Now I can say there was that time in Dharamsala, when a people cut off from their country and their families marched for two hours in protest, demanding action, dreaming of home.
Dreams, demands, Dharamsala: Notes on when a place has purpose.
new zealand
Conversations with Micaela, part 1: Do you ever get lonely?
When people find out that I usually travel alone, so often the first question they ask is, “Don’t you ever get lonely?” What surprises me is the terribly concerned look on their face, as though loneliness is something to be afraid of.
Conversations with Micaela: Introducing a new blog series.
Every now and then you meet someone whose friendship not only proves the test of time, but of distance, too. Today I want you to meet Micaela, one such friend whose questions before her first solo trip inspired this new blog series.
Year in review: My top ten places in 2010.
“No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of our common Adam.” — Charles Lamb As we move further into 2011, I wanted to not only take the time to look back on the … Read More
At the heart of the country: Day five on the North Island.
Day five was winding down. I was back on the road after Rotorua and all that stood between me and the Coromandel Peninsula was a little town with a big name – Paeroa, New Zealand. Anyone who’s spent any time in New Zealand has probably had the chance to taste the country’s national soft drink, … Read More
Letting off steam in Rotorua: Day five on the North Island.
There’s no denying the popularity of referring to Rotorua as Roto-Vegas, a nickname that just about sums up the conundrum of this central North Island city. With a population of about 55,000, it is known for its significant Maori population and manicured English gardens (a contradiction in and of itself, perhaps), but also for its … Read More
In the volcanic valley: Day five on the North Island.
In the valleys of southwest Iceland, the Great Geysir is part of a system of hot springs that, in addition to spewing boiling water some seventy meters into the air, have lent their name to the English word for ‘geyser.’ The word ‘geysir’ itself comes from the Old Norse verb geysa, to “gush” or “rush … Read More
Information overload on the North Island.
Somehow, I’d ended up in Rotorua for the night. Well, I knew exactly how it happened. State Highway 1 had led me from Hamilton through Cambridge to Tirau, where I picked up SH5 to Rotorua. But I was late leaving Raglan; partly because it was such a lovely little town and partly because things got … Read More
Tirau, a small-town success story.
On the highway out of Cambridge, I’d passed a large warehouse-like building with the words “Corrugated Creations” painted on the side like a built-in billboard. There were a few cut-outs scattered around the complex – made from corrugated iron, of course – large cartoon-ish images of a donkey, a car, and an alien eye, but … Read More
Surf’s up in Raglan.
I have a habit of expecting a lot from myself. It began in high school, I suppose, this self-enforced pressure. While friends faced the gauntlet of their parents to achieve and succeed, I answered to no one but my own high standards. I was the one pushing myself into college admissions meetings and AP classes, … Read More
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