Ogallala, Nebraska, may not seem terribly sophisticated. And for good reason. It’s not. But neither are most of us. Most of us don’t have the time, patience, or dollars to waste on trying to be sophisticated. What we want is comfort, with occasional indulgences. That’s why I often prefer smaller cities and towns to the […]
travel
Of Wine, Greek Gods, and Stories
There’s a particular white wine I’m sipping that transports me back to the sun-bleached limestone and olive-tree-studded mountainsides of southern Greece. It was introduced to me on our trip last month by Giannis, a fourth-generation winemaker in the off-the-beaten-path Papagiannakos Winery sandwiched between the bustle of Athens and the blue waters of Artemis Beach on […]
Finding Inspiration and Joy on a Girls’ Trip to Cabo
Two little words can carry a wealth of promise. A promise of adventure, magic, nourishment of the soul, and, you know, margaritas. What are these two mystical words? “Girls’ trip.” I recently spent almost a week in the beautiful Cabo San Lucas area of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula with two dear friends I’ve known for four […]
Teaching an Old Dog New French
Earlier this year, I decided to learn some travel-related French. Or, as we Francophiles like to say, “Arrgghh.” As a youngster, I took Introductory French 6 times. I was an Air Force brat and every time we’d move to a new school, they would be teaching an introductory language class that year, and somehow all […]
Touching Down in a Foreign Land (Flamingo International Airport, Bonaire)
To step onto land unfamiliar is to invoke a kind of magic. It’s a magic of expansion—of the mind, of the spirit, of the air in my lungs too long compressed by stillness. It’s a magic of discovery, of anticipation. It’s a magic of hope. As I step onto that land, I pause, feeling for […]
Cowboy Storytellers Weave Magic
What’s better than an old cowboy telling stories? Two old cowboys egging each other on! In October, I was in Oklahoma City to speak at the Women Writing the West conference. One of the best parts of the WWW conferences is the field trips they include, usually to museums or art galleries that dive into […]
