the migrant shelter, I’ve seen the place transform into a 24-hour facility serving the needs of migrants in transit and refugees. I love being a part of the family of volunteers and staff that makes this…
Up and Coming Tecomán?
(Originally posted February 2017) The long weekend is a must for getting out of the busy city: dust, traffic, construction and general responsibilities in exchange for relaxing, reading and the sea breeze. In lieu of the typical beaches of Vallarta or Sayulita, we went to Tecomán, Colima. Our options were limited, probably due to the…
November Update
(Originally posted December 2016) Last week I visited Minneapolis and Madison on our November break. We had the whole week off of school because the US’s Thanksgiving holiday coincided with Mexico’s Día de la Revolución, the perks of working at an international school. Arriving in Minneapolis, Rachel scooped me up at the airport and…
Thailand
(Originally posted October 2016) Day 26 – Mekong River, Laos to Chiang Khong, Thailand We awoke to the sounds of our group talking and packing up, even though we were in different buildings. By 5:00am with headlamps on, we were returning down to the sandy shore to another day on the long boat. Even…
Laos
(Originally posted October 2016) Day 20 – Hanoi, Vietnam to Vientiane, Laos After the late night, I slept until 9:00 before wandering down for the last of the hotel breakfast. We did some last minute shopping around Hanoi at the Dong Xuan market. We packed the last few Vietnamese souvenirs into our rucksacks and…
Vietnam
Day 8 – Sihanoukville, Cambodia to Can Tho, Vietnam Early morning wake up to load the bus and drive towards the Vietnam border. This border crossing was much calmer. Our arrival possibly tripled the number of people in the vicinity, a few long haul truckers and immigration authorities from each side. Leaving Cambodia, Joey…
Thailand into Cambodia
(Originally posted October 2016) Day 0 – Chicago, United States to Bangkok, Thailand My lovely folks dropped me off at the O’Hare airport. Ironically the departing gate next to mine was destined for Guadalajara. The first flight from Chicago to Shanghai was the longest leg, fourteen hours. I felt a little restless but enjoyed…