Writing

My mother inspired our trip to Antarctica. At 72, she’d visited six of the seven continents and had only one more left to go—Antarctica. My brother and I weren’t about to let Mom go on this adventure of a lifetime alone; so we joined her. The forgotten continent (some world maps don’t bother to include it) is one of the strangest and most beautiful places on earth!

There are many things to love about Thailand! One of my favorites is the melodic Thai greeting, “Sawasdee Ka,” pronounced sah-wah-dee-khaa.* To get it right, I draw out the khaa like the last note of a sonorous tune. Then I fold my hands in front of me, as though praying, and bow.

Hong Kong's soaring and seemingly endless skyline is unforgettable. Whether I viewed it from high above the skyscrapers on Victoria Peak or from the Star Ferry crossing Victoria Harbor, my gaze was always drawn to its sheer size and magnificence.

I told a friend that I’d be visiting Hong Kong and she exclaimed, “Macau is a just a ferry ride away. You have to go.” The former Portuguese colony, just a stone’s throw from mainland China, with its mix of European architecture and Portuguese restaurants turned out to be the highlight of my trip.

As soon as the school year ended, my daughter and I embarked on her first trip to Europe, with stops in Brussels and picturesque Bruges. EU flags fluttered in the breeze just around the corner from our Brussels hotel, as we ambled down the street, mirthfully anticipating our first authentic Belgian meal at the restaurant nearby.

I adored Paris! I had just ordered a sweet crepe from a food truck, in view of the Eiffel Tower, and with the first bite I knew I was in love. It was the best crepe I’d ever tasted, and now I was bathed in edible chocolate delight and warm, radiant Paris summer sunshine. While Paris had my heart, the Gardens of Versailles made me want to pitch a tent and squat for days!

The January summer sun seared with intensity as I landed in Buenos Aires. I had just flown in from the Triple Frontier, the northern part of Argentina that borders Brazil and Paraguay. To quickly acclimate to the weather, I hit the streets and soon found myself captivated by the vivid murals and mesmerizing street art that adorned the cityscapes of Buenos Aires.

I had been longing to visit China for a couple years, when I overheard two friends discussing their upcoming trip to Shanghai. I jumped at the chance to join them. With less than a week to secure my visa from the Chinese embassy, and a tentative standby slot on my friends’ flight, the trip was meant to be as both came through just in time.