Anatomy of an Assault
Most of my blog posts are full of pretty pictures, and the next one after this will be too. But the subject of this one, the physical parts anyway, are gone, except for now-fading abrasions and on-going pain of bruised ribs. Here’s the anatomy of my assault… On April 27, in San Sebastian Etla, a small village a short way outside of the city of Oaxaca in Mexico, I was assaulted in broad daylight, knocked down in the street, my purse ripped off of my arm. I was headed from my Airbnb on the 10 minute walk to the main road to catch a...
read moreLos colores de La Manzanilla, Mexico
La Manzanilla, Mexico is a sleepy little fishing village and laid back beach town, so what is there to tie a nomad like me down for 6 whole months? Turns out plenty! First, there’s never a shortage of local color, especially for a photographer … Endless walks on the 6km stretch of sandy beach enthrall, delight, and soothe the soul day after day after day. Some weekends and holidays are filled with frolicking swimmers and sandcastle-building kids… …while many times you’ll have the edge of the sea virtually all to...
read moreCalifornia Dreaming – Southern Beach Towns
Part 2 – Los Angeles and Southern California Beach Towns As a second act to my return to California, I’m happy to present a tour of the Golden State’s best southern beach towns, along with a tiny glimpse of LA. The Megabus droned on through the night for eight hours from San Francisco, depositing me in the heart of Los Angeles in the wee hours, where my friend Lisa was kind enough to scoop me up. It had been several years since we’d seen each other, but with some friends it’s as if no time has passed at all. Thus...
read moreCalifornia Dreaming – Back to the USA
Part 1: Hopping House Sits in Northern California After 18 months outside the US, it was time for a brief return. Leaving Thailand when my six months of visas were up, and with the first draft of my book manuscript completed, I made a sweep through California to renew my passport, and more importantly, to see family and friends. Keeping with my backpacker’s budget, this included house and pet sitting, a cobbling together of places to stay. Opportunities arose and disappeared per usual on this journey, more chances for a planner like me...
read moreExpat Life – Back in Chiang Mai
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to move to another country? To be an expat in a foreign land? For six months I had a sampling of what that’s like in Thailand. It’s easier than you might think. At first, it can seem really foreign, different language, even different alphabets… different foods… different religions, and different customs. For someone like me, who finds all of these differences fascinating, it’s like living in a dream! People in Thailand are very friendly,...
read moreTraveLynn Tales: A Year Around the World
Just the words, “World Travel,” sound romantic. What’s it like to really chuck it all and travel around the world for a year? After visiting over a dozen countries on a shoestring-budget, I thought I’d do a little visual re-cap of some of the highlights. First stop, on my world travel adventure – Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, where I took a leap of faith as well as a leap in the ocean, and later frolicked with rock wallabies… …felt the spiritual draw of Uluru, soaked up the...
read moreBrighton & Hove, Days With the Dachshunds
Brilliant and beautiful Brighton & Hove, on the south coast of England, offer much to enjoy, and I found myself with three weeks to explore while pet sitting for two mischievous dachshunds. Twin cities, of a sort, Hove and Brighton are like bookends, linked by a long seaside promenade. The prom is full of life, action, and beautiful views, where you can take part in numerous activities – the usual bike riding, jogging and dog walking, or step it up a bit with sports like basketball, beach volleyball, and bouncing. If anyone asked if...
read moreLots to Love About London
With four days between house sits in England, leaving Corsham to head down to Hove, the excitement of London lies in the middle, and what’s not to love about London? Except possibly the price tag, but London doesn’t have to break the bank. True, hotels are off-the-hook expensive, and with no appropriate couch-surfing to be found, I reverted to my old standby, Airbnb. Out of the city center, near the Royal Borough 0f Kensington and Chelsea, I found a room in a townhouse flat with a young couple from Bulgaria and their toddler son,...
read moreJane Austin’s Bath and a Look at Lacock
Historic Bath, England was only a short bus ride away from my house sit in Corsham, so I took a day after my house hosts returned to explore. The main attraction, ancient Roman baths, are accessible via self-tour with an informative audio guide, and definitely worth a visit! Wandering through the Roman Temple, Bath House, and Sacred Spring, surrounded by the smell of sulphur, hot water bubbled up in green pools, as it did in ancient times, from rain falling on nearby hills. It filters down through layers of limestone to be heated by...
read moreQuaint Corsham – Dropped into Dickens
What could be a more authentic English experience than living in a home on the High Street in the quaint village of Corsham? Luck was with me when I landed this house sit for sweet William, a 15-year-old pup. His masters, Mark and Andy were headed off on a holiday, and entrusted their furry friend to my care, along with their beautiful home. Will even made happy noises when I scratched behind his floppy ears, and rubbed his tummy. Corsham is a picturesque little town, like something straight out of Dickens, with old slate-roofed buildings,...
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