¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone (and belatedly, May the Fourth Be With You)! While I will admittedly be mackin’ down on some yummy *comida mexicana* today (let’s face it: any excuse to eat tacos 🌮), have you ever wondered what we’re actually celebrating on the Fifth of May? Is it commemorate: a. an indigenous religiousContinueContinue reading “¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!”

Happy Moon Day: Celebrating Humankind’s Greatest Journey

As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of one of humankind’s greatest accomplishment, I hope you seek out your own journeys of adventure, discovery, connection, and wonderment.

Adventures in Los Cabos

Tiny beads of sweat tickled my dusty brow. The grease accumulating in my hair could have fueled an SUV. The metallic grind of the engine drowned out all conversations on the jostling bus as we made our way from the airport to Cabo San Lucas. I had neglected to book a shuttle, and forking overContinueContinue reading “Adventures in Los Cabos”

12 Hours in San Juan, Puerto Rico Part 2: From Boricua to Mofongo

After Tarzan-ing through Puerto Rico’s tropical forest, we freshened up on the ship and headed back out into the city of San Juan. We opted out of a ship excursion because we craved an authentic feel for the place. But we’d already discovered that the guidebooks we bought were lacking in any real content, context,ContinueContinue reading “12 Hours in San Juan, Puerto Rico Part 2: From Boricua to Mofongo”

It Takes A Village And Then Some

This might have been the lightest I’ve ever packed.  Two pairs of lightweight cargo pants, one pair of leggings, two well-worn long-sleeve shirts, one short-sleeve, two tank tops, a sweatshirt, my jammies, my tennies, my undergarments, and my toiletries would be more than enough to get me through a week of construction work in Tijuana. ContinueContinue reading “It Takes A Village And Then Some”

Volunteering in Tijuana: Lessons in Gratitude

Life is good.  While many complain, gobble up the spoon-fed fear from media outlets, and blame the other side for everything wrong in our society, traveling makes it clear: we have it good in the USA. That’s not to discount real problems that affect individuals like unemployment, lack of healthcare, poverty, and hunger.  Those areContinueContinue reading “Volunteering in Tijuana: Lessons in Gratitude”

Tijuana: Impressions Confirmed and Shattered

When people ask me what I do, I often find myself wincing on the inside before responding.  It can be a loaded question, depending on who is asking the question and what the circumstances are.  For nearly fifteen years, my answer was simple:  I’m a Spanish and Dance teacher at Carlsbad High School. My standardContinueContinue reading “Tijuana: Impressions Confirmed and Shattered”