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Hiking in Guatemala

This past Saturday we filled up our backpacks with tinfoil-wrapped sandwiches and took off for a hike. We put our old Range Rover into 4-wheel drive as we scaled a narrow and muddy path higher and higher up the side of a mountain, a path marked only by the wear and tear of other 4-wheel drives. My stomach buzzed with… Read more →

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The Tiniest Nest

This morning, barefoot and in my sweats, I waved Joaquin goodbye as he went off to school. I happened to look down from where I stood and there, right in front of my toes, was the tiniest bird’s nest I’ve ever seen. I gently swooped up the little nest no bigger than a plum, and held it carefully in my… Read more →

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Honoring Newness

Antigua, Guatemala – 12 weeks pregnant Last December we moved from Panama to Guatemala. We moved into a new house, with new things, surrounded by new people and new places to learn about and get to know. In January I began a new job, teaching in a new school, in a new grade. All this newness was exciting and intriguing,… Read more →

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Face the Foliage

I’m just bursting with inspiration these days as a new muse has tickled my fancy. For any of you who follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may already be familiar with my newest artistic passion: creating faces and images with flowers and plants. Here’s a peek: It was an idea sparked by a friend and creative powerhouse Justina Blakeney who created the hashtag… Read more →

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Infinitely Home

After 3+ months of being away, Juan and I returned to Panama [just the two of us] for 5 days and nights of pure reunion love with dear friends and our old neighborhood. We were finally back in Casco Viejo, and I could not have been happier. We returned primarily for the wedding of two best friends which was taking… Read more →

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Weekend Getaway

Sometimes in life, we make a wrong turn. Other times, we follow a map for 4 hours in the wrong direction. Yesterday afternoon, Juan, Joaquin and I decided to jump in the car and go exploring. I have been dying to get out to the ocean and check out the Pacific beaches of Guatemala. I’ve been working a lot lately… Read more →

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One Man Band

I clap along because I know what happiness means to me I move my feet because his mother I’m proud to be I whistle the tune, I bang the drum, I strum the strings of time I snap & hum & spin & twirl with this little boy who’s mine My Joaquin Fox, my One Man Band Each day is… Read more →

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Rogue Reporting

I recently came across some archived footage on YouTube of a rogue reporter out of Guatemala; a woman by the name of Connie Updike. By the dates of these videos, she was doing some really raw research back in 2011. From an anthropological perspective, I’d love to learn more about her work and I intend on seeking her out while… Read more →

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It’s A Sign

I wouldn’t call myself superstitious, because that’s bad luck. I don’t walk under ladders because it’s just not smart. If I spill the salt, I throw a dash over my left shoulder for good measure. I would never open an umbrella inside of the house. If I run a yellow light, then I tap the interior ceiling of the car… Read more →

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Accepting Change

Change is so important; often scary, disorienting, and frustrating, but always necessary. Although I’m one to say that I love change, it is always a challenge for me to embrace it. I like my habits, my rituals and my routines, and with a child, the need to keep things structured has become magnified. I am a reminiscent, sappy-hearted gal and… Read more →

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Rose Colored Glasses

Occasionally, Juan tells me that my posts sound like they’ve been written by a travel agent. Ok, maybe not every time I write a post, but often when I’m writing about our life in Panama he thinks I’m wearing rose colored glasses. He is always supportive and interested in what I write but at times I think he’s trying to… Read more →

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Turquoise Memories

Standing at the sink in my grandmother’s kitchen in upstate New York, my hands were aching from all the polishing. Red Vine tomatoes sat plump on the window sill. There was the unmistakable sweet, pungent smell of a humid summer evening breeze. Iced tea lemonade in a glass pitcher, idle chatter of family on the screened porch. As usual, I… Read more →

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Bocas del Toro : Take 3

Bocas del Toro is a famous Panama destination. It is internationally known as a stellar surfing location as well as a backpacker’s Central American pit stop. It is made up of a mainland and nine islands, all seeping with a warm, lazy, idyllic Caribbean vibe. Bocas Town, on Isla Colon, is the main drag. It consists of a lot of… Read more →

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Travelin’ Lite

Traveling alone can be so enlightening. Traveling alone after you have had a child, is a whole different slice of freedom. A month ago, I decided rather last minute that I would buy a ticket to fly to California alone, for a best friend’s wedding reception. When I pressed the ‘purchase’ button, I knew that my time had come to… Read more →

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Pedestrian Peepshow

Just outside of the Casco Viejo limits exists one of the most bustling, eclectic, hot, intriguing, entertaining, and vibrant pedestrian streets I’ve ever been to: Avenida Central. It’s pretty clear to anyone who crosses over Calle 12, headed northwest, that they’ve crossed some kind of invisible, unspoken line. There are less restored buildings and there is more exhaust, more honking,… Read more →

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Away We Go

I hate saying goodbye. I do. This last goodbye, as I left everyone I love in California, was a toughie. As always, our trip inevitably comes to an end and we have to say goodbye to family, friends, the weather, the amazing meals, and that precious vacation time to just let it all sink it. It seems though that just… Read more →

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Summerlicious

Summer in California explodes at the seams with fruit and veggies. Farmer’s Markets buzz with local chatter usually accompanied by a live bluegrass band of some kind, and people of all ages come together to make the experience of buying food, a communal one. Call me a cheapskate, but I love to fill myself up on free samples as I… Read more →

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Coasting

Probably the best thing about being on vacation (besides not working and losing all awareness of the calendar) is being on vacation in California. Yes, it’s home and yes, I grew up here, but it’s still definitely vacation and it always hits-the-spot. It’s as if my job is to relax and eat. Literally. All I’ve been doing is visiting with… Read more →

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Just Visiting

Moving often and living in new cities and countries involves starting over. Obviously, the starting over includes basic things like an apartment, a job, discovering the local hangouts and markets, transportation, the general day-to-day stuff. But, moving abroad is also largely made up of the people that we meet along the way, the friends we make, and the social circles… Read more →

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17 Hours : A Photo Story From Panama to California

7am Pick Up – Casco Viejo, Panama Nobody’s Turning Back Now Wave goodbye to El Arco Chato, Joaquin Passing Folks and Blurry Colors Central America, Car Seat Not Always Required Waiting for Take Off Empty Middle Seat : Happy Baby, Happy Parents Layover Snacks I see California Clear Skies and A Clear Coast Bay Bridge View of The City Smell That Air Joaquin?… Read more →