I travel because I want to try out different lives. Could I remember the names of all the trees and remedies to become a shaman? Would throwing my slop into the streets of medieval Rouen be too much for me? Could I ease into a laid-back work ethic as a resident of Rome? Would I…
Category: Adventuring
Standing in the Tracks of Chariots and on the Paths of Heroes
For me, there’s no greater experiential learning than walking back through time via travel. The chariot tracks in the streets of Pompeii made life in the first century that much more real to me. Seeing row after row of crosses in the Normandy American Cemetery in France made the sacrifices of those soldiers that much…
Traveling While Vegan: A Vegan Abroad
Traveling while vegan
In Favor of Small Hotels
I can’t imagine a better way to introduce the Youthful Adventurer to Europe than landing at Marco Polo airport in Venice, taking a water bus to Piazza San Marco as dusk descends, and then walking the narrow streets to tiny Hotel Riva at the Ponte dell’Angelo. To a young teenager, this was a different world…
Mixing Pleasure with Business
Given my vocation—writing about the environment and law—it’s virtually impossible for me to silo work and play. Most often, they are one and the same, which is the way I want my life to be. I am sometimes surprised by people who wear blinders, not doing anything recreational when they are on a business trip;…
Fast Food Traveler
The Bashful Adventurer, a healthful eater at home, embraces fast food when traveling. Here’s why.
Cruise Ships: Where Smaller Is Better
Cruising always promised glamour and excitement for me. My grandmother, tired of being married and with an empty nest, ran away, not to join the circus, but to sign on with a cruise line. I have yellowed postcards from her from points around the world. Even that old ’70s TV show The Love Boat promised…
Never Be the Slow Zebra
The Youthful Adventurer and I were snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands when we saw the shark. He kept swimming; we kept swimming. It was exciting to see one and good that he was a distance from us and that the water was clear. Afterward, I teased my son that I didn’t have to worry if…
Getting Going
I drove solo six or so hours to my high school reunion last summer and was surprised when I got there when one of my classmates said, “I would never have made that drive alone.” I remember thinking, Why not? I had first traveled solo for a vacation more than 20 years ago. I gave…