When I returned to San Diego from India, I felt a bit out of sorts. I had been profoundly moved by my experiences there – particularly seeing the numerous street kids and visiting the Salaam …
May 6, 2014
Travel: Volunteer Trips
Travel: Volunteer Trips
Visit to El Faro orphanage, Tijuana
Bridging the gap in Haiti
Only three hours in Haiti, I'd seen forms of travel that spanned hundreds of years – a woman on a mule, a man on a horse, people walking, riding bicycles and on mopeds, brightly colored …
Darkness and Light in Rwanda
I was the only one in the vehicle awake, excluding the driver. There were four of us. Two were snoring loudly, and I was trying to read my book and failing. Perhaps because of the …
April 12, 2013
Kibuye, Rwanda: Three Days Out of Thirty
MONDAY I could write for hours, but I am toast. The Kibuye stadium is being torn down; the walls are gone and only a portion of the stands remain. It is best that the horrible …
En Route in Port-au-Prince
I stepped off the plane and onto the tarmac, directed toward a small white building with bright blue lettering: "Toussaint Louverture." The massive cracks in the side of the building were visible even before we …
Humorous Humanitarian Dispatches from a Ukrainian Border Town
In the thick of night, you can almost always hear the tree branches rattling in a rhythmic chorus of nighttime symphonies. A tap starts at your window; a breath of air shakes a group of …
December 20, 2012
Tijuana Revisited, Part 3
(continued from an August 23 travel story) Via my acute investigational skills and combined Gringo/Uruguayan/Mexican/Spanish language abilities, I finally locate a Tijuana orphanage to spend time with. It was a long, tedious search for answers… …
September 25, 2012
Tijuana: Montana de Basura
San Diego is known as "America's Finest City." Tijuana is often thought of as one of the world's most dangerous destinations. What do you think happens when the walls come down? I've spent a lot …
April 15, 2012
Siem Reap, Cambodia: Beyond the Angkor Temples
If you’re in Siem Reap, Cambodia, you’re most likely there to see the magnificent Angkor temples. But if you get “templed out” or have additional time, Siem Reap has more to offer. Many of the …
September 20, 2011
Stopover in Manila, Philippines
You might find yourself in Manila on a stopover on your way to some of the country’s most pristine beaches – or on the way home from Thailand. Whatever your reason, Manila does have some …
July 28, 2011
Surf & Volunteer in San Juan del Sur
"The 328th most awesome thing in the world,” according to the book One Thousand Awesome Things, is to “feel our shared histories softly swirl together through old books and stamped checkout cards as you smile …
July 7, 2011