A September Update
The Midlife Crisis Traveler
by admin
3y ago
I have been putting off writing this for months. I planned to write a blog right after I returned home in January. Then I went back to work, and time just kept moving. Plus, I was uncertain what to write about. I made a huge decision (more on that to come) and that answered the question of where to start writing…and still I did not write. March came and the world changed. On March 13th I had a full knee replacement and it was the last day that Colorado State University was open for “normal” operations due to Covid-19. While I focused on recovery, I watched in horror as the virus spread quickly ..read more
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My saga with puppies in Thailand or how a seemingly perfect day can turn bad quickly
The Midlife Crisis Traveler
by admin
4y ago
After recently arriving in Thailand from my Myanmar River Cruise I was excited to start exploring. One of my first adventures was a two-day trip to the mountains outside of Chiang Mai. I was having a great day visiting with elephants and preparing for a Homestay with the Karen Hill Tribe, an indigenous tribe from Burma (now Myanmar). The plan for the second day was hiking to a waterfall and taking a bamboo raft for a leisurely float down the river.  After doing some research and armed with the advice of other travelers, I chose to book an overnight trip with Chai Lai Orchid, a destination h ..read more
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9 Extraordinary and Challenging Things About My Weeklong Myanmar River Cruise
The Midlife Crisis Traveler
by admin
4y ago
I spent a wonderful week in Myanmar on the River Cruise that legendary travel couple Kara and Nate organized, and it was a truly brilliant trip. That is not to say there were not challenges on the trip. In this blog, I will share both my highlights and challenges from my week aboard the Irrawaddy Explorer. But before I jump into that, I wanted to give a quick shout-out to Kara and Nate, the organizers of the trip. Kara and Nate So, in real life, I am a little bit of a cynic (and that is a bit of an understatement). Going on this cruise I was nervous that Kara and Nate would not live up t ..read more
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Travel & Privilege
The Midlife Crisis Traveler
by admin
4y ago
Writing the blog has been much harder since I have been in Asia. I have reflected and thought about this, but I think I have known from the beginning why it has been hard.  I am much farther out of my comfort zone here. This part of the trip has stretched me as a traveler. The cultural differences have been stark beginning in Japan, and have continued to be significant in Vietnam, Mandalay and to a lesser extent Thailand. The things that have really kept me from wanting to write are being forced to more deeply examine my privilege and many times consider how I have internalized dominant bel ..read more
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What I Learned After 4 Unique Workaway Volunteer Experiences on 3 Continents in 7 Weeks
The Midlife Crisis Traveler
by admin
4y ago
Now that I’m about halfway through my travels, I wanted to share more about my experiences with Workaway. I have done four Workaway experiences on three continents; three I found on Workaway and one was offered to me through the platform by the organizer. Each one was unique in its difficulty and time requirements, but all of them featured amazing hosts and volunteers that made each place feel like a second home. This is a breakdown of my latest three Workaway visits in Poland, Maine, and Japan. Angloville, Radziejowicka, Poland After my first Workaway experience in Switzerland, I went ..read more
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The Unexpected Beauty of Kansas
The Midlife Crisis Traveler
by admin
4y ago
Part of being back home is visiting familiar places. Another part is visiting family. I love doing both of these things and putting them together is even better. I’m midway through my 7-month travel adventure and while exploring new countries, cities, and cultures is incredible, I’m feeling very lucky to have this opportunity to visit home.  While I’ll share my adventures on my Workaway experiences in Poland and Maine soon, one of the special things I got to do while back in the United States was visiting my son Jared at the University of Kansas. It was great spending time with Jared and ev ..read more
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Dear Jared: A Letter to My Son
The Midlife Crisis Traveler
by admin
4y ago
This is post is being published with the permission of my son, Jared. Thanks for your support buddy. Dear Jared, I have been traveling now for nearly three months and I have a confession to make to you, son. Despite what I’ve said before, I didn’t set out on this journey just for myself.  It might sound strange, but one of the reasons I wanted to travel was actually for you.  I set out on this trip to be a role model of doing what you want to do instead of settling, chasing your dreams instead of sitting still. I wanted to bring you along for some of my time traveling so you could ex ..read more
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Workaway: My Swiss Adventure
The Midlife Crisis Traveler
by admin
4y ago
I am just finishing up my first Workaway experience in Switzerland and wanted to share my reflections, plus some things to consider for those wondering if this type of travel could be for you. My first experience was in Schwarzenburg, which is half an hour by train from the Swiss capital, Bern. You can check out the description on this specific Workaway here.  Overall Experience  I have loved my first Workaway experience. It was a great way to figure out if Workaway and volunteering in exchange for lodging and (sometimes) food was going to work for me as a traveler. While this setup may ..read more
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Schedule Update
The Midlife Crisis Traveler
by admin
4y ago
I am sitting in Switzerland in the beautiful home of my Workaway host and I wanted to share a schedule update. I have been here volunteering here since August 5th. It has been a wonderful experience and I am glad I took a chance on Workaway. Since I have been here I have done some serious travel planning. I was contacted by Angloville through Workaway asking me if I would be interested in doing an immersive English program with them. After some thought, research and an interview I decided it would be a great opportunity so on August 22 I am flying to Poland to do an immersive English Cam ..read more
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Decisions & Anxiety
The Midlife Crisis Traveler
by admin
4y ago
Recently I had the good fortune to come across two cool opportunities. While deciding what to do, I realized that making decisions can cause me significant anxiety. I am not asking anyone to feel bad for me by writing this, as I know my life (especially right now) is amazing. I am writing this because I think it is important to acknowledge how anxiety impacts me while traveling and how I deal with it, and not only write about my fun, picturesque travel experiences.   When this anxiety struck me, I was in Switzerland doing a Workaway volunteer assignment. Workaway is a website that matches t ..read more
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