This is a first for me; writing a post while whooshing along the rails from Brussels to Berlin on a high-speed train.  I have to say, it makes for a pretty great office.  I just have to remember to look up from time to time as I’m prone to motion sickness and we’re whooshing backwards.  I’m probably pushing my luck!

Lagos, Portugal.  A beautiful seaside destination where all things summer come to life.  It’s been the ideal respite as we start this next chapter – the expat experiment.  And, while our visas took longer to get our hands on than we anticipated, it all worked out for the best.  I always say, life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.  Actually, it was Allen Saunders who coined the phrase, but I borrow it a lot.  I hope he doesn’t mind.

The logistics of leaving.  It’s an interesting situation in which we find ourselves as we continue to wait, wait, and wait a bit more for our Portugal visas to come through.

“The line between disorder and order lies in logistics…” – Sun Tzu

With 30 minutes to spare, we ordered our standard Starbucks, Americana and Chai Latte, and sat down to catch our breath and sip the hot steamy goodness.  As we sat and sipped, we casually browsed our paperwork and quickly realized we had forgotten probably the most important piece of the puzzle, our passports.  All we could do was slap a face palm and laugh. For two people who are ridiculously organized, to the point of obsession at times, how in the hell did we forget our passports?

It should come as no surprise that I am a lover of the written word; of books.  No matter how many times we pack up and move, there are a dozen boxes of books that move with us.  Over the years I’ve downsized as much as I can, but I have my collection of true loves and I will never part with them.  So, with that thought in mind, if it’s possible to be in love with a library, then I am hopelessly in love with the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

What are travel advisories? I’m guessing most everyone knows the terminology, but what exactly is a travel advisory? The actual definition can be somewhat daunting but as with all things in life, there are two sides to every story.

Washington, DC has been getting more than its fair share of headlines in this time of political and seemingly social revolution.  Is there anyone in the world who does not know where Washington, DC is and/or the fact that the city is synonymous with politics?  It is after all the heart beat of the United States.  But what many may not know is that the city itself has a lot to offer.  And, while tourism to the nation’s capital may not exactly be trending right now, don’t let the politics of the day keep you from visiting.

The best laid plans.  I’ve always embraced the belief that life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.  A well-known phrase quoted by many, but a guiding force in my life.

The Classic Catalog

If you’re of a certain age there’s a pretty good chance you grew up with a copy of The Vermont Country Store catalog in the house, or maybe you discovered it as an adult.  Either way, the catalog is filled with pages of wondrous treasures that find one happily reminiscing and thinking, “Oh, I remember those!”

The best testimonial I can offer about visiting Vermont, in the autumn, is that I’m already planning our next visit. That’s how much we enjoyed ourselves. Heck, I’m betting Vermont is beautiful pretty much year round, but there is just something amazing special about autumn.  Maybe because it’s my absolute favorite time of the year, or maybe because it’s the glorious colors of the fall foliage, or maybe because it’s just Vermont.