A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon
by Kevin Fedarko, 2024 Just a few weeks ago I came across a book review in The New York Times of A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon, a book about two ill-prepared hikers determined to go the length of the Grand Canyon on foot (almost […]
Notes on A(nother) Move
Yes, you read that right. I’m moving. Again. This is number 16. By mid-August I will no longer be a Texan but a Washingtonian, thus ending my 44-year sojourn in the Lone Star State. I apologize for the silence on this blog the past few months, but this particular life event has thrown my equilibrium […]
Goodbye, 2022 and Hello, 2023!
Happy New Year to everyone! 2022 seemed like a fairly quiet, uneventful year, and I wasn’t sure what this year-end post would be about. But more and more things came to mind, and I realized I did accomplish some things and cross a few milestones. As usual, I have a few things to say. Maybe […]
My First 48 Hours in the Bahamas
Gail has not landed in a foreign country in, oh, about 5 years. Gail is quite rusty at going through Customs and Immigration on foreign turf. Just two short hours out of Houston and here I am, standing in a godawful long line that snakes back and forth six deep, only wishing I were in […]
Woman Traveling Solo II: Home Exchanges and Camping
Having my third marriage collapse after only 9 months was about as devastating a blow as a person could ask for. As I made the decision to leave, I was internally flinching from all the “I told you sos” that I imagined were bouncing around in the heads of my friends and family. I made […]
Woman Traveling Solo I: Learning to Pack Lightly
Losing your luggage on a trip is a huge inconvenience. Losing it twice? Now that’s some bad luck… My earliest foray into traveling on my own wasn’t smooth sailing, even though I’d done extensive research and felt I was properly prepared. It was going to take place at the tail-end of a trip I was […]
Preikestolen Kicks My Ass (and a Buzz Kill Named Harvey)
Several hours into the hike, with my heart feeling it was going to explode right out of my chest, I stopped once again at the side of the trail to let a wave of people pass me by and tried to slow my breathing down, which was coming in huge, embarrassing gulps and wheezes. “For […]
Unexpected Fun in the French Riviera
In January 2006, an opportunity presented itself to travel to France. My childhood friend Diane was then living in Toulouse, France, and I had an airline ticket with the clock ticking—I had to use it or lose it. I decided I would use that ticket to pay her a visit, so we started to make […]