I’ll be honest. Apart from the usual journey through life, I’m not traveling anywhere this month. I am first and foremost a writer, and sometimes that leaves me chained to my desk. I’ve recently escaped that state but haven’t had enough time to plan a greater adventure. Ah, me. That will come. For now, I’m … Continue Reading ››

Dreaming of a lifestyle change is exciting, except when it’s not. Change involves losses and gains. Unfortunately, the losses often come first. That’s where my husband and I are in the process of moving into the future we envision. I want to research and write my novels on location. Since many of my book ideas … Continue Reading ››

At the best of times, travel presents challenges. Being forced from our home in the middle of the work week unless we wanted to endure two days of no running water, didn’t provide the best start to the trip. We decided to make the best of things and booked a condo in a time share … Continue Reading ››

The jeep stuttered through miles of washboard in the predawn of an Australian summer day. The headlights slashed the darkness as our vehicle hurtled onward. Although I kept my window zipped shut, I would later find the fine dirt known as pindan stiffening my hair and clothing. For me, the scourge of the outback was … Continue Reading ››

Having big dreams brings stress, almost by definition in the borderland between what you have and what you want. After my husband and I agreed to the lifestyle change described in last month's "New Literary Adventures" journal entry, reality set in. Yes, we still plan to live part time in foreign countries. … Continue Reading ››

For many of us, wanderlust is a force to be reckoned with. It's haunted me since childhood, when I sent off to the chambers of commerce and tourist bureaus for travel brochures of places I wanted to visit. Just gazing at those pictures took me into them in my imagination. Perhaps this is where I … Continue Reading ››

I’d read stories about people who became lost in the woods. The gas left in our tank, our mental resources, and a prayer were the only things keeping us from winding up among them.

There's something about a lonely road that I simply can't resist. Maybe it's the influence of Robert Frost, whose poem entitled "The Road Not Taken" carried me into vicarious adventures. I must have been twelve when I first read it, and it's had an impact on me ever since.

You'll find "The Road Not Taken" by … Continue Reading ››

Wherever we go, people are on their smartphones. Having a connection to the internet helps us avoid wasted time. Waiting for a bus, while in the doctor's waiting room, or standing in a grocery store line are places to check email, network, surf the web, listen to podcasts, and the like.  I've caught myself reaching for my … Continue Reading ››