Vienna Waits for You

Forty-four years. That’s how long it has been since I last set foot in Vienna, the city that transformed me during my study abroad semester in spring 1981. This weekend, IES (Institute of European Studies) Vienna is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and three of my college girlfriends and I had planned to reunite here. Due […]

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah

We just returned from a two-day adventure along the Great Ocean Road, capped off with a breathtaking and exhilarating helicopter ride on Christmas Day. The flight offered panoramic views of Australia’s most stunning coastal scenery, including the iconic 12 Apostles, Razorback, London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge, Bakers Oven, The Sentinel, Port Campbell, Two Mile Bay, […]

Starry Night & Aoraki/Mt Cook

Over the past 50+ years, I’ve had the privilege of traveling around the world, and when asked about my favorite countries, I always mention New Zealand and Thailand. This year, I was fortunate enough to visit both of them for the second time, bringing Darryl along for his first visit to both. Neither country disappointed, […]

Glowworms

We started the day by renting a car—Darryl’s first experience driving with the steering wheel on the opposite side and navigating on the left. Surprisingly, it was a smooth transition. The 2.5-hour drive took us through lush, green rolling pastures and mountains dotted with sheep, cows, and horses. Our first impression of New Zealand is […]

That’s quite a soufflé

We arrived in Vang Vieng via high-speed train from Luang Prabang to beautiful mountain views. The shared tuk-tuk dropped all 12 of us in the town and said “everyone get out here” so we walked to the hotel. This town in different – it has a quirky, small town western US vibe with a ton […]

Backpacking then…and now

In January 1991, I left on a solo six-month adventure “around the world.” It was going to be one year but the company I worked for at the time said they’d hold my job for 6 months so I shortened the trip and then it was really a “half way around the world” trip to […]