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Cast out fear
No parent needs to be reminded of the importance of reading to their children. I try to read to mine regularly. Yes, it helps in their brain development and prepares them for school and all those things that are so important. But I’ve also recently discovered that reading to my daughter is teaching her to…
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Highly edible and life-changing
My husband and I recently had a discussion concerning which places we lived or visited that impacted us the most. How do you know how if a trip has “changed your life” or at least deeply influenced your beliefs, choices or lifestyle? Morocco was at the top of my list for “most influential trip.” After…
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and some to share.
Traveling alone, on a night train, in 2005, from Frankfurt to Copenhagen, tired after a long flight, with the cabin to myself, I sprawled across three seats and slept. In the early morning, somewhere in northern Germany, a man joined me in my cabin. After some small chit chat, I fell back asleep. When I…
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the side of the road
I have mixed feelings about the side of the road. When I was a kid, road tripping through remote areas of Mozambique, the side of the road was where the land mines were. Sometimes there were signs – “Perigo Minas!” Sometimes there were trenches and yellow tape marking areas where a de-mining operation was…
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The Global South at my door
Sometimes we pay a lot of money to fly across the globe and immerse ourselves in the culture of a developing country, and perhaps even invest ourselves in some good cause while visiting. Then, we spend a lot of money – again – to fly back home to our cozy house and romanticize the memories…
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Hidden playgrounds and travel expectations
I recently listened to a radio travel show where they discussed the hidden gardens of Paris. These hidden gardens were quiet, serene places of solitude. Sounds nice. But I think a show on the hidden playgrounds of Paris, or any city for that matter, would be more apropos for me at this point. We visited…
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The “thing to do” in Loveland
Many times travel takes us to family or a significant event such as a wedding, graduation or funeral. We don’t pick the location, but we go. Such was the case last month when I took my girls to Loveland, Colorado. Yes, there really is a town called Loveland. In fact, many people we dearly love…
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The Coffee Ritual
My husband and I shared a very memorable coffee experience just inside Bab Bou Jeloud (the Green Gate) in Fes, Morocco in 2009. A leisurely cup of coffee at a local establishment, coupled with people watching, is one of our preferred activities, at home and abroad. As you enter the medina through the gate, directly…
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in Public on Transport with Strangers
I usually keep to myself or my accompanying friends when riding the bus, chapa-cem, metro, airplane, etc. But with a baby on my lap, everyone is spontaneously chatty. “How old is your baby? My granddaughter is two. Yesterday she started potty training.” Smile and nod. “My sister is pregnant.” Oh, that’s nice. From a little…
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Baby touching
Where I live we approach unknown babies as we would an unfamiliar dog. As you don’t touch a dog you don’t know, you don’t touch someone else’s baby without asking. In many cultures, you definitely don’t approach a dog you don’t know, but babies are fair game! Last month the locals in San Felipe, Mexico…