Don’t get on the party plane. The late night flight where everyone just wants to have a good time before they land at their final destination. Where booze flows from take off to landing. And the two girls in the row next to you can’t believe they scored a seat next to such a hottie. Their incessant giggling for five […]
Bedtime Cuddles
It was hot that night in Barcelona. The four person room had cooled down to a manageable temperature but still, only a sheet was necessary. I passed out on the bottom bunk, well before anyone else. But I only slept in shifts. All night I woke again and again, tossing and turning in order to get comfortable. My pillow was […]
The Cemetery
The cemetery was fenced in, the six foot wrought iron doors locked. It sat in the midst of an open field on a hillside overlooking the Mosel River. We weren’t searching for it. We had simply left the house to take a walk. But upon discovering it, it was too good to simply pass by. Our family had a strange […]
Icelandic Suds
Ever wash half of a rental car? After parking in front of a small store all night that was, unbeknownst to us, washing their front windows, some of the soap and water from their spray gun had blown in the 45 mph winds onto our front windshield. We had no idea until we had loaded up the car to take […]
One Day in Italy
April 2nd, 2005: I was 15 and standing in the middle of the mammoth St. Peter’s Square. It was incredibly hot. My shoulders were in the process of burning. And there were so many people. I had already stopped into a little shop to buy a miniature copy of the paintings in the sistine chapel so the bag was hanging […]
Scrambling
I hate heights. Watching someone in a movie climb to some inspiring summit makes my legs feel like jello. Standing on a chair to reach something makes me cry a little inside. But here I am climbing a mountain in the Adirondacks with a 30 lb bag on my back to practice for an upcoming hiking trip. I had already […]