As an obsessive, serial relocater, my heart is often pulled toward the next possibility. Will we live overseas? Global south? Middle East? Adventure awaits somewhere. But over the course of many relocations, I’ve also learned you must determine to love where you live. For the moment, that place is near East Village in downtown San Diego.… Read More Love Where You Live – East Village, San Diego, California
It happens to every parent or caregiver. You intend to visit the museum or library, but you get stuck for hours at the playground outside. The weather is sublime, birds are soaring overhead, the kids are having the time of their life. Why turn this idyllic moment into a battle of loading up the stroller… Read More San Diego in Six Playgrounds
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” That? That tiny little table? That is where she penned those most famous of novelic opening lines? A true writer, I suppose, just needs three things – pen and paper and a flat surface… Read More Jane Austen had a sister – Jane Austen’s House Museum, Chawton, England
I have distinct memories of my dad chuckling while silently reading weathered copies of James Herriot’s writings. As an adult, on a one years stint back in Mozambique, I picked up those same copies of Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small series and I read, for the first time, literature I could truly call exquisitely written and heartwarming. Literally.… Read More The World of James Herriot – Thirsk, Yorkshire, England
Our family recently relocated from rural Romania to urban San Diego, California, USA. The southern California climate is known for encouraging an element of indoor/outdoor living. Its outdoorsy culture cannot be overstated. I was not surprised, therefore, to discover that San Diego’s version of Central Park – Balboa Park – recently created a nature play… Read More The Backyard We Didn’t Ask For
Nestled in a wide valley in south, central Romania, Craiova surprises. One of the pleasures of settling in one place for a year is being able to observe change. One of those changes in Oltenia is the effort to develop Craiova’s downtown pedestrian district. Last year we strolled the downtown and saw ramshackle, historic facades… Read More Elevating the Arts – Craiova, Romania
First things first, a linguistics lesson. In Romanian, the ‘ș’ makes the English ‘sh’ sound. Thus, these notable Transylvanian cities are Bra-shov, Sigee-shwara, and See-bee-oo. (Bucharest, for that matter, is pronounced Bucharesht in Romanian). These cities are a huge draw to Romanian tourism and culture. Built by Germans who migrated to central Romania at the invitation of Hungarian kings between… Read More Transylvania’s Big Three – Brașov, Sighișoara, and Sibiu
The road was average, until the part funded by the EU began. For now, that’s how you know where to turn to reach the Roman fortress of Sucidava – the turnoff road from the main road is paved with a new concrete curb and a surprising sidewalk (not common in these parts). If you drive… Read More The superlative fortress of Sucidava – Corabia, Romania
“Sarmy . . . That place. You know what I’m talking about.” That’s how I usually started conversations about our weekend trip to Sarmizegetusa, the ancient capital of Dacia before the Romans invaded – hidden from modern civilizations, buried in the mountains, only recently found. One of only six UNESCO World Heritage sites in Romania,… Read More Ancient Dacia and Romania’s Stonehenge – Sarmizegetusa, Romania
As we approached the castle in our dusty station wagon, we were put off by the factories, smoke stacks and large quarry that enveloped this historic oasis. This was no Burg Eltz, tucked between forested hills on a remote outpost. Then, as we walked toward the gates, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. To… Read More A castle fit for the movies – Corvin Castle, Romania
will travel with kids 