What if you woke up tomorrow morning to learn your life would never again be the same? Would you get out of bed to face the unknown, or would you retreat back under the covers?

What. If. Two seemingly innocuous words. But put those two words together and watch out! What if? Two little words that can either set you adrift or set you on the right path. Or, just maybe, push you out of your comfort zone.

On Being Thankful

I’m thankful.  At a time when the world at large seems to be caught up in a manic spin cycle, I’m taking a moment to remember the good in the world; goodness we’ve been gifted with in our lives. I think it’s something we all tend to forget to do, I know I’m guilty of it.  Especially, in the past few weeks with the fueling of ignorance spreading like wildfire by presidential hopefuls and the mass media.  Why not lead the news with acts of good and kindness such as the little boy who wants to personally thank all of the NYPD?

I had you at the word, chocolate, right?

Like so many, Paris has been on my mind.  Sadly, for all the wrong reasons.  And, it’s not just Paris.  The day before the Paris attacks, 43 were killed and 239 wounded in Beirut, all due to suicide bombers.  Let’s not forget the loss of life on the downed Russian airliner in Egypt, the refugees fleeing Syria and sadly, the continual loss of life here in the United States due to gun violence.

“To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.”  – Helen Keller

Life’s Bread

Standing in the kitchen preparing stir fry veggies and fried noodles for dinner, I giggled to myself as I watched Abi slice a piece of sourdough bread for himself.  Homemade Chinese food with a slice of bread.  Makes me smile every time.  Life’s bread.  I swear it’s in the Persian gene pool.

Put me on a train and you can pretty much color me happy.  I’m still waiting for someone to build railroad tracks across the Atlantic Ocean and I’d never fly again.  Love trains.  Hate planes.  It’s that simple.

I’m beginning to understand why people return to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago more than once.  When we reached Santiago, the end of our journey, I was beyond exhausted and thought to myself, okay, that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Jump to the PDF:  Camino de Santiago FAQ

Ask anyone who has walked the Camino de Santiago if they know what a Spanish Tortilla is and I’m betting they’ll say, “Yes!”

Abyaneh, with soil the color of rich terracotta and residents dressed in cultural garb dating back centuries, a walk in Abyaneh is a walk through time.