Suan Mokkh Monastery Retreat, Day 1 Imagine waking up to the sound of a bell at 4am, not a jarring bell, but a beautiful melodic one, gentle but insistent. You wonder where you are. Your wooden pillow & straw mat in a cement room are good reminders that you are at Suan Mokkh Monastery in southern Thailand. You shine your flashlight out of your white veil of mosquito netting, scanning the floor for spiders before you set foot on the cool...

One of my favorite parts of New Zealand was the scenery in between the “big” destinations. The South Island, where I took a 22 day journey in a loop, covering about 3000 km, or 1864 miles, is one of the most scenic places I’ve ever been. The colors of the water are unreal, varying from bright, clear aquamarine to sea green to turquoise to powder blue to ultramarine and cobalt, with too many shades in between for even an artist...

Australia is awesome! I know that word is overused and trite, but this is a case where it fits. After two months in Australia, I’ve barely scratched the surface, but here are 10 reasons you should consider going down under to Oz… Faces & Places  1) The people – Amanda & Maurice, Lenore & Lindsey, Soraya, Clare, and Derek, took me into their homes and their lives, and shared their country with me. Australia is full...

A friend in the States asked me on Skype the other day if I’m really as happy as I appear in my Facebook photos, and the short answer is yes, absolutely. I’m meeting interesting, fun, kind & generous people, seeing beautiful places, and learning new things every day. It reminds me of when I sold most of my possessions the first time, 8 years ago, and moved across the country to California with just what fit in my little Toyota....

Many people fear traveling, and let that keep them from exploring the world. It’s much safer to stay at home, right? What if something really bad happens? Like a terrorist attack or someone unhinged taking innocent people hostage? This actually happened while I was in Sydney recently. I was, in fact, less than 3 blocks away from the Lindt Cafe where a lone man took 17 people hostage and held them at gunpoint for 17 hours. I had no idea...