The largest atoll in French Polynesia, Rangiroa is a laid-back island paradise full of underwater wonders Our family spent three weeks exploring Rangiroa this winter, an island 200 miles northeast of Tahiti. We snorkeled with sharks, dove with dolphins, and combed deserted shorelines for shells and sea glass. It was […]
We waited with bated breath aboard a rocking boat in the grey Pacific, both kids standing on the bow. And were rewarded with a mighty blow as the world’s second longest animal surfaced. When the fin whale porpoised through the clear water to dive down for more breakfast, we cheered. […]
I. Bones of earth rise at random jagged, cracked and knobby or smooth, vast, curved. They sink into fissures that delve deeper than Hades spewing salt that cracks our heels, our lips, our hair our hearts. Spewing water hot with sulphur its turquoise shocking against white red brown grey. – […]
We arrived in Tarija just after the first big rain in months, sunset tinting the retreating clouds in shades of sherbet. After dropping our bags in a lovely little Airbnb apartment one block from Plaza Uriondo, we headed out into the evening to explore. And promptly fell in love. This […]
“Todo es posible. Nada es segura.” I heard the snorts first, echoing like gunshots through the sauna-thick air. Then I saw heads jack-in-the-box out of the lake, right off the bow of our wooden canoe. “Giant river otters!” whispered our guide, Gilder. Two, four, eight otters zig-zagged near the lush […]
“Mom, can I please tell the tear gas story?” Talon asks, bouncing impatiently on the patio as he wait for his grandparents to answer the phone. I hesitate, torn between not wanting to alarm my folks and wanting the kids to be able to share their travel experiences. Retelling the […]
Before we arrived in Colombia, I would wake in my bed in Missoula at 2am with a gasp, wondering if it was crazy to bring our kids to a country infamous for kidnappings, guerillas and pickpockets. In those dark sleepless hours, I vowed that I would hold both of my […]
As we got ready to board our first of three flights from Missoula, Montana to Bogota, Colombia, “bust” seemed like the more likely option. In the weeks leading up to our departure, everyone had been sniffling, coughing or feverish due to a revolving menagerie of viruses. Rob had barely recovered […]
I finally feel like my head and my heart are back in the same groove after our recent adventures in jungles, deserts, oceans and mountains. Read on to hear why, and to check out photos from our travels!
This story by Rob, recently published in Anglers Journal, talks about our search for solitude and our search for big saltwater fish that Rob teased with a fly rod while we sailed the South Pacific.
This story about our visit to the remote and spectacular atoll of Palmerston in the Cook Islands — and the unexpected volleyball match we joined — appeared in Islands Magazine.
When I was a kid, I made my own fireworks out of cardboard, gunpowder, and a hefty amount of duct tape. So when Bobby Kauktol told me that we’d be tossing cherry bombs at large mahseer on the River Yuam, I was feeling right at home.
We had a taste of paradise again: a two-week sneak preview of our former life, and our (hopefully) someday-life-to-be. Using airline miles and a tent, we spent two cheap weeks camping on the island of Kaua’i, introducing our Pacific-conceived baby to the best ocean on earth. He liked it. I could […]
I was just looking for a little more space. And yeah, a quick exit would have been nice, too. “Ma’am, you can’t sit in the emergency exit row with a child,” the flight attendant informed me. With my arms full of wriggling infant, coats and snacks, I headed back toward […]
“Awww, so cute!” an acquaintance remarked, stroking Talon’s fuzzy head while we waited in line at a local coffee shop. “Aren’t you glad you got traveling out of your system before the baby was born?” If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me that question lately, I’d […]
Something you might not know about our trip: I played volleyball in small villages across the South Pacific. As a lifelong player, I never expected to find games in the middle of the ocean. Turns out that volleyball is a popular sport in Polynesia. This month, Volleyball Magazine published this article […]
Yesterday we sent our lack of responsibility up in flames. After almost a month back in Missoula, we awoke too early yet again with our brains swimming in a sea of “should haves” and “need tos”. We seem to be constantly spinning these days, whether its from trying to find […]
Transitions can be exciting or scary, slow or abrupt. But rarely are they comfortable. As Rob and I transition back into “real life” on land here in Missoula, Montana, we are attempting to accept the discomfort that comes with change. Our life is full of unknowns right now: where will […]
“Yesterday, there was a war here,” said Romeo, our Burmese trekking guide. He was holding a hand-drawn map, and pointing to the spot where we were about to embark on a 3-day hike through northeastern Myanmar. “Wait, what?” I said. “A war? What do you mean, ‘war’?” I asked half […]
We couldn’t speak the language. We didn’t understand the social structure in the ethnic Shan villages. We slept on the floor of a teak cabin in the home of complete strangers in the mountains of Myanmar. But even in a completely foreign setting, tea and babies allowed us to bridge […]
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, a.k.a. Burma. Our 11th country this year, and by far the least developed. This country is truly a melting pot of hundreds of ethnic groups and religions, it’s borders hugging Bangladesh, India, Laos, Thailand, and China. Burma was a colony of Great Britain […]
Last week, we put the two-and-a-half of us, one small duffel and our beat-up Panamanian guitar on a motorcycle for a week-long road trip in Southeast Asia. We were ready for smaller towns and some Thailand scenery. The 800 kilometer Mae Hong Son motorcycle loop has over 2,000 turns. Most […]
River ferries, food stalls, woks, kids, temples, bright lights, fast motorcycles, foreign alphabets. Bangkok has been a blur of activity and culture after the past year of our slow-paced South Pacific Ocean explorations. I tried to catch the vibe of Bangkok in this 60 second video. Check it out. After […]
Rob and I piled into the 1990 mauve sedan with a Kiwi, a Brit, three ukeleles, two guitars and a mandolin. The car pointed southwest for the three-hour drive from Auckland to Tauranga, windows down, keeping time with our own clapping and strumming since the radio didn’t work. We were […]
As we leave the Pacific for Southeast Asia, it seems like a good time to reflect upon what we’ve seen this past year. Here are a few of our favorite photos, which give a taste of sailing, swimming and living across the South Pacific islands. Note: This Top 10 album […]