Watch our family chase the myth of the “Perfect Moment” deep into the Sahara Desert.What we actually discovered out there was the meaning of “irony.” Once we arrived at our overnight camp in the desert, and darkness forced our cameras to stop rolling, the ephemeral “Perfect Moment” was quickly shaken off. It was replaced by […]
LET THERE BE LUMIERE
If the Lumière brothers — the visionary fathers of cinema — hailed from anywhere in the US, there would be a giant amusement park erected in their memory. But in Lyon, France, there is just the elegant Institut Lumière — one of the most enjoyable and fascinating museum visits we’ve had on our trip so far.
THE PLEASURE OF BEING KNOWN
When the road is your home, the restaurants of the world end up being your kitchen. Eating only in restaurants actually grows quite tiresome after a while. On our first night in Bilbao, we arrived late and the owner of the apartment we were renting pointed us to a neighborhood joint that he loves. At […]
JEN REPORTS: TRAVELS WITH BUBS (A BIRTHDAY MESSAGE)
As I travel the globe, there is one thought I have most every place I go: “My mother would have loved this.” I felt it palpably last Saturday night as I sat in Lisbon and listened to the old men of the neighborhood sing Fado music. I felt it on the first leg of […]
OFF-SEASON TRAVELERS
There’s high season. There’s low season. Then there’s January 27th. One of the great joys of traveling for a whole year is that for large swaths of time, you get the world to yourself.
THIS IS WHAT 10 LOOKS LIKE
Today we celebrate the first decade of Finn. Happy birthday to a remarkable kid — philosopher, writer, muse, pool shark, geography expert, the original Optimistic Eye, our travel companion and guide. He surely has more stamps in his passport than most ten years olds on the planet — and he even knows how especially lucky […]
THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY
Here’s a little something you should know about riding an elephant. Having done it three times — in Laos, Thailand, and now India — it’s a meditative, almost soothing experience, balancing on a loveseat strapped to the elephant’s back, lumbering along with the giant beast through the jungle. Our first two pachyderm rides were essentially […]
WE CRY IN PUBLIC: KELLY GEISSMANN (1978-2012)
Today we lost a great friend who died way, way too young. Now we are slammed with the peculiar pain of anticipated heartbreak. We knew all too well that Kelly was sick, that she was down to her final months, weeks, and recently days. We had mourned for her many times in anticipation of losing […]
THE OPTIMISTIC EYE
When you have a travel blog, it’s easy to edit out the difficult parts and make everything seem wonderful. It turns out — thanks to the wisdom of a nine-year-old — that you can do this in your day-to-day life as well. We proudly present a phrase and a concept that has carried our family […]
WHAT WE SEE TODAY: BIRTHDAY WOMAN
Since 1991, when I first met her, I’ve gotten a front row seat to watch Jen grow older and more beautiful. There is no more fabulous view a guy could have. She is an extraordinary wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, adventurer, writer, director, travel companion, taskmaster, collaborator, and muse. Jen is fierce and opinionated, and she […]