Ireland: A Cliff Walk Along the Irish Sea
July 2, 2016 It’s just after 2:00 pm and I am walking along the seaside esplanade in Bray. To my right are hotels and restaurants, like this one: To my left is a thigh-high wall separating the esplanade from the ocean. The beach here is covered in small stones, but that doesn’t stop families, children, and couples from running or …
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Ireland: A Morning at Powerscourt Estate
July 2, 2016 It’s 10:00 am at Powerscourt Estate, and the excitement that has been humming through my body since yesterday afternoon is a low vibration in my fingers. It’s a combination of optimism and sense of “anything can happen,” and even after two years of traveling, I love feeling this way when I start a new adventure. And so …
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A Stroll Through the Irish Countryside
June 23, 2106: Belturbet, Ireland It’s the one-week anniversary of my arrival in Belturbet, and I decide to take a break from exploring Turbet Island to explore the countryside instead. It’s been sunny all afternoon, but it clouds over as I follow the road north into the countryside. Just out of town, I decide to follow the road signs to …
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Ireland: A Rocky Arrival & Exploring Belturbet
June 16 – July 1, 2016: Belturbet, Ireland After the wonders of the Galapagos and the weirdly liminal stopover in Boston, I am expecting Ireland to feel familiar. After all, I flew into this airport, on this airline, just two years ago – there’s an odd sense of coming full circle. Instead, Ireland hits my body with a shock. It …
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A Liminal Stopover in Boston
June 13 – 15, 2016 After a long layover in Quito and a delayed flight into Houston, I’m now sitting in first class on my flight to Boston. I no longer know what time it is, or which time zone I’m in. All that exists is the supremely comfy first class seat and a very solicitous flight attendant who serves …
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Galapagos Islands: Leaving on a Jet Plane
June 12, 2016 Wind off the Itabaca Channel whips hair into my eyes. Digging through my bags, I find my bandana and tie it on. It’s just after 1:00 pm and I’m back on the island of Baltra, waiting for a bus to arrive to take me and three other people to the airport. It’s a busy day down at …
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Galapagos Islands: Penguins & Flamingos at Isla Isabela
June 10, 2016 This is it! It’s an hour past dawn, and my friend and I are boarding a taxi to our ferry to Isla Isabela. From all that we’ve heard, Isla Isabela is what most people think of when they think of the Galapagos: very small town, unspoiled beaches, lots of wildlife. Our taxi drops two people off at …
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Galapagos Islands: A Short Misadventure
June 9, 2016 It’s just before 5 pm on a Thursday afternoon, and my friend and I are striding along the path towards Las Grietas. Behind us is the ferry dock; ahead of us is a sandy path that will eventually turn rocky. For the first time in a year, I am wearing my swim suit. The last time I …
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Galapagos Islands: Exploring Laguna de las Ninfas
June 8, 2016 It’s been a long 2 days of struggling with very slow internet at our house. The upgraded connection our host promised isn’t what we expected, and it’s taking both of us much longer to work on projects than it normally would. I’ve had to reschedule both client calls this week, and while Maureen’s been able to get …
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Galapagos Islands: In Which I Meet the Famous Galapagos Giant Land Tortoise!
June 6, 2016 It’s a hot 11:00 am here in Puerto Ayora. My friend and I have just finished moving into the second of our two Galapagos houses. This one is on the very west side of town, two blocks from the main street. We’ve definitely moved out of tourist-ville and into the heart of “real” Puerto Ayora. Two workers …
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