Portugal Rising: A road trip through the Alentejo “When you plant something, you must learn to wait,” lamented Antonio Moreira, of Queztal Winery in the rural Alentejo region of Portugal. While Moreira was referring to the grapes, the same could be said of the entire region and its relationship with a new wave of slower …
Transformational Travel Transformational travel is more than just a feeling or a moment. It is more than that flush of happiness and wonder that comes from a special experience and connection. Transformational travel is intentionally traveling to stretch, learn and grow into new ways of being and engaging with and understanding the world. There is …
We grew up with Jack Hanna from the Columbus zoo, showing up on Johnny Carson and other shows with a menagerie of wild animals. Little did I know that he had another project going on outside of Columbus called The Wilds. A 500 acre plot that was once a coal mine that was transformed into …
I stepped into the metal box that Rita and her six children call home, the baby was screaming because he is covered with scabs from Chicken Pox. The room is sweltering, no air con or fans here. Again the shelves are bare, the kids are in rags. Maria’s shirt looked like it belonged on a …
Flamingos have always had this magical quality for me, the beautiful pink, tall slender bodies that can stand on a straw like leg, the funny curved beak, the bird that inspired a beautiful dance found in Latin American countries. It wasn’t until we made it Celestun Mexico that we had chance for a close encounter …
5 Little Mayan Girls, (who are fearful of white people) 5 Little Mayan Boys (who are also fearful of white people) 10 American High School students (who are trying to change the world) 1 Small Mayan Village 1 Soccer ball 1 Frisbee 3 Childs games. Mix the Mayan girls with the American girls in a …
Twenty two amazing high school students and another Globetrotter adventure is on. We have spent the last six months working on leadership skills, learning about Mayan people and getting scuba certified, even though three of the students had to learn how to swim first. We struck out early meeting our team at 4am in Raleigh …
Two days ago we headed out with 17 amazing students on a journey that really started in January. A journey that we have been preparing for over 6 months. A journey that has included leadership skills, fundraising and swamp walks. A journey that has culminated into the Amazon rainforest. Let me introduce you to our …
Flying 25 hours and halfway around the world is never easy but always worth it. We stopped in Dubai and I expected an airport that was really special but was a little disappointed. The airport wasn’t much but the shops were full of stuff for the ultra-rich, an IPhone 6 with a black gold case …
After 36 hours of travel, DC, Dakar, Joburg and finally Cape Town we have arrived. The morning started early, 3am to make a 6am flight. It is the first time I have ever been on a Globetrotter trip where all the kids beat us to the airport. We arrived and everyone was busy checking bags …
As we sat in the terminal in Sydney waiting for our last flight and the plane pulled up to the jetway I looked over and noticed a couple of cute coeds who were giggling and waving to someone on the tarmac. I was wondering who in the world they were waving to until I saw …
Change and personal truth. I have learned a lot during the six months I have spent in Iquitos over the last two years, lessons around personal truth and change. Everybody has a personal truth. Your personal truth are the things only you and the Father above know about you; things you say and do when nobody is …
Sunday is San Telmo day, San Telmo has a huge antique and craft market on every Sunday. It was amazing to see all the crafts, antiques and people, with mimes and performers along the way. We got there early and found a few souvenirs. As the day went on more and more people came until …
Futbol & Food They take their futbol (soccer) very serious here, in fact so serious extreme measure are taken to keep the peace. There are high fences with barbed wire that separate the home team (River) fans from the visiting team (Tigre) fans. As you enter the stadium you are frisked. The chanting by the …
Okay this post is for men only, so if you are of the female persuasion, please stop reading now. Right…. More than once I have planned a trip that I didn’t tell my wife about. I waited until the right minute and then surprised her by providing her clues. The first one was a trip …
I was 25 years old with a pregnant wife and a two year old daughter. My wife was in the middle of a difficult pregnancy with twins. I was going to school, working two jobs and didn’t have two nickels to rub together. We had been told that a protein test had come back very …
It used to be that you could put a nice bottle of wine in your carryon bag and count enjoying the vino at you selected vacation destination. That has all ended. I am planning a trip to Argentina for my 30th wedding anniversary and would like to take a couple of very old vintage bottles …
On the evening of December 25th, as Northwest flight 253 approached Detroit, another terrorist thwarted all the incredibly ignorant policies put in place by the NTSB and the US government and almost blew up the plane killing everyone aboard and many on the ground. With all the little old ladies being checked at security lines, it is astounding …
This is the beginning of my travel blog but not the beginning of my travels. I have traveled to almost 30 countries and feel like I have some great experiences and ideas that will let others enjoy travel as much as I do. I get asked a lot, “What is your favorite place?” and I have …