Yesterday we went to the hospital. Yes, a public hospital in a foreign country . . . scary, right? Not to worry – no one was sick or injured. We needed vaccinations prior to our travels in Southeast Asia. A strange […]
Christmas letter 2018
To say it’s been a big year is an understatement. One of the final sentences of last year’s letter was: “Hard to believe that our next letter will likely have to be posted on our blog and written from a […]
Leaving Istanbul with full hearts (by Lindsay)
Today, we packed up after six wonderful weeks in Istanbul. Our little neighbourhood, Kuzguncuk, has felt like home. The people have welcomed us, looked after us and opened their homes, businesses and hearts to us. To say that I am […]
The walls we build
Now that we’ve been traveling for a while we’re less excited about ticking the boxes of the typical tourist sights and more about settling in, meeting people, and living for a while in new and interesting places. But there are […]
Coffee, salt, and a culture of ‘we’
For generations, marriages in this and many other parts of the world were arranged. There were very good reasons for this: financial, political, practical . . . Besides, why would you trust a twenty year old with such a huge […]
A Western family’s first impressions of Istanbul
We awoke to the droning timbre of a man’s voice singing. Unrecognisable words. No rhythm like we’re used to. But a song nonetheless, projected from a distance, vibrations reaching out to thousands of sleeping people. It was 6:30am. “What is […]
Bulgaria might be the best country you’ve never heard about
Douglas Corrigan was a pilot who in 1938 flew from America to Ireland. The airplane he flew had very few navigation aids beyond a compass, so this was quite a feat. In the newspaper coverage of the event one of […]
Three months of family travel – the kids report!
A quarter of a year, three months, eights countries, and twenty-one temporary homes. Time for an update. You guys hear from me often enough. Linds promises to do her own blog post again soon (she’s doing great). We know you’re […]
Lifestyle withdrawal
Working in the ER, I used to see people in withdrawal all the time. They were a mess. Whether it was alcohol or opioids, their substance of choice had induced a certain abnormal chemical balance. The mind and body adapted […]