Stories of Life in Faraway Places

Notes from the road—places traveled, stories gathered, and moments that linger long after the suitcase is unpacked.

  • All
  • South Africa
  • Malaysia
  • Netherlands
  • Portugal
  • Turkey

Johannesburg, December 2025 — Landed

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December 31, 2025 Here we are – nine hours into the future. And it’s already the eve of a new year. This morning, after a 15 hour direct flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, my head is still spinning and I feel unmoored. Now, on the terrace of our room, I’m listening to the singing of…

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Langkawi, April 2025 — Holding What Matters

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April 23, 2025 Although unplanned, coming to Malaysia has been absolutely perfect. Bill and I haven’t been here for ten years. He worked in Malaysia for five years as a young adult, and you might remember that we used to visit here (and the rest of Asia) often in the early 2000s. Needless to say,…

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Amsterdam → Kuala Lumpur, April 2025 — Full Circle

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April 16, 2025 We made it back to the Netherlands and completed our original travel plan. But, instead of going to ABQ today, we’re in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the final two weeks of our journey. Leaving from Amsterdam, we had to change planes in Abu Dhabi. This was my first time at Zayed International.…

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Algarve, April 2025 — The Great Escape

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April 9, 2025 I was taking a nap when something told me to wake up. I opened my eyes and saw him in the act of running away. Successfully bobbing and weaving, he artfully slipped through my grasp, saying that he did not want to leave Portugal. This was, after all, where I had found…

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Algarve, April 2025 — Back to the Beginning

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April 7, 2025 We’re back to where we started – in the Algarve for the final 10 days of our original plan. We would have been back to Santa Fe on the 15th. However, with the new travel extension, we’ll have to pull it all together again and leave, for Malaysia, next weekend (April 13th…

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Algarve, March 2025 — Change in the Weather

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March 21, 2025 I thought you might be wondering where we are. So, here’s a brief update. We’re actually back in Portugal, on the Algarve – where we are being offered a smorgasbord of unseasonable weather. The low temperatures, rain, and wind have kept us inside for several days. Bill took this photo (below) which…

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Taksim, March 2025 — Bosphorus Part II

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March 14, 2025 Even places of worship were shrouded, or hidden behind walls. Historically targets of terrorism, they were often marked by the presence of police, especially churches and synagogues. An ancient Catholic Church was found through the arches pictured below, behind gates and down steep steps. You could easily walk past; carried along by…

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Taksim, March 2025 — On the Other Side of the Bosphorus

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March 14, 2025 Unlike the wide open spaces of the Namibian desert, or the endless rolling hills of the South African countryside; Taksim called us to its’ interior landscapes. This side of Istanbul seemed to be about the discovery of what remains hidden and out of sight – small spaces that lay behind or underneath.…

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Taksim, March 2025 — International Women’s Day

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March 9, 2025 We’re back in Istanbul. This time in Taksim (pictured below from our balcony). It may not look it, but Taksim is a more modern district on the other side of the Bosporus. We decided to stay here as a contrast to the even older neighborhood, Sultanahmet, where we stayed last month. We…

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Franschhoek, March 2025 — South Africa

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March 4, 2025 Several years ago, we asked our dear friend, Norman, if he were to make one more trip overseas, where would he go. Without hesitation, he replied – “Africa!” Based on that recommendation, Bill and I began to seriously consider coming here. It took us about two years, but we finally decided to…

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