Monthly Archives: June 2008
A Welcome Day Off
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that we’ve had a busy summer. If not, welcome, we’ve had a busy summer. I am trying to finish my graduate thesis, with all the experimenting, writing and bureaucracy that entails. Theresa has been working full time and writing full time putting together a hiking guide to DC. So on the weekend we actually go on these hikes so she’ll have something to write about during the week. Needless …
Say What
I’m terrible at falling asleep. For some reason, as soon as I lay down, my body ready to rest, my mind comes alive. No, no, it hasn’t been shut off all day, I swear, but it’s been focused, allowed only to think about the task at hand, not wander or wonder. So when there is no more goal beyond getting to bed, my mind explores, recalling things I saw or read earlier in the day, asking questions that have no …
It’s Official!
We have official acceptance of my thesis application! This pretty much confirms my defense date will be September 26th and we’ll be able to leave on schedule in mid-October. I’ll spare you the nightmare details of the Swedish bureaucratic system, but I’ve successfully navigated it and we’ve got approval. So, I guess this means no more meandering stories about bears, its time to get planning. Departure date is now officially less than four months away! Did you like this? Share …
Peru… and Bears!
While camping this weekend, I had enough time to run through the entire Peru guidebook. One down, many, many to go. In way cooler news, Bears! Bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear! Times 7. We saw seven bears in five different encounters on our three day camping trip. Only twice were the bears feeling photogenic. With the level of bear encounter discussion that occurs in Theresa’s family (with complete lack of first hand experience unless you count from a …
Eight Reasons Why You Won’t Find a Maple Leaf on My Backpack
We’ve all seen them, the backpacks decked out with the red-and-white maple leaf patch—a proud proclamation of Canadian citizenship…or so the wearer wants us to think. Without any interaction with the owner of this maple-leaf bedecked backpack, it’s not always clear who’s sporting this piece of cloth. Is it, in fact, a Canadian, who would rather die than be thought an American? (Because, you know, we are terrible, horrible, no good, very bad people.) Or is it an American who …
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Budgeting for Africa
This the third in our three part budget outline. See Part 1 – South America and Part 2 – Southeast Asia. We’re currently planning on spending approximately three months working our way down the east coast of Africa, from Ethiopia south to South Africa. This leg of the trip has been the most difficult to nail down a budget for. There’s a couple of reasons for this. First, our sole experience in Africa has come from our amazing trip to …
Nature? Nurture? Neither?
Earlier this year, while in Houston, I visited a good friend from college while she was also in town visiting her dad. I briefly discussed our travel plans with her dad, and as we ended the conversation, he said, “You must have gypsy blood.” I smiled and nodded. If you look at my history, it’s easy to think that. At 14, I told my BFF that I couldn’t go to Florida with her as planned because I was going to …
Bhutan: Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign
I tend to think of myself as a very practical, reasonable, and down-to-earth person. (Just please ignore the fact that I traded an engineering degree for a German degree, and I passed up well-paying job opportunities to teach English in Greece for something like 600 Euros a month.) I usually consider it pretty hokey when I hear people say things about the universe leading them in some direction and if anyone asks what my astrological sign is, my response is …
Southeast Asia Budget
We were in the midst of outlining our budget for our trip in three parts (see Part 1 – South America) when a week-long vacation to South Carolina so rudely interrupted us. So now that life is back on its busy schedule, its time for us to finish the last two legs. Our second continental stop takes us to Southeast Asia, where we are planning on staying approximately three months. We’re breaking our trip down into two categories, every day …
Useful Things Learned Hiking
Did I ever mention on here that I am writing a hiking book? Well, I am. I have a contract to write a DC area guidebook on hiking for a major travel publisher. By September 15, approximately one month before our departure date and about two weeks after I hope to have jetted over to Sweden, my entire manuscript plus maps and photos is due. What this means is that Jeff and I spend every single weekend hiking, checking off …
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