We’ve arrived in Puerto Vallarta! Due to some family commitments that require easy access to the U.S., we are scheduled to stay here for 6 months. This is the longest we’ve been in one place since we left Ecuador in January of 2025. It’s…. strange. We picked PV because it is highly livable…decent grocery stores, balmy weather, a few North American comforts (helllloooo, Costco), and a built-in community. Although we don’t have any close friends here currently, we have several

We’re currently nearing the end of our two-month return to Manta, Ecuador. When we left the United States for Ecuador in 2023, we told everyone that the plan was to stay for a year. But we knew that in order to stay for one year, we would need to get a two-year residency visa- and that the option to renew beyond that would be rather easy and straightforward. So, in the back of our minds, we were prepared to love Ecuador and want to stay longer. The fact is, we did (and do) lo

We arrived in Minnesota in mid-May to spend time with my (Michael) family. Because I grew up here, some things are still familiar. But because I left a long time ago, a lot has changed, and my relationship with this place is… complex. It’s not home. It’s where mom is, my brother and his family are, and one or two old friends; so, it’s lovely to visit. But it’s not home. And even though I lived most of my life in Seattle, last year’s visit proved that it’s not home anymore ei

Our high-octane tourist mode continued after Madrid, into Germany. While we visit Germany yearly, we have not made time to be a tourist there. What do you explore as a tourist in Germany? Castles! And, yes, Romans! Moselle The part of the Moselle river valley that snakes its way through Germany is beautiful countryside. The narrow, steep-sided valley, dotted with castle ruins, covered with terraced vineyards, anchored by the river, makes for a meandering and scenic drive. Our

When I was a kid, Spain was mysterious and fascinating for its differences to the European north: warm, sunny, life-embracingly passionate, and an escape from confining structures and norms. Popular culture, especially popular music such as the 1972 hit “Eviva España” celebrated Spain as a popular, desirable summer vacation destination. A visit to Spain, for me, seemed unachievable, even later when Spain became synonymous with cheap beach tourism for the masses. Some friends

A more general post about our time in Spain is forthcoming, but honestly, this took precedence.... Our friend Linnea came to visit us in Spain, and we decided that it was a good excuse to rent a car and do a few-day road trip to Granada, and visit…. The Alhambra: a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Spain’s most visited landmarks. The Alhambra is an enormous palace and fortress complex overlooking Granada. Built primarily during the 13th and 14th centuries under the Nasrid

Our ship in the distance, Lanzarote We are currently on day 15 of a 19-day sail from Buenos Aires to Barcelona. Much like last year, we opted to cross the Atlantic on a boat, rather than a plane. I think it's my new favorite way of travel. This year’s cruise is shorter than last year’s (19 days instead of 27), and has fewer stops (5 instead of 14). In general, we love sea days, so we don't mind having fewer stops. I find the forced relaxation and sense of ‘languid’ on sea day

Greetings from Buenos Aires! Since our last update a month ago, we celebrated New Year’s in Playa del Carmen with our friends Andrew and Michael (you can read more about our Mayan holiday adventures with them here ), and then hopped onto a plane to Buenos Aires (or CABA: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires ), where we’ve spent the month of January. Because we spent two months here last year, our time in CABA has been mellow, fun, and very relaxed. For us, it’s a very comfortable

I think a lot of our friends and family think we are “full-time tourists”. And although we do get to see and experience a lot, most of our time is spent doing rather mundane ‘life’ things. This has been especially true here in Mérida. Thus, we were excited for the arrival of our beloved friends, Andrew and Michael- both to see them and to put our tourist hats back on and go exploring. Having read extensively about Mayan culture and archeology, I was very excited to get to

Doings in Mérida We’re saving some of the tourist must-dos for when our friends Andrew and Michael visit us later in December, and we’ll report on those in the new year. And we’ve explored some of Mérida’s smaller offerings, of which there are quite a few. The city museum tells the history of the formation of the city, especially in the early Colombian period. The Maya train museum tells the history of transportation in the Yucatan from early Mayan times to the present, while