Status: Good Morning in Xela!
I walked into the “&” coffee shop this morning for only the fourth time, to a bright and sunny “Hola John!” Watching …
A Mom on a Wall
A nice lady walked up to my table today while I sipped my coffee and browsed the web. It turns out her mother’s college graduation photo from 1958 was right behind me, and this is the only copy she knows to still exist.
Postage for Postcards
We go through life creating memories. Each memory is like a postcard we send to a future self. A postcard we’ll receive at some point later in life, turn it over and over in our hands, admiring the creases, the coffee stains and remembering. Something will trigger the delivery of that postcard. Maybe it will be a song that remembers when, or the smell of perfume that a certain person used to wear…
Dancing with Flashcards
It was a hot dry morning in rural Nicaragua when I found myself waving a “red heart” flashcard in front of group of fifth graders. Jumping up and down and shouting “Heart!”, was my new mission in life. For this moment, it was all that mattered. The next moment I was thrusting a “Green Circle” card over my head and shouting “Circle!”. The children’s answering chorus of “Circle!” sent a wave of chills across my face and down my back.
Everything is a Miracle
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though …
Not according to plan
Overhearing a conversation in my hostel about a trip where nothing went according to plan. The last statement the storyteller made was “at least we can still laugh about it” …
The Four Letter Should
Should is really a terrible word. I really shouldn’t ever use it. Oh wait, I just did…
The whole concept of should is very imbedded in our culture. There are the little times where you’re talking to a friend about something you like. “You really should try this coffee, it’s amazing!” Fairly harmless right?
The Chicken Bus: A biography
The little yellow school bus began life picking up american children in front of their parents homes, safely taking them to school and returning them home layer that day. You can still see the bluebird up front with a plaque saying it’s registered in Kansas. There is a flyer carefully taped over the door, encouraging youngsters to play nicely, respect each others things, and stay behind the yellow line…
Dirty Laundry Repair
Today I washed my very first load of laundry on a washboard! It was amazingly exciting! Well, that’s how I feel now. …
Coconut Killer Man
Costa Rica has guided tours for absolutely everything. Everywhere you go there is tour to go do something interesting. From scuba diving, …