Category: Culture shock
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Returning to America
My personal ad would read something like: “Middle-aged woman, repatriated Expat, desperately seeking Authentic Thai Green Curry. Looking for homemade curry paste full of fiery hot crushed Birds Eye peppers. Prefer Thai eggplant. No peas or carrots. Fusion Pan Asian Curries need not respond.” During the last few years, I’ve searched the Pacific Northwest for this…
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Fear 101
My cousin Dave is one of those people that somehow knows a lot about a lot. Frankly, I’m not sure where he gets most of his information. But, no matter his sources, I’ve yet to be disappointed with his knowledge and advice. The man is a carpenter by trade, but has interests that run the…
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Blackberries
Blackberries don’t grow in Thailand. It’s something I miss about late summer in the Pacific Northwest. My family will tell you about the ritual torture of blackberry picking “excursions” which involved Tupperware containers and long sleeves ending in at least one of us needing to be disentangled from thorny tentacles. The end result? A freezer…
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Butterflies and Bombs
“Hold up!”, Rick yells as we are coasting down a hill into an expanse of green, rimmed by jaw dropping Karst mountains. I quickly brake and turn to see him stopped in the middle of the deserted road, helmet off and looking perplexed. “What’s wrong?”, I holler back. He grins. “Butterfly in my helmet.” We…
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Mama Rides “Street”
Lazy Sunday morning. I glance up from the couch to see Rick walking down our stairs. He looks a little down. “Hey, you o.k.?” I ask. “Naw. I’m grumpy and I’m bored.” he says as he stares at his phone. I ask the next question as I silently brace myself for the answer. “So, what…
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The Great Leap
Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, 1989. “Hey mister! You wanna Scuba?” Almost asleep on the beach, I look up to see our friend Mitch, negotiating a Scuba adventure. “What’s your name, mister?” asks the deeply tanned dive guy. “Mitch”, replies Mitch. “Feeeesh?”, the diver repeats with a half smile. We all burst out laughing and sign on…
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Hail Plastic!
Before I came to Thailand, I had tremendous disdain for plastic. Anything made of plastic was “cheap”, shoddy and downright tacky. And, the tackiest of all plastic items? The plastic shoe. Are you kidding? From up on my high horse, I could clearly see the faults of these synthetic fakes: they don’t shape to your…
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A Beer & Oreo kind of day
Five am feels dang early, especially after three days on an epic boat adventure visiting Komodo Dragons and swimming with giant Manta Rays. I’m exhausted but excited for our next adventure – the Gili Islands. VWish mini-mini van arrives right at 6:45am to take us to the airport in Labuanbajo on Flores Island. Getting around…
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Pirate Gratitude
“I guess I’m done being afraid.” This thought struck me as I boarded a tiny boat with 8 guests, two guides and two boatmen. We had arrived in Labuan Bajo the day before. This small town on Flores Island in Indonesia, has seen the fast influx of backpackers heading either to sea or to the…
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Happy Birthday, Son
My younger son turned 23 yesterday and I am 7000 miles away. In many ways, I have Phillip to thank for this. He has taught me so much about living life courageously. I suspect he has no idea of his influence. So, this blog is a gift to my son, Phillip. Happy Birthday, man! When…
Gonzo Girl 