Before my parents took off for the weekend, they asked if I could do them a favor and drop something off at my grandmother’s house. I agreed – not just to maintain my #1 Daughter status, but also because I was moving in less than a week and visiting Grandma was something I needed to…
Category: The People I Thank
A Down Day
Walking the Camino, like walking any other path in life,can sometimes have its “down” days. Today was one of those days. I just didn’t feel like walking anymore. I opened my pedometer to see I’d only walked 200 steps since last I checked it. The route was descending steeply and full of rocks. It took not…
On Walking
As we walked toward Piazza Venezia, I flipped open the pedometer on my belt. “How much?” Daniel asked. “Nine miles.” I’d made a mistake earlier of telling him that I set a personal record ten days ago when my sister Jessica and I walked seventeen miles one day in Rome. He, of course, wanted to…
Another Cinque Terre Tale
“This is ridiculous,” I called down to Scott, thirty feet below me on a trail of our own making. “This is the kind of stuff you hear about on Dateline NBC.” With that, he and I started to create the opening monologue of the program that would tell our tale and subsequent demise. It was…
Slip ‘N Slide
Maybe hiking a steep stone trail in the rain wasn’t my best idea. But it was my first afternoon in the Cinque Terre, and I wanted to get out there. So off I went climbing up and up and up towards the Madonna di Montenero Sanctuary high above Riomaggiore. The light rain didn’t faze me….
Serendipity – In a Train Station
I could feel him behind me. He and I obviously didn’t have the same idea of ‘personal space.’ As he got even closer, I wondered if this short, tanned, elderly Italian man was trying to cut in front of me? I stood my ground in line for the automatic ticket machine. He shifted behind me,…
Pack Lightly
I know it went out to the masses, but I feel like he wrote it just for me. And I wanted to share it with you. Here’s a recent post by Leo Babauta. I get inspiration from a lot of people and places. Leo is one of my favorites from the blogosphere:) Empty-Handed, Full-Hearted Posted:…
Another Serendipity Story
Not a hair was out of place. Her skin was flawless. On her face was just the right amount of makeup to accentuate her already impeccable visage. Her suit, her shoes – she was everything I pictured a corporate America consultant to be. Next to her, I looked like the newbie I was. But she…
Seek and Ye Shall Find
“Do you have a hat yet?” she asked. “No, but that’s on my list of things I want to bring.” “I have one if you want to borrow it – a hat just for hiking. And the best thing about it?” She cupped her hands like she was holding a balloon, then brought them closer…
Three Pillows
I nestled myself into bed, head sinking into the pillow. I turned onto my side, reached for a second pillow, and stuffed it between my knees. Then, I grabbed a third pillow to wrap my arms around. Perfectly comfortable, I closed my eyes and a little old lady’s voice came into my head. “Travel when…
