I can't really remember when I began saying...'When I see myself as an old woman, I see me in a black swim suite top, a flowing green sarong, the curls in my hair have been let loose, and there is glowing energy around me. I think I am a yoga teacher, a writer. I bear age … Continue reading The love bubble. YTT in Koh Lanta, Thailand
Out of all the tea houses we stayed in, I hate to say it, but I think the one in Lobuche was my least favorite. The set-up was just odd. There were about 8 or so rooms on one cement hall, interconnected by a cemented bathroom to another cement hall with its own 8 rooms. It … Continue reading Day 9: Lobuche to Gorak Shep
In hindsight, the first step of our epic EBC trek was probably the most unnerving. Let me first set the scene. While in India, and staying with friends in Ahmedabad, we were surprised to hear that at the age of 14, our friend Kahan, trekked to EBC with his father. While he mentioned some "really?" … Continue reading Everest Base Camp Trek: “First we fly to Lukla”
Sometimes, when I look at the adventures I have been on, the countries I have seen, the landscapes I have walked through, the cultures I have gotten the chance to swirl in, I am simply baffled and cannot help but feel incredibly blessed. Pushkar is a small city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, near … Continue reading Pushkar, India
Udaipur, India, in the state of Rajasthan. An incredible beauty. From Ahmedabad, we took a RedBus to Udaipur, which was about a 6 hour bus ride. Something like that. Udaipur is more of what I had always imagined India to be, in so far as Architecture and such, with the palaces, small streets, vendors gallore, … Continue reading Udaipur, India
The Indian State of Goa; formerly a Portugese colony, equipped with such past remininces mixed together with all the spice of today’s India. We stayed in the town of Calagunte, famous for its proximity to gold beaches, the Old Portugese Fort and chill hippy feel. We arrived in Calagunte via RedBUS, which took us a … Continue reading Calangute, Goa, India
Just a short flight away from Colombo, lies the Silicon Valley city of India: Bangalore. Truly, we did not know what to expect, for the reason for traveling to Bangalore was more that we could hangout for a couple of days with my old roomate and her husband (Priyal and Jamshed). Therefore, Bangalore took us … Continue reading Bangalore, India
You know the moment you start planning a trip and you see tons of photos of your destination, and there are around 2 or 3 that you see and then tell yourself, “I have to see that”. Well the photo above, was exactly that for me. For almost a month, I spent my little spare … Continue reading Koggala, Sri Lanka
In total, we stayed in Sri Lanka for close to a month. Our days were filled with so much natural beauty. Just as important, if not more, we also experienced so much kindness. Though we met so many nice people with friendly faces and hearts along the way, the caretaker of Dinaka Rest in Kataragama, … Continue reading A kind soul named John
After a 2 day stay in Negombo and another 2 days stay in Kalpitiya, Anuradhapura was the next stop. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Sri Lankan civilization the preservation and continuation of Theraveda Buddhism. The ancient city, considered sacred to the Buddhist world, is … Continue reading Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
So, Istanbul, Turkey; the historical crossroads between Europe and Asia and the starting point of our big 4-6 month trip. The city holds 14.1 million people, stradling the Bospohorus , the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. It’s well thought position or location has led it to prosper throughout history, with being the capital … Continue reading Istanbul, Turkey
Stillness, peacefullness, and nothingness; the expanse of the Sahara is mind blowing. Many times, winding down long Texas highways, with only the occasional tumbleweed, I have often thought, “Wow, there is nothing here. I hope my car doesn’t break down.” But, after seeing the Sahara, Texas seems like a fountain of water. I mean, atleast … Continue reading Erg Chebbi, Morocco
Every now and again, we get the chance to do our favorite thing: be alone with just nature and the two of us. So after a tiny bit of planning, we packed our bags for a weekend camping in the Ardenne in November. Everyone told us not to go, that we were crazy; it’s too … Continue reading De Ardenne, Belgium
So, your line of thinking probably just went something like this… 1) Pretty Castle like thing, 2) Who is that man?, and 3) Oh, it’s slippery. Yes, it is a beautiful castle, Kasteel de Haar of Utrecht. The oldest historical record of the castle dates back to 1391 and was last restored in 1892. It … Continue reading Kasteel de Haar, Utrecht
Fear is an interesting thing. I love being outdoors, and absolutely love long strenous hikes. And throughout the years, I have often talked about the hikes I have completed in terms of climbs. But, it was not until I went with the TuE outdoor group to the Italian Alps that I experienced what real climbing … Continue reading Climbing in the Italian Alps
For around two weeks between late June and July, we spent sweltry sweet days in Argeles-sur-Mer with the Janssen side of our family. The days mostly encompassed retrieving the morning baguettes, preparing to go to the beach, down-time, sangria, soup, sweat, cards, cold showers, dinner, more sangria and loads of family laughs. I hope that … Continue reading Argeles-sur-mer, France
Outside of Ft. Worth, Texas, there lies a little city called Azle. Azle might not seem so important to many people, but to me and my family it holds a piece of heaven; a piece of Cherry history. Now, my grandmother has done extensive research on our ancestry, but the intricacies are not needed here. … Continue reading Cherry Farm, Azle, Texas
It seems that I refer to “Homes” quite often and again, I will do the same here. Another familiar place, a place I can also call home, is the Riviera Maya; more specifically, Hacienda del Secreto on the beach of Playa Secreto. I think I have already posted a pic or two of this location, … Continue reading Playa del Secreto, Mexico
In celebration of an incredible whirlwind of happiness, Rob and I took his old red car to the North Sea for the weekend. , We spent the afternoon to early evening at the sea and then the dunes. Just a short walk from our splendid little hotel, lied the dunes. Upon entering the dunes, a … Continue reading The North Sea of the Netherlands
By motorcycle, we rolled through the sweeping hills of tuscany, relishing in the beauty of it all. In the area we drove around in, we could not find a soul who spoke English. But, as our hunger worsened, we ended up finding a restraunt where we just looked at a beautiful woman in her late … Continue reading Tuscany, Italy
Allison A Janssen 