June 25
Delaware native leaves First State to meet global neighbors
"'Adventure' seems like a quaint term today, a verbal inheritance from the 19th century when Stanley found Livingston and author Isabella Bird toured the globe. Yet an adventure is nothing more or less than an encounter with the unknown, and I believe it is as necessary to life as love or money."
July 9
An enchanting, exhausting trek to the Incas' lost city
"I decided to hike the Camino del Inca long before I realized what was involved. (This is how I start most of my projects.)"
July 23
On Bolivian plateau, shivers and wonderment
"For sleep attire I'd paired $2 Bolivian long underwear with a down coat purchased on Cuzco, Peru's black market. Still, I was colder than I'd ever been in my life, with no hope of heat until hours after sunrise."
Aug. 6
Packing requires restraint and forethought
"What do you pack for a world tour? Very little. Or, less than you need."
Aug. 27
New Zealand retains identity as Tolkien's Middle Earth
"I flew to New Zealand to visit a real country, but instead found myself exploring an imaginary world."
Sept. 10
On a quest to the other side of the world
"Was my mission a little weird? Sure."
Sept. 24
Outback rental comes with three 'extras'
"This is the story of how I ended up driving through the Outback with a German girl, British boy and Dutch girl turned Australian."
Oct. 8
A visit to Australia's colorful 'shark tank'
"There is no experience on land or sea in which I would less like to participate than one involving me, a shark and nothing but water between us."
Oct. 22
Fighting the temptation to pack it in and head home
"The $16 phone call cost as much as two nights' lodging, but I didn't care."
Nov. 5
Buddhist meditation retreat in Thailand seeks to train chattering 'monkey mind'
"All around me seekers in white robes with closed eyes and controlled breathing stretched toward Enlightenment. I - cross-legged, rebellious and desperately wanting to scratch my nose - wanted enlightenment on one question only: Why, oh why, had I signed up for a Buddhist meditation retreat?"
Nov. 19
Who can presume to know India? Certainly not a tourist
"What can I write about India? Nothing. I haven't been to India. To write about the country based on the week I've been here would be like visiting Washington, D.C. and the Delaware beaches and claiming to know the United States."
Dec. 10
If you can't find a friend, a friend of a friend will do
"Everyone should have an expatriate uncle. I can't overstate the benefits. Accommodation is free, insider information readily available and the fridge is always stocked."
Dec. 24
At journey's end a simple truth emerges: Life is large
"This is where I try to articulate what I got out of 12 countries and a few thousand miles besides a lot of stamps on my passport."
