My early summer was fun, chaotic, and action-packed, with two Women’s Adventure groups in Indonesia plus more flights and changes of lodging than I usually have in a year. So I set myself up with an entire month of solitude afterward, and I decided to make that month a fitness retreat for myself, with a strong focus on weight loss.
Read More »How I tried to lose weight and learned to love my curves instead
I’m on the coast of Bali, enjoying a sweet little resort for a week. It’s the perfect spot to relax and get some work done — and yet, I’m having a lot of mixed feelings about being here.
Read More »Travel Ethics Meets Colonialism
The first time I was in Yogyakarta (aka Jogja), I was struck by how friendly people were. People exchanged genuine smiles with me on the… Read More »Jogja: Javanese Hospitality
I’m still working on bringing the older posts over to this new home with Indie Travel Guru, and there’s a big gap in the middle… Read More »On Bali & Book Writing
My favorite hostel in the entire world is The Secret Garden hostel at the Cotopaxi Volcano about two hours from Quito, Ecuador. The hostel is nuggled… Read More »Secret Garden Hostel at Cotopaxi
Tarantulas, shaman, anaconda, monkeys… the Jamu Lodge in the Amazon rainforest provided a fantastic adventure for Craig and me to celebrate his birthday. But complex… Read More »Cuyabeno: Visiting the Amazon Rainforest
Pichincha is a volcano that sits conveniently at the edge of Quito. A teleferico lets you ride halfway up in comfort — after that, the… Read More »Touch the Sky: Hiking Pichincha
Every Sunday in the Historic Center of Quito, the streets are closed to traffic and opened to bicyclists instead. The plaza and surrounding streets are… Read More »Sunday afternoon in Quito
Last night, Craig and I had whiskey-scented lobster with caviar for dinner, while enjoying world-class service and a spectacular view of the city. A splurge?… Read More »Budgeting for Joy
This morning Craig and I packed up everything we own, slung it on our backs, and caught a cab to the airport. Leaving Cartagena for Bogota, Columbia felt bittersweet, but I think two months in a place is the right tempo for me. I’ve always been happiest when I was either anticipating a trip or in the middle of one; this way I’m perpetually doing both!
Read More »Bogota: How a world-class evening fell into our laps