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A Detained American’s View on the New Travel Ban
Although I’ve never lived in a war-torn country, feared an oppressive government, suffered religious persecution, or fled genocide, I HAVE actually been detained in immigration and deported from a foreign country. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone, but it has given me a unique perspective on the current immigration debate.
Why Believing in Yourself is Overrated
A friend recently asked me to give her daughter, who was graduating from college, some real-world advice. My advice is directly opposite of the mainstream notion that you can do anything if you just believe in yourself. Here’s why.
Our Family’s Global Family Field Trip
The following story of our global family field trip appeared in Birmingham’s Over the Mountain Journal on March 15. It gives a 30,000 foot view of our ~5 month journey. Amped-up Road Trip.
Riley’s Post-Trip Report
Well, we’re back home. It feels crazy being home. The little things that first world countries take for granted–and you live without when you’re traveling–we have back now. I’m talking about unlimited hot water, clean clothes at your fingertips, and a pantry to graze through. But then it doesn’t feel crazy. It feels like we […]
Around the World and Back Again
Five months ago, if you were to ask me if I was looking forward to leaving for four+ months, the answer would have been no. Nope. Negative. Not happening. Scratch that–actually if you were to have asked me, I would have most likely lied and said I was excited, with a fake smiled stretched across […]
Delaney’s RTW Trivia Quiz
When people learned of our “Global Family Field Trip” the responses were always the same: you’ll learn much more from traveling than you will from a textbook. So I’ve created a 25 question quiz that summarizes some of the lessons we learned. Please take it and let me know how you do!
Detained and Deported: Our 72 Hours in China
I regretted the words the minute they were out of my mouth. No, I hadn’t been snippy with Dale, or snapped at the girls. I’d done something much, much worse… I had tempted fate. The day before heading to China, our final stop on our ’round-the-world (RTW) adventure, Dale and I were reminiscing over the […]
The “Baa-awesome” Agrodome Sheep Show
You may or may not know that there are more sheep in New Zealand than humans. The ratio of sheep to humans is 9:1 in New Zealand. New Zealand has 34.2 million sheep and 6.2 million cows. Kiwis love their sheep–everywhere you look you see a pasture overflowing with sheep. You can’t come to New […]
Mobbed by Meerkats
We all had requirements for our ’round-the-world trip. For Dad: a road trip around New Zealand. In progress. For Mom: New Year’s Eve in Sydney. Check. For Delaney: a week in London. Done. And for me… A meerkat encounter in Wellington, New Zealand. “It tickles, it tickles!” I quietly shrieked. Meerkats scurried underneath the sack that […]
The World’s Steepest Street
Every city has that one street either nobody wants to live on, or everybody wants to live on. In San Francisco, Lombard Street, or the World’s Crookedest Street, is that desirable street. Halfway across the world in Dunedin, New Zealand, Baldwin Street is the dreaded opposite. The complete reverse of Lombard Street, Baldwin Street is perfectly […]
