Travel

Family Adventure Summit in Bali was a Huge Success!

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this amazing week, and for the people who are part of this incredible Family Adventure Summit community!

Austria and Prague

Before the driving started up again, we'd had a rare stretch of stillness. For a week our family settled into a cozy apartment at the foot of the Alps near Innsbruck, and after weeks of changing locations every few days and staying with other people, it was good to have some time alone together —…

A Road Trip Through Germany

It's been one of those weeks where I look back and it feels like I've lived three or four weeks in one. It started out at a nature-based "camping" wedding on a beautiful river property about 40 minutes outside of Leipzig.

7 Things to Do in Luang Prabang, Laos

After a full and beautiful two weeks of running our At Home in the World Retreats in Bali with the Kaponay Family, we decided to renew our visa by taking a quick 2-week trip to Luang Prabang, Laos.

Emily's Documentary Released – Pollution Solutions Bali

Our daughter Emily (15) has been passionate about the environment for many years. In our travels, she's seen some of the most pristine and beautiful natural wonders on this planet. She's also seen beautiful places covered in trash, coral reefs destroyed, and glaciers receding due to increased…

Two Weeks in Kerala, India

With the dozens of countries we've visited over the past decade, we kept putting off traveling to India with our kids mostly because we heard it can be a bit intense, and a place where it's easy to get sick. We've always wanted to go, but with young children regularly putting fingers in their…

How Fulfilling Are Your Relationships?

How connected do you feel to your partner or your kids? To extended family and friends? To a community? And how fulfilling are those connections for all involved?

2018 in Review

What a year this has been for our family! We've had our share of difficult times, but also many incredibly fulfilling moments. We look back in gratitude and awe that we have created an intentional life that is far from mundane, but rich in friendships, growth, and service. Here are some of the…

10 Things to Love about Ljubljana, Slovenia

Have you ever immediately fallen in love with a place you have visited? From the moment we arrived in Ljubljana, Slovenia, we felt completely charmed! There is so much we loved about Ljubljana. We spent an entire month in this beautiful city and we could have easily spent longer!

Planning a Couples Trip in Maui, Hawaii

Each year, Jen and I take a couples trip together, just the two of us. This year, we chose one of the most paradisiacal places we've ever been to – Maui, Hawaii. (Here's a video of it our 13-year old daughter Marie put together for us).

The 2018 Family Adventure Summit

WOW!!! What an incredible week it's been at the Family Adventure Summit! Over 400 people joined us here in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for a week of inspiration, celebration, learning, friends, and so much fun! Here's a video that shows some of the highlights:

Shopping Spree - What Gear Am I Replacing From What Was Stolen?

Due to last week's theft, where I lost nearly everything, I have a lot of shopping to do. However, being in Europe, it doesn't make sense to buy most items here, as the majority of products I need either aren't readily available, or are much more expensive than buying through Amazon in the U.S.

Exploring Transylvania

Transylvania took us completely by surprise. It is nothing like we expected. Not that we really thought we'd see vampires, bats, and monsters in castles (and we haven't), but we didn't realize how culturally rich, historically preserved, naturally lush, and energetically grounded this place is.

Hiking the Camino de Santiago With Kids

We did it! We walked 180km as a family from Trabadelo to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, over the course of 9 days. With several hours per day of walking, this was a fairly intense experience for us.

How We Lost Over $9000 This Year Due to Travel Mishaps

Having been at this "travel the world" thing for over 9 years, you'd think we would have learned a few lessons. But a couple recent experiences have shown us how easy it is to forget or to become lazy in our approach to handling both travel details and safety.

A Gritty and Real Portugal Road Trip

While our time in Portugal has been short, we wanted to get a feel for it as a potential destination for the Family Adventure Summit in a future year. We drove from Porto to Lisbon on a 9-day road trip, stopping in Coimbra and Sintra on the way.

San Diego Visit 2017

Back in March 2017, we spent a few weeks in San Diego, California where we attended a conference with some of our friends and team members, visited family, shot some testimonial videos for my Music Teacher's Helper business, and visited a few beautiful parts around this city.

Impressions of Bali

We fell in love with Bali, and especially the town of Ubud, when we first visited this beautiful island in 2012. Since our first visit, we have returned again and again. In 2017 we returned to Bali and this time we were pleased to welcome my Father, Stepmother, and my half-brother to explore the…

7 Tips for Finding Community in Your Travels

Hi everyone! It's Brandon Pearce, and I am here in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to talk to you today about seven ways that you can create and find community while you travel. My family has been traveling for the past nine years to over 36 different countries, and we have had so many interesting…

8 Things To Do In San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

San Miguel de Allende is a colorful town. The sounds of mariachis echo through the street as you get a whiff of the taco stand down the block. Its brick buildings and cobblestone streets are mesmerizing and it may feel as though you've just stepped into the past. With all this excitement, and with…

Highlights from 2017

I love looking back at the past year as a whole because it gives me a chance to see at a glance all our combined activities and experiences, and feel gratitude for what we were able to do during the year. This year especially, I'm feeling some surprise and awe for all the incredible experiences…

Enjoying Home in San Miguel de Allende

After traveling an incredible amount this summer, we have returned to our part-time home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Our entire family has been looking forward to slowing down this winter as we settle in for a six-month travel hiatus. While jetting around the world with a family is incredibly…

Five Weeks In Europe

Our family enjoyed a bit of whirlwind trip through Europe this summer. It all started when someone on our documentary team found us an incredible deal on flights. $639 for one-way flights to Edinburgh, Scotland for all FIVE of us! Our original intention was only to spend a few days in Scotland,…

Our Secret Project, Revealed!

For the past six months, our family has been working on a secret project and we are so excited to finally be able to share our news with you! We are working with an amazing group of people to create a new documentary film, Into The Wind!

Finding Home In San Miguel De Allende

As you may have seen on Facebook, our traveling family of five recently purchased a home in beautiful San Miguel De Allende, Mexico! We fell in love with this place the first time we visited. We love the culture, the growing worldschooling community, the many opportunities for our girls to take…

Bali Memories

From the minute we first arrived in Ubud, Bali over five years ago, we knew that it was a place our family wanted to settle down in. After living in Costa Rica, Bali was an exciting change for our family.

The Family Adventure Summit

I am so excited for the Family Adventure Summit! If you're at all interested in family travel, then I highly encourage you to check out this live event. We'll cover all aspects of long-term family travel, from finances and ways to fund your travels while saving big on expenses, to education on the…

Highlights of 2016

Another amazing year has passed! This one had some truly epic moments and some big changes in direction for us as a family.

5 Tips To Save Money On Accommodation

Traveling with your family doesn't have to break the bank! One of the biggest expenses of family travel (after airfare) is the price of accommodation. But there are easy ways to save thousands of dollars on family accommodation AND stay in places that are much more enjoyable than a hotel room!

12 Tips For Extended Travel With Children

Traveling with our children for the past seven years has been more of a catalyst for learning than we ever imagined, and our expectations were quite high to begin with. We value learning together in new and unfamiliar territory, expanding our comfort zones, and exploring the wonders to be savored…

Income On The Go – 7 Ways To Fund A Travel Lifestyle

While many people would love to travel long-term with their families, the task of figuring out to how to fund a traveling lifestyle can seem daunting.

How To Travel Safely With Your Family

One question I hear over and over from people considering traveling with their family is, "How do I keep my family safe while traveling?"

A Scrumptious Hibernation in Nelson, New Zealand

Believe it or not, we're homebodies. It may seem paradoxical that we’re also long-term traveling, worldschooling adventurers. Those things don't typically go together, do they? But for us, they seem to work out quite magically. I'm reminded of the hobbits in Lord of the Rings. They aren't…

The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island —Three Traveling Families Sharing One Epic Roadtrip

Have I mentioned how much more kids learn when they are exploring the world with their friends?

A Reunion of Friends in Nelson, New Zealand

One of the most amazing things about traveling as a family is becoming friends with other traveling families. It is really fun to get together and play in different places around the world!

New Zealand North Island Encounters

Centrally located near the top of the South Island, Nelson made an excellent home-base for our three-month visit in New Zealand, and we completely luxuriated in the time we spent there. Because the country is quite large and packed full of awesomeness around every corner, we did occasionally…

Home-basing in Nelson, New Zealand

Kia Ora! Nau mai! We’re so glad you made it to our first New Zealand installment. Settling into a new country is always an adventure for our family. The fun, and sometimes the frustration, all come as part of this process of discovery. We never really know what to expect, so it always turns into an…

A Glimpse Into Our Life in Victoria, BC

Hello, from Victoria, BC, Canada! We are here until December, and are currently living in a beautiful rental home near the water. There are many things we're enjoying about our new home, including the walkability, the neighborhood, the community, and the fabulous property. Let me show you around!

Luggage and Packing Insights from World Traveling Family

After traveling together as a family for seven years and visiting over 32 countries, one of the most common questions we get asked is this: How do we pack for long-term world travel?

Meditation Demystified

Meditation is a simple mental focus exercise that can have powerful effects in your daily life. Personally, it's increased my awareness of the thoughts and emotions I experience and improved my ability to choose how I respond to situations in life, rather than react unconsciously. When I've had a…

Memories of Spanish Speaking Countries

In this week's video, Emily, Marie, and Aysia share some of their memories from Spanish speaking countries. My niece recently asked us to create a video for her Spanish class in school and we thought it would be a great opportunity to share with our readers, as well.

Practical Tips for Living in Bali

In my latest video, I share practical tips for living in Bali. If it's your first visit, you may be wondering how to obtain a visa, where to find accommodation, what medical care is available, and how to use the local currency. I cover all of this, and more.

Highlights of Ubud, Bali

This week, Jen’s cousin is visiting us here Ubud. As we’ve been showing her around some of the sites, I thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights of Ubud, Bali with you, as well.

5 Favorite Pieces of Travel Gear

I like to travel light, and typically only bring along carry-on luggage (in fact, we each only travel with one piece of carry-on luggage and a small backpack).

A Glimpse Into Our Life in Bali

In my latest video, I wanted to give you a glimpse into our lifestyle while we travel. I share a sneak peak into our renovated Bali home while detailing some of the realities of how we live—both the good and the bad—to help you see what it’s like to travel long-term.

5 Tips for Overcoming Travel Burnout

Have you ever had a favorite food that you ate too much of, or had the same leftovers too many days in a row, and then you didn’t want to eat it again for months? That can happen with travel, too.

5 Steps to Begin Traveling Long-term with Your Family

I'm excited to share 5 steps to help your family begin traveling long-term. These are things I've done myself that helped create a lifestyle that allows me and my family to travel the world indefinitely.

Friendly Fiji

I know many of you have been waiting a long time for this post. Doesn’t it just kind of seem like everyone wants to visit Fiji? We were certainly no exception. After leaving the extremely cold, dry, high-altitude conditions of Breckenridge, Colorado, in the snowy mountains of North America, we were…

Bonding in Breckenridge

We thought we’d be extra adventurous this year, and trade our typical tropical climate for a brave escapade into an extremely harsh and frozen one. Our girls have been craving snow almost ever since we left it six years ago. To appease them, we decided to venture a ski vacation with Brandon’s Mom…

A Victorian December

Have you noticed we keep coming back to Victoria? This time we settled in for the month of December, curious to see if its winter season was really as mild as cold-phobic people like ourselves tend to prefer. This is Canada we’re talking about, after all. Wouldn’t you know, we discovered it really…

Colorful San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Arriving in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico precisely in time for Day of the Dead, we enjoyed an exceptionally festive atmosphere. But in reality, there’s always some sort of celebration happening in this colorful town.

The Nostalgia of Coming Home

We’ve made five visits back to Utah since we moved away six years ago, and our most recent stay was the longest and best yet!

Highlights of 2015

Another incredible year has passed! In 2015, we visited 7 countries, spent time with extended family, made many new friends, and found ourselves gradually integrating experiences and letting go of thoughts that have been holding us back for years.

Staying Sane in the City: Family-Friendly Tips for NYC

If I had to describe Manhattan in one word, it would be "energetic". This intense place is buzzing with activity and excitement. Mammoth skyscrapers, throngs of diverse individuals, flashy advertisements, and the noise and smells of a big city. During our ten day trip there, we found ourselves…

Playing House in Victoria

Ah, Victoria. You're kind of our favorite. We spent July through September in this magical, perfect-sized, quaint, and oh-so-friendly place. It feels just like a warm hug with really delightful and cozy people. There’s seemingly always someone available to give you a smile, a helping hand, or a…

Taste of San Miguel

One of our best-loved things about traveling to so many different places has been experiencing the culinary delights available in each one. We've been thoroughly enjoying Mexican cuisine ever since we first arrived in this festive country a couple of weeks ago, and it's certainly one of our…

Northwestern Delights

As you may recall, when we left Paris in July, we were headed to Seattle for a much anticipated visit with our Grandma Alli. Along the way, we flew through the Calgary airport, where many of the senior citizen employees were dressed in cowboy attire and welcomed us with a lively musical…

6 Tips for Taking Great Photos

In the past 5 years, I've traveled to over 30 countries, which has brought a constant opportunity to practice photography in unique settings. What started out as an attempt to document our journey as a family keepsake, has become an engaging and artful hobby that I love to indulge in. Having taken…

First Timers in France, Continued

After all the amazingness we experienced during the first part of our time in France, we were certainly looking forward to a bit of integration and downtime, and our next two destinations provided the perfect opportunities!

First Timers in France, Part One

We’ve been looking forward to visiting France for quite a while, but we’ve also been a bit nervous, mostly because of our lack of knowledge with the language, and we also hoped the people would be friendly. As it turns out, we’ve never felt so welcomed in a new country before!

Valencia to San Sebastian

Continuing our journey through Spain, we arrived in Valencia, where we were met with red wine, cured ham, and cheese, courtesy of Lorenzo, the owner of the apartment we were renting. Shortly after that, the girls from the Clark family showed up to share the apartment with us, and we all went out to…

My Journey with Ayahuasca

Over my birthday this year, while the family was in Ronda, Spain, I took a train to Madrid for a 3-day retreat where an Amazonian plant mixture called ayahuasca was used to facilitate greater self-awareness. I first heard of ayahuasca in 2012, shortly after arriving in Bali for the first time, and…

Adventures in Andalucía

We were so impressed by our visit to Barcelona last year, that within seven months we found ourselves back in Spain once again, this time beginning in the southern part. Brandon gave Emily some fun new trip planning and navigating responsibilities as well. Since we planned to stay a night in…

Menjangan Island, Bali

Just off the Northwest coast of Bali, Indonesia lies Menjangan island. Surrounded by clear water, colorful coral, and incredible numbers of fish, it's a spot we've been wanting to visit for some time. So we invited our friends, Brian and Scottie and their 5 year old son, and spent a few days there…

My Solo Trip and Silent Retreat

I don't know about you, but there are a lot of thoughts swimming around in my head, and sometimes I get really tired of the inner noise. It's easy for me to get caught up in preparing for the future, reliving the past, or the constant chatter of labeling and critiquing everything in my present…

Creating Home in Bali

We're enjoying Bali more now than ever. Last year, we were quite ready to leave when I wrote about what we love about Ubud and what we feel is lacking here. But lately, many of those lacks have been filled. From finishing a year-long remodel project, to finding several wonderful classes and friends…

Savoring Singapore

After so much traveling before we came back to Bali this last time, we decided we wanted to keep our visa run as short, sweet, and simple as possible, while also acquiring a social visa for Bali. This way we are able to stay put for a while and also continue the finishing touches and organization…

Discovering Dubai

We were excited to go to Dubai when we booked our plane tickets, but then we became quite nervous after reading things like this online. Not your typical laid back, go with the flow, type of rules there. And, since we tend to feel a bit rebellious with things like that, we hoped we wouldn't be…

Blissful in Barcelona

From the very first day we arrived in Barcelona, life for our family suddenly felt exquisitely harmonious and balanced, and remained so for the entire two month duration of our stay. We all felt quite blissed out in fact! That's the kind of magical effect Barcelona seemed to have on us, and it…

Sojourning in Southwest England

Welcome! We're glad you've decided to click over here. This is Jennifer writing today. I invite you to make up a pot of your favorite brew, and relax into your most comfortable nook, as you journey with us on our road trip through Southwest England. As a word of warning, our modus operandi as it…

English Hospitality

Have you ever been welcomed into a friend's home with such kindness and generosity that your heart practically bleeds with gratitude? That's how we feel after spending 12 days at the Clark family's house near Brighton, England. We first met the Clarks in Bali last year. Their kids are similar ages…

Lazy in London

We were so grateful to have booked an apartment for 10 days in London because in the past two months, we hadn't stayed in any place for longer than a week, and in the past two weeks, we hadn't stayed anywhere longer than two nights! So, we were quite worn out and ready to stay "home" and recover…

Land of the Leprechauns

We'd dreamed of visiting Ireland for years, with its green rolling hills and charming old castles. We booked a one way ticket in case we decided to stay a while, but ten days ended up being plenty for us, mostly because of the weather, which was colder and cloudier than we preferred. There was a…

Of Families and Mountains

From my beautiful sister's wedding in a campground near Pocatello, Idaho, to beautiful drives through Yellowstone National Park and the Teton mountains near Jackson, Wyoming, and ending with a family reunion at Bear Lake, we had a busy but enjoyable time during our last week in the USA this trip.

Vancouver, British Columbia

As we drove into Vancouver, Canada, our first impressions were that it was HUGE!!! High-rise apartment and office buildings flooded the skyline, traffic was jam-packed, and so many people were walking around that it felt like we were in a big Asian city again. We'd expect to see that many people…

Butchart Gardens and Salt Spring Island

Just 30 minutes north of downtown Victoria, Canada, lies the world-famous Butchart Gardens. With a Japanese garden, Italian garden, rose garden, and more, all within a beautiful setting of trees, fountains, and statues, it's a lovely place to spend a day. During our visit, the weather was perfect,…

Charming Victoria

Crossing the border from the US to Canada was the most painless land border crossing ever. We didn't even need to get out of our car. We just handed our passports to the man in the booth, answered 5 or 6 questions, and we were on our way. Such a contrast from those hectic Nicaragua border crossings!

USA West Coast Road Trip

The good ol' family road trip. It's something we haven't done for a long time in this part of the world. And this trip, our focus was on meeting up with friends and family and being reminded of what it's like to live in a developed western country. On our way from Bali to the states, we had a long…

Best of Both Worlds

We love many things about Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. We love the inspiring scenery and near-perfect weather, healthy and affordable food of almost any cuisine, an earth-conscious community of entrepreneurs and activists, affordable household help, amazing massages for $6-15/hour, and the genuine smiles…

A Weekend in Perth Australia

Just a three-hour plane ride south of Bali lies Perth, Australia, where almost 2 million people live in mostly suburban housing surrounded by a dry desert-like landscape that reminds me a lot of Salt Lake City where I grew up, except with beaches instead of mountains.

Sri Lanka and More

Can you believe it's been over two months since our last blog post? The past two months, we've felt busier than we have in years, and the time has flown by. It's been good and productive, but also exhausting.

Cambodian Sunrise

When we booked our tickets to Siem Reap, Cambodia, we had no idea that we'd end up arriving the day before some friends of ours would be leaving. We first met Denny & Rachelle in Costa Rica, we visited them again in the Philippines, and now by chance, through a post we almost missed on Facebook, we…

Beach Clubs, Projects, and Kids

Recently, thanks to some friends, we discovered the wonders of beach clubs. Typically, I'm not a big fan of beaches. I do love looking at them, feeling the sand under my feet, and playing in the water and waves can be fun, too. But I have trouble enjoying the aftermath of sandy clothes and a sticky…

Jazzy New Orleans

New Orleans was a lot of fun! Jazz music on every corner -- and good jazz, too! Voodoo shops and cemeteries, greasy yet tasty food, quaint architecture, and a unique vibe. Definitely a place of culture and heritage. The first few days we were able to enjoy it with my sister's family before they…

Cruisin' Caribbean

After our visit to Salt Lake, we took a cruise to Honduras, Belize, and Mexico. It was supposed to be a big family event with several extended family members, but for various reasons, each had to back out except for my sister's family and mine. So our two families continued enjoying time together.…

Sal Tlay Ka Siti

While the memories are still relatively fresh, I wanted to write and organize the thoughts, pictures, and videos surrounding our recent trips to Salt Lake City, the Western Caribbean, and New Orleans. I'll write one post on each of these.

Last Weeks in Italy

Alright, here's my last post about Italy, including our time in Lucca, Pisa, Milan, Bellagio / Como, and Venice. This will be more like a travelogue post, so brace yourself for short captions and lots of pictures.

Tuscan Countryside and Mountain Towns

Of all the places I was most excited to visit in Italy, the countryside in Tuscany was highest on my list. I imagined serene landscapes of rolling hills and vineyards, dotted by quaint little mountain towns. I'll just say I wasn't disappointed. Here are some of the scenes we came across.

Florence, Italy

Alright, it's photo time. We're loving Italy, and I've taken too many pictures to share in one post. In order to get through these, I'm going to write less and show more. This post is dedicated to Florence, Italy, which is our favorite big-ish city in Italy so far.

Impressions of Italy

I've mostly lost interest in writing travelogue posts. There are probably thousands of other travel blogs out there with all the details about the best places to visit in Italy. One of the main reasons I started this blog was as an online journal to document our family's travels, what we've…

The Value of an Italian Moment

For the next 5 weeks, we will be traveling through Italy, from Rome, Naples, and Amalfi, to Tuscany, Como, and Venice. This is the first time any of us have been to Italy, and so far we're loving it!

Playing in the Philippines

For the past several years, I've employed people in the Philippines to help me run my business, including programmers, customer support staff, marketers, content writers, and virtual assistants. But I had never met any of them in person, or even spoken to them on the phone. All our correspondence…

12 Tips for Raising Young Children Abroad

Raising our young children abroad for the past three years has been more of a catalyst for learning than I ever would have imagined, and my expectations were already quite high to begin with. It's been all about learning together in new and unfamiliar territory, expanding comfort zones, and…

Codependent in Hong Kong

It's been another intense month for me, digging through the recesses of my soul, questioning what I want in life and relationships, and breaking through more barriers that have been holding me back from being myself. I also took a solo business trip to Hong Kong for a few days, and have been…

Gili Islands and Lombok

Living on a beautiful island like Bali doesn't mean that life is always a vacation. We get into routines, meet with friends, take classes, work, and study. I recently gave a piano concert at my house (so much fun!) and the kids are learning and creating much in homeschool. We enjoy our lives so…

Silence

Silence is blissful, distressing, revealing, and difficult to maintain. You may have noticed I haven't written on this blog for over a month. I think that's the longest I've ever gone. I've also been posting less on Facebook and Twitter.

Festivals and Friends

I'm so glad we decided to extend our Thai visas and stick around for all the festivals at the end of November. Not only did we get to participate in some amazing events, we got to do it all with dear friends: two families we already knew, and several other traveling families who we met for the…

Exploring Chiang Mai

We had heard that Chiang Mai had a similar vibe to Ubud, and it some ways, we found that it does. We loved the food in Chiang Mai, and looked forward to every meal. There were several health-conscious restaurants in the Old Town within walking distance of our hotel. Great markets, musical and dance…

5 Life Lessons Learned From Traveling

No decision has had a greater impact on our lives than the decision to sell everything, leave home, and travel together as a family. We've never been happier, felt closer together, and enjoyed our experiences and relationships so thoroughly as we do right now. This month, as part of a group writing…

Highlights of Bangkok Thailand

We recently had a wonderful week in Bangkok, and kept busy with plenty of fun activities. Here are the highlights:

Recent Activities in Bali

We first came to Bali over six months ago, and are now feeling quite settled, despite leaving every month or two to renew our visas. We've developed some routines, made some friends, and gotten a bit busy with life. And we absolutely love it here!

Memorable Moments in Vietnam

Nineteen days, eight towns/locations, and numerous activities in Vietnam has given me much to write about. I have about 170 decent pictures, several minutes of video, and dozens of stories and memories. We heard that Vietnam was overwhelming and chaotic, and much of it was. But it was also unique,…

Sick in Kuching, Borneo Malaysia

We had already spent more than three months in peninsular Malaysia, but we'd heard that Malaysian Borneo was completely different. And in some ways, it was different, with the numerous indigenous cultures that are prevalent, and being closer to many national parks. However, on our 10 day visa run…

Planning for the Moment

Do you ever find yourself stuck between the balance of enjoying whatever it is you're doing in the moment, and being lost in hopes or fears about the future? This game seems to play out constantly in my own mind. When I'm not enjoying the moment, the wonders of life tend to pass me by…

Settling Into Bali

We've spent the past few weeks getting settled into our home in Bali, where we'll be living for at least the next year or so. It's so nice to be back here in the town of Ubud with the terraced rice fields and tropical climate, the low cost of living, the diverse and delicious food, and the…

Wrapping up Japan

We've thoroughly enjoyed our time in Japan. It's now Emily's favorite country. Jen wants to live here, at least during the warm months. And we all love the food, the nature, the feeling of safety, and the interesting cultural aspects that make Japan unique. Despite the high cost, it's pretty safe…

A Short Visit to Kyoto

About an hour northeast of Osaka Japan lies Kyoto, a former capital of the country, and still a cultural treasure housing more temples, shrines, and gardens than any visitor could hope to see (almost 2,000 by some estimates). As we would only be there for two days (three nights) this trip, we…

Small Town Osaka Japan

We waited until the last minute to book our hotel in Japan during the cherry blossom season, which isn't a good idea if you want to have your pick of hotels near the action. Fortunately, we didn't want to be in the city anyway. We wanted to see what living in the Japanese countryside was like. And…

Balinese Culture and Hinduism

Bali is an island full of culture, especially in Ubud where we're settling for at least the next year. Sometimes called "The land of a thousand temples," Bali literally has tens of thousands of temples and shrines on the island, and most families even have their own temple within their housing…

First impressions of Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Bali is amazing! In many respects, it has exceeded my expectations, while in others, I'm a bit disappointed. But despite its flaws, and even though we've only been here a week, and we've only partially explored one town, I think we've found where we want to settle for the next year or two. Ubud has…

More in Singapore

This post is going to be a summary of the rest of our time in Singapore. We spent 3 weeks here total, and kept ourselves quite busy, as you'll see. But we had a great time and experienced some fun and amazing things. Here are the highlights.

Gadgets for Geeks in a Traveling Family

I admit it. I'm a gadget geek. As much as I tout the fact that we travel with only carry-on luggage and that everything I personally own can fit in a small backpack, I'm a sucker for small, sleek, stylish, and efficient technology, electronic or not, and a good portion of what's in my backpack is…

First Few Days in Singapore

We've been in Singapore now for about a week and a half, and we really like this city. It's clean, probably due to the $1,000 fines for littering (about $800 USD). It's green, with tall trees lining almost every street, and beautifully landscaped greenery at every turn. It's one of the safest…

Elephants at Kuala Gandah

About 90 minutes northeast from Kuala Lumpur lies the elephant sanctuary at Kuala Gandah. Many elephants have been forced from their homes due to destruction of their natural habitat for farming. Elephants become accustomed to using the same paths their whole lives, and farmers don't usually take…

Petronas Towers and Petrosains

The most famous landmark in all of Malaysia is arguably the Petronas Towers, which was the tallest building in the world from 1998-2004 before being surpassed by the Taipei 101 skyscraper. It's still the tallest twin buildings in the world, though, and we went to see them several times while in…

KL Bird Park

Our time in Kuala Lumpur is coming to an end and we're heading out to Singapore in just a couple days. But I still have a lot of activities to blog about and pictures to highlight. One of these was the KL Bird Park, which boasts the largest free flight aviary in the world. From our time in Costa…

The Batu Caves

There are a lot of tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur. So many that we haven't even tried to see them all. But we chose a few highlights to enjoy during our month here. One of these was the impressive Batu Caves.

Welcome to Kuala Lumpur

We've been in Kuala Lumpur for almost 3 weeks now and we love it! We never thought we'd say that about a big city because we don't like concrete jungles, smog, and places where people are too busy to talk to you. But we've also never been in a city like Kuala Lumpur, and it has some really great…

Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, and Orang Utan Island

We recently left Penang, Malaysia for Kuala Lumpur -- about five hours away by car -- and we're loving it here! But on the way, we took a short trip to the Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, and also visited Orang Utan Island rehabilitation center to view some of our closer primate relatives.

42 Things I Did in 2011

Last year, I wrote a list of 77 Things I Did in 2010. Every time I read through it, I feel amazed at all we were able to accomplish in that short year. Compared to 2010, 2011 seems less exciting and even less productive, but it's been richer in other ways. For example, this has been a year full of…

Dragon, Lion, and Indian Dances

While in Penang, Malaysia, we enjoyed a few cultural celebrations, including a New Year's Eve presentation in Georgetown featuring music, dance, and martial arts from the Malay, Chinese, and Indian populations living in Malaysia. We also went to the Lion & Dragon Dance Parade a few weeks earlier,…

Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple

I was going to throw together a long video of everything we've done in the past few weeks, but I decided to split it into a few different posts so I can get them up a little faster and so I can share more pictures without boring you. :)

Overwhelmed By Travel

Have you ever gone on vacation, and after returning home felt like you needed even more time to recuperate from it? I have. This usually happens when you keep yourself busy seeing all the sites and doing all the fun activities you planned, while not leaving much down time for resting or thinking.…

Fun Activities Around Penang

Wow, we've been having so much fun in Penang! The island is full of entertaining and free activities right now, from jazz and orchid festivals to horse shows and dragon boat races. Most kids are out of school this month, which is why there's more going on than usual. But even without all the extra…

Adventure at the Fish Spa

We've been having so much fun in Penang! With so many new things to experience and enjoy, it's been difficult to write about them all.

First Week in Penang, Malaysia

Well, we're here! We've been enjoying Penang, Malaysia for about a week now, and while we've mostly spent the time getting settled, cleaning and organizing the house, and trying some delicious food, it's been a great adventure and in this post I'll share my first impressions and some pictures.

The Asian Experience

I love Asia! From the moment we stepped into the ticket area for China Airlines in the Honolulu airport, I felt like we were in another country. Surrounded by short people with black hair, treated with the most respectful politeness by the staff, being apologized to repeatedly for having to wait 90…

Traveling through Hawaii

It's been two weeks since we left Costa Rica for our new home in Malaysia, and even though we're not there yet (we'll be there in a few hours) we've been loving the journey. After leaving Costa Rica, we stopped to visit friends and family in Utah, Washington, and Hawaii. Here are some recent…

Without Internet in a Costa Rican Rainforest

Last week we went with some friends to the Osa Peninsula -- a very remote part of Costa Rica accessible only by boat where there is no Internet access, no cell phone service, and no electricity unless you have your own power source. And we had a fabulous time!

The Global American Dream

Recently, American Family Insurance conducted a survey to determine if the American Dream is still alive. They discovered that 90% of Americans still believe in the American Dream, but only 14% feel like they're living it. It's no surprise. The most common dreams chosen by respondents were having…

Local and Fun Activities

We've now been to most of the tourist hot spots in Costa Rica, including many that are less well known. But that hasn't stopped us from having fun and finding other enjoyable activities to do. During the past few weeks, we've had a great time doing more local activities and being with our friends.…

Don't Use it? Don't Keep it!

About two years ago, we sold our house and got rid of most of our possessions. Doing so gave us a feeling of relief and lightness. Since then, we've been living out of what could fit in one carry-on suitcase, and one backpack each. I wondered if our kids would miss all the toys, or if we'd miss…

Why I Don't Want Health Insurance

We frequently hear the question, especially from those looking to move abroad, "What do you guys do about health insurance?" My answer: "We don't have any type of health insurance, and I think it's a waste of money."

Malaysia, Our Next Home

It's official! We'll be leaving Costa Rica at the end of October, and heading half-way around the world to Malaysia, which will be our homebase for the next year or two. We still love Costa Rica, and will probably return here again, but we're excited to experience something new, and Asia has been…

Puerto Viejo, Arenal, and Tamarindo

Last week we enjoyed a fun visit from my wife's parents who came down for nine days. This is the third time we've had family visit since we've lived in Costa Rica, and while we really like having visitors, we've gotten kind of tired of showing the same sites over and over again, especially when…

Goodbye Grecia. Hello Escazú!

Well, this is it. We're leaving Grecia, which has been our home now for over a year. We've loved it here, and we'll miss the beautiful scenery, slower pace of life, super-friendly people, and our fantastic view of the central valley. However, we're only moving about an hour away, and since this is…

All Together Now

The past few weeks, we've been very busy looking for our next home, and I haven't had much time to write this blog post. I'll talk about the house hunting later, but for now, I'm going to reminisce about the fun times we had together with my mom and my sister's family when they were here for a…

77 Things I Did in 2010

2010 was really a landmark year for my family and me. It's hard to believe how much our lives have changed in these short 12 months, how much we have grown, and how much we have been able to do. After reading a great post by Dragos Roua about 77 things he did in 2010, I decided to follow suit and…

First Christmas in Costa Rica

If you didn't get a Christmas card from me this year, it's not because I don't love you. It's just because I'm lazy. :) In fact, we've been consciously lazy about Christmas this year, and it's been our least stressful holiday season yet! Well, maybe "minimalist" is a better word choice than "lazy".…

Our Guatemalan Adventure

We just got back from an 8-day trip to Guatemala as a final visa run before we have some visitors over the next few months. This was our first time in Guatemala, but I hope it won't be our last. We really enjoyed our time there.

Movin' Around

We've been doing a lot of thinking the past few weeks. We've been trying to decide where we'd like to have our baby, and where we'd like to live for the majority of next year. After looking at several different countries, we realized that there weren't a lot of options for dual citizenship in…

Back in Costa Rica

Wow! It feels so good to be back here in Costa Rica! I love the warmth weather (a perfect 65-75 degrees), the lush, green vegetation and breathtaking views all around, the friendly, smiling people, the inexpensive food, the spaciousness and quietness of our rental house and the gardens surrounding…

Disney World

This past week we enjoyed some time at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It's been a great week, and it started out with a bit of culture shock. The first few days, we found ourselves speaking Spanish to people accidentally, which was a little embarrassing. But it turns out a lot of people in…

Quito and Mindo, Ecuador

We're having a blast in Disney World right now, so I'm not going to take much time on this post. Mostly, I'll just comment on some of the highlights of our time in Quito, and the nearby town (ie. 2 hour bus ride) of Mindo, where we spent a night.

A Week in the Galapagos Islands

Welcome to Southwest Ecuador

And what a welcome it has been! The day we arrived in Guayaquil, Ecuador was permeated with extreme political unrest. President Correa had just threatened to cut police benefits, so all the police were on strike. Many took advantage of the situation by robbing stores and banks, burning tires in the…

Machu Picchu

To say that our visit to Machu Picchu was amazing would be an understatement. There just don't seem to be words to describe places like this. Having visited many ruins in Peru over the past couple weeks, I was expecting more of the same. However, on the bus ride up, with the backdrop of the morning…

Volunteering at Aldea Yanapay School

One of the main reasons we wanted to come to Cusco, Peru - besides visiting Machu Picchu, of course - was to volunteer; and Cusco did not disappoint us in that regard. There are a number of volunteering opportunities here. We found a school called Aldea Yanapay where kids can go after regular…

Cusco, Peru

My first impression of Cusco, Peru was that it was dry, dusty and hot - until night time. Then it was dry, dusty and cold. Granted, we arrived near the end of Cusco's dry season, so I can't expect to see much green. But between the clay-brown buildings, sandy mountains, and dusty streets, there…

Why and Why Not Travel With Kids?

In our travels, we rarely meet others traveling with their kids, especially in backpacker havens like Cusco. To some it might seem odd to take a vacation with your children, since a vacation is often seen as a break from the kids. And there are definitely times when that break is welcome. But there…

Beautiful Lima, Peru

Lima rocks!! We flew in last Thursday and are staying in the Miraflores area, which we're told is one of the nicest and safest parts of the city. And it's easy to see why. Our apartment overlooks a lovely and very well-maintained park that follows the coastline for miles, providing a beautiful…

Last Days in Cartagena

Old Town Cartagena, Colombia

Our two-month trip to South America has begun! We've been in Cartagena, Colombia now for about 3 days and are having a great time. Our first views of the city were at night, with the high rise apartment buildings, lights on the cathedrals and old walls of the city, and the reflection from the…

Bugs, Birds, and Other Nearby Animals

I've been meaning to write a post like this for a while. Since we moved into this house, we regularly encounter new, interesting creatures. While I don't always take photos, I think I have enough now to make a decent post. I don't know the names of most of these animals, but all that you see in the…

Planning 2 Months in South America and How I Outsourced it

Recently, we decided that we're ready to get out of the rainy season here in Costa Rica, which is usually fine in the mornings, but very rainy, foggy, and cold in the afternoons - at least up in the mountains where we live. So, we're going to be spending September and October in South America this…

A week in Jaco

Earlier this month, we decided we wanted a little beach time. With all the rain and clouds up in the mountains of Grecia, where we live, it's been getting a little cold - yes, even sweater weather at times! We decided we wanted a little warmth and sun, and surf.

Celebrating 8 Years of Marriage

This month Jennifer and I spent three days away from the kids celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary. We went to the northwestern part of Costa Rica where we'd never been before, near the Guanacaste beaches in the Nicoya peninsula. We wanted to do some things that would have been a little harder…

A Visit to Panama

As I mentioned in my last post, despite having a crazy drive and border crossing experience, we enjoyed our trip to Panama. I didn't take a whole lot of pictures, but I've been meaning to write about the trip for several days. So here we go.

Second Visa Run and Corrupt Policemen

This past week we made our second visa run since moving to Costa Rica. We have to make our way out of the country every 90 days, and this time we chose to drive to Panama and visit our friends in Volcán, whom we met on our 6-week trip last year. It was quite an adventurous week, including driving…

First Family Visit

The past week, we've been privileged to enjoy our first visit from family since we moved to Costa Rica 6 months ago. My dad, step-mom, two brothers and a sister came and stayed with us for 6 days. It was great to see them again and to spend time together seeing this beautiful country - not to…

Things I Miss Living in Costa Rica

Living in Costa Rica is a wonderful experience. There is so much that I like, from the perfect weather and green surroundings, to the friendly people and the chance to learn a new language. But after being here for almost 5 months, there are a few things I find that I miss from the United States.…

Interviewed by JetSetCitizen

Last week, I was contacted by John Bardos from JetSetCitizen.com, the popular blog showcasing those trying to live their lives to the fullest. I've been a fan of John's blog for a long time, and especially enjoy his interviews with perpetual travelers, international volunteers, entrepreneurs, and…

Random snippets of life in Costa Rica

I have been keeping several photos and videos on my computer for the past few weeks because I wasn't sure if wanted to dedicate an entire blog post to any one of them. So I figured today I would just post some random photos and videos that show what's been going on in our lives the past few weeks.…

Los Lagos, La Fortuna, and Arenal

Rather than head home after the rescue center, we decided to continue on to La Fortuna and spend a day and a night at Los Lagos, which is a hotel/resort at the base of the Arenal Volcano, with hot springs and swimming pools, butterfly and frog houses, and beautiful grounds.

Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rescue Center

Recently, we paid a visit to an animal rescue center near La Fortuna, Costa Rica called Proyecto Asis. Our kids can never seem to get enough of animals, and this seemed like a good opportunity to not only see them, but interact with them, learn about them, feed them, and even clean up after them.…

Poás and La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Today we had the awesome experience of visiting both Poás volcano (the one we smell from our house), and the La Paz waterfall gardens, where we got to hold toucans, blue morpho butterflies, and red-eye tree frogs, take a ride in a painted ox cart, eat old fashioned Costa Rican treats, and see lots…

Monteverde Cloud Forest

The highlight of our trip to Nicaragua was actually in Costa Rica, just 2 1/2 hours from our house in Grecia. We took a detour on our way back home to see the rainforest in Monteverde. It's actually quite close geographically, but you have to drive up a steep dirt road for almost an hour to get…

Africa Mia Zoo

On our way back from Nicaragua, we saw a sign for a zoo called Africa Mia (My Africa) near the town of Liberia, Costa Rica. We didn't know anything about it, but had some extra time, so we thought we would check it out.

Crossing the Border to Nicaragua from Costa Rica

Because we're living in Costa Rica on tourist visas, we need to leave the country every 90 days in order to renew our visas. There are so many different rumors about what the actual laws are concerning these visa runs, and no one seems to know the answer for sure. (Well, many think they know the…

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

We just got back last night from our first trip to Nicaragua. We spent three days in the small coastal town of San Juan del Sur. Every 90 days, we're "forced" to take a vacation outside of Costa Rica to renew our tourist visas, and since Nicaragua is the closest country to where we're living, we…

Zarcero Afternoon Trip

Today we decided to take advantage of having a car (yes, we finally got one!), so this afternoon we drove to a nearby town called Zarcero. It's about an hour away from our house in Grecia, and has some beautiful topiary gardens in its central park reminiscent of Dr. Seuss trees.

A Car! A Car! My Kingdom for a Car!

After weeks of looking for cars, filling out paperwork, dealing with required lawyers, setting up a corporation, waiting for wire transfers, waiting for plates, waiting for repairs, and lots of red tape, we... still don't have a car...

Simple and Resourceful Fun

This week, my mom sent us a Spring/Easter package which contained some cards, candy, books, stickers, and more. We've been enjoying all that was inside the package, but we've had an unusual amount of fun with the cardboard box it came in.

Exploring Nearby Nature

There is a waterfall about 15 minutes from our house by foot. The walk there is through various trails and meadows, with some nice sights along the way. We finally took the opportunity to visit the waterfall last week for the first time, and loved it!

Getting Settled

We've been living in our house in Grecia, Costa Rica for over a week now and are starting to feel more settled. The plumbing issues have all been fixed, our Internet is working, and we're starting to get into more productive routines.

Horseback Riding, Crocodiles, and Manuel Antonio

Our fun vacation along the Costa Rican Pacific coast is now over, but we are loving it here in Grecia. We've been without the Internet for a few days though, so I'm a little behind in writing. I'll do my best to catch up here. The last three days of our trip were spent in Manuel Antonio.

Zip-line, Beach, and Monkeys

We've packed a lot of fun into the past couple days, and have even more planned for this week. We're taking advantage of our time at the beach, as well as having a car - and we're loving it!

From Volcanoes to Beaches

Talk about views! We've seen the most breathtaking sites in the past few days. We decided to rent a car for a week and explore the country a little more while waiting for our new house to be ready.

Our New Home in Costa Rica

After two weeks of visiting dozens of houses all over Grecia, Costa Rica, we finally picked the house we will live in for the next year. Who'd have guessed it would be the first house we looked at!

World of Snakes

Rather than hang around the B&B today, we decided to take a short trip to the nearby World of Snakes museum in Grecia, which houses over 50 varieties of snakes, lizards, and other reptiles (as well as a couple toucans).

Week 2 in Grecia, Costa Rica

We have now been in Costa Rica for over two weeks! Since we got here, we haven't been doing many "touristy" things. Instead, we've been busy trying to find a place to live. And I think we finally found it!

More House Hunting

We've looked at a lot of houses for rent this week, in the small towns of Costa Rica, and have gone from excitement to discouragement and back again. Now we're just confused.

Los Chorros Waterfall and Breakdancing

This morning, we decided to fulfill Marie's biggest wish since she got here: go swimming. Unfortunately, after about a 10 minute walk to the pool, we found out that it was closed. It turns out that many shops, restaurants, and other facilities close on Mondays. And some just close whenever they…

A Little Update

I just wanted to keep everyone up to date on what we've been doing the past four days since we arrived in Costa Rica. We're in the perfect location for exploring the town. We're in walking distance of everything, and we have been walking a lot!

We Made it to Costa Rica!

Well, we're finally here! We're in Costa Rica, and it's warm and beautiful! I made a little video of our trip over, which you can watch below. Until then, here's a little summary of our trip so far:

What's in Our Luggage to Move Abroad?

What do you take with you when moving abroad? If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that we got rid of most of our stuff a few months ago. And we whittled down even further last week. The past two days, we've been packing and making more decisions about what to take and what to…

Departure Date is Set

We finally picked a date to make the move abroad. We'll be leaving Salt Lake City for Costa Rica on January 6th, 2010! We have some Jet Blue buddy passes we'll be using, and we hope there won't be a problem using buddy passes for the "required" return ticket as well.

Handling Mail While Living Abroad

Ah yes, the question of mail. Since we announced our upcoming move to Costa Rica, I've had several people ask various questions about what we're going to do with our mail.

We're Moving to Costa Rica

Well, you already know how much we enjoyed our trip to Panama. True, that was more of a vacation-mindset trip than it was a "living in another country" trip, but we still experienced our share of culture, language, and grew closer together as a family.

Japan Trip Summary

Tadaima! I'm home from Japan, and had a great time. Here is a summary of the entire trip, with pictures.

A few photos from Japan

We've had a great time in Japan so far. I don't have much time for details right now, but here are some photos for you to enjoy from Tokyo and Kyoto. So far, I think the highlight for me has been the zen rock garden at Ryouanji. But I've also loved eating the food again, speaking and hearing…

Leaving for Japan Tomorrow!

Tomorrow I leave for the beautiful land of Japan! I'm so excited! This should be a great trip. It's the first time I've gone to Japan (or anywhere, really) as a chaperon. But they seem like great kids (about seven kids of Jr. High and High School ages), and I'll also be there with my dad, so what's…

I'm Going to Japan - for free!

In about a month, I'm going to taking a small group of Jr. High School students to Japan for a week as a chaperon, along with my dad! I'm really excited to be able to go back to such a fun and beautiful place. This will actually be my third time to Japan, and I can't wait. One of the nicest parts…

What We've Gained from Panama

When we set out on this adventure of spending six weeks in Panama, we didn't realize how much it would affect our family. We had never spent so much consecutive time together, done so many new things together, and been so far away from home together.

Last few days in Panama

Yesterday, we bid goodbye to Bocas on a half-rainy, half-sunny day, and headed back to Panama City for another two nights before coming back home to Utah. We had a great time in Bocas, although being so far away from civilization for a week was a bit of a challenge for us, especially when we didn't…

Bocas Town

On Friday night, the waves were very high and crazy on the beach that night, spilling out over into the sand and making big puddles around our house. Along with the rain, the sound was almost deafening.

How the kids entertain themselves, and more drawings

Emily and Marie have played together very well on this trip. Every morning here in Bocas, before Jen and I get up, the girls are outside playing in the sand, blowing bubbles, or on some imaginary adventure. I'm glad they're such good friends. This isn't to say they have always gotten along. They've…

Dolphins and Starfish

What a fun day! When we woke up, we were happy to see the sun shining brightly, making the sand yellow, and the water blue! And except for a few showers throughout the day, the sun stayed with us, which changed the whole mood of the place. We were glad we got to see Mr. Sun while here.

Exploring around Salt Creek

On Bastimentos, we're staying in a part of the island known as Salt Creek. And the past couple days, we've spent most of our time relaxing at home, but have also ventured out a few times when it wasn't raining (usually getting caught in a rainstorm in the process). It's been a lot of fun. We did…

Flying to Bocas

I'm now writing from our very relaxing house on Bastimentos island in Bocas del Toro. I have a few days to catch up on, so let me just say we went to dinner at Cafe Essencia in Volcan on Saturday, and it was not good! (The first "bad" food we've had in Panama). The bread was very stale, and fell…

International Living?

Okay, so for those wondering if we're considering a possible permanent move out of the country, I'm going to say now, "Yes, we're considering it." We don't know when or where or for how long. We may not do it at all, but it sure is fun to dream about. :)

More Friends in Volcan

The past couple days we've spent most of our time with people we've met here in Volcan. On Thursday, we drove Marisol around Cerro Punta, and the neighborhoods of Volcan, while she told us all about the area, how the farms work, what it's like to live here, the best places to buy different things,…

Making friends in Volcan

Today we met and had lunch with a nice family we met on some Panama forums before we left. Bernie helps people protect assets and minimize taxes through foreign trusts and foundations, and we had some long talks about that. Marisol and Jen talked a bit about health and home schooling, both of which…

Pre-columbian Artifacts in Panama

Today we went to an archeological site called Sitio Barriles, near Volcan, which has unearthed hundreds of artifacts from the time roughly between 2000 B.C and 300 A.D.

Horses and Haircuts

Monday morning I woke up early and got a fresh start on the day with some tai chi before anyone else was up. I also got some work done in the morning, and it felt good to get caught up a bit more.

Sunday in Volcan

On Sunday, we went to the Volcan LDS branch - what great and kind people! We even got invited to dinner this week by a sweet retired couple who maintain this website of pictures of Volcan. We may be seeing other members this week as well.

We're in Volcán!

Yesterday, we made the 1.5 hour drive from Boquete to Volcán, Panama. While Boquete is beautiful, and many people choose it as a retirement destination, it didn't hold a whole lot of luster for us as a place to stay more than a few days. We found the town to be a bit too crowded and cramped for our…

Boquete Wildlife Rescue Center

Yesterday we had breakfast and lunch at home (cereal and peanut butter and jam), then went to the Paradise Gardens Wildlife Rescue Center just outside of Boquete. What an awesome experience! Where else can you not only see, but hold, pet, and interact with a variety of unusual animals?

Garden in Boquete

On our first morning in Boquete, we received quite a shock about the place where we're staying (Cabanas Sabrin). When we stepped into the shower, we discovered there was no hot water! All the faucets, including the shower, have only an option for cold water. So we both took cold showers, which…

At Casa de Lourdes

I'm going to keep this one short and just summarize our days' activities, as more of a log.

Drive to Boquete

On Wednesday, we left El Valle and headed out for our next stop - Boquete - a five hour drive on the Pan-American highway. We left our rental house about 9:00 a.m. and drove straight to Penonome (1.5 hours) for gas and snacks - with a couple stops along the way for Emily to recover from car…

Orchids, Painted Rock, and Rincon Valley

On Monday, we got a late start in the morning, which has been typical for us, lately. When went to the Serpentarium, which we'd heard was a lot of fun, and they let you hold a a boa constrictor, we realized they were closed. We're not sure for how long, so we might try to go back. It was during the…

Valentine's Day in El Valle

Not having the Internet has thrown me off a bit, as it appears I forgot to post about Valentines Day, but did the two days following. Anyway, here is what we did on Valentine's Day.

El Macho and More

Our second morning in El Valle, we got up early (6:30am) hoping to see some birds and other animals. We heard the same pretty bird songs as the day before and other pretty sounds, but didn't see any animals. We had a nice walk, although the girls were pretty tired and ornery that we got them up so…

Sunday Driving

On Sunday, we planned on going to the Penonome branch for church, about a 2-hour drive from El Valle. Fortunately, church started at 12pm (we thought), so we had time to get ready. We left a bit late, and really didn't know how to get there, but we left anyway, and made our way to Penonome.

Coming to El Valle de Anton

Wow, wow, wow. That's what I have to say about El Valle de Anton. It is absolutely breathtaking. Take the lushness and flowers of Kauai, mix it with the manicured gardens of Kyoto, and the drastic peaks and valleys of the Rockies, and you have El Valle. It's a lot cooler than Panama city, with…

Don't rent a car from Thrifty in Panama

Before we left for Panama, we ordered a rental car through Thrifty for three weeks. We got a small Toyota Yaris for a great price - $437 for 3 weeks, which includes picking it up in Panama City and dropping it off in David (a $150 charge). (Note: There wasn't an option to drop off in David on their…

On Taboga Island

Okay, now that I'm without Internet access where we're staying, I've been writing the content of the blog and pictures while off-line, then coming to the Internet cafe to put everything on the blog. It's a little inconvenient, but seems to be working okay.

We're Already to El Valle

Just a quick note to say we're here in El Valle de Antón! Taboga Island was beautiful! We spent two days there at a rental house overlooking the water. We played at the beach, walked around town and had a great time. More details later.

Sunday in the Bella Vista Ward

Today we went to church at the Bella Vista ward. It was quite different from the ward we went to last week near the Temple. This ward was comprised almost entirely of Spanish speakers, so obviously, everything was in Spanish.

At Torres de Alba

It's been a few days since my last post. The main reason for this is that our current hotel doesn't have Internet access. Well, it does - you can either take the elevator to the computer room and use their computers, or you can pay $7 to get the Internet in your hotel room for a day. Since I needed…

First-time Swimmers

Friday night, we took the girls swimming in the pool that's at the hotel. They were so excited to go swimming. We even bought them inflatable life jackets, goggles, and a beach ball to play with.

Gamboa Aerial Tram

Today we had a nice big breakfast at our hotel. For some reason, I was really hungry and able to eat a lot more food than usual. It felt good to have a large breakfast. We let the girls play on the playground for a bit, while chatting with a woman from Ireland who's actually living in the Torres de…

25 Random Things About Me

Okay, here's my list of 25 random things about me, that everyon's posting about these days. There's some pretty personal stuff in here that hardly anybody knows, so by reading this, you will know more about me than just about anyone except my immediate family and my wife.

A relaxing day

Today we totally took it easy after having a long, but wonderful day before. We had breakfast in our pajamas again. Then we had the people at the hotel do our laundry. Jen was thrilled that she didn't have to do it herself. We then wrote and read blogs and I did some computer work and e-mailing.…

Cerro Ancón & Dinner Show

We got home late last night so I didn't get a chance to blog, but we had so much fun yesterday! We slept in a bit, and had breakfast about 8:30 or so, in our pajamas. Then took a taxi to the top of a nearby hill, Cerro Ancón. There were great views of the city from up there, as well as of the…

The Panama Canal and more

Today, we had another wonderful daily breakfast at the Balboa Inn. (I especially love the fresh fruit.) Then we had a taxi pick us up and stay with us most of the day. He offerred to do so the night before when he dropped us off, so we had our own driver today for about $50. One thing I forgot to…

Sweet Sunday

Today was a lot of fun. We went to church in the morning. I had printed out a paper with a map and address of the church before we left home, and we gave it to the taxi driver. We also handed him a map and picture of the Temple, which we thought would be near the church. He took us to the Temple,…

The Embera Indian Village

What an awesome day! (See pictures at the end of this post.) This morning, after breakfast, we were picked up at our hotel by Anne, who was raised in Seattle, but has married into an indigenous Indian tribe in Panama who call themselves "Embera". We took a one hour drive through lush tropical…

Biking on the Causeway

Today, I woke up about 7am, after about 11 hours of sleep, which seemed just about right with how much sleep we lost the night before. During my shower, I could hear pretty bird songs loud and clear, as there's an open window in the bathroom. It was great! Once I got ready, I did my tai chi and a…

We're Here!!!

After a long and hard night of sleeping in airports and on planes, we finally made it to Panama! We flew from Salt Lake to Los Angeles at about 8:50pm, had a 3 hour layover, and then left for Houston at about 1:00am. When we got there a few hours later, we had 3 1/2 hour layover, and then we…

Through a Child's Pencil

When I woke up this morning, I came downstairs to find Emily drawing pictures. Emily loves to color and draw, and today she was drawing pictures of what we would see in Panama. I thought I'd post them here for you. Emily is 5 years old.

We Leave in Less than 24 Hours!

Our bags are mostly packed, our reservations all made, our maps and itinerary are printed (and digital), and we're getting ready to go to Panama!

Accommodations All Booked

Last week I was able to book the last places we're staying in Panama. Actually, there are still four days we don't have a place to stay, and that's intentional because we'll have a bit of flexibility on those days and want to check things out first to see if we want to extend our stay in some areas…

What are we taking with us?

How can we possibly fit everything we need for six weeks in these small carry-ons? Well, we probably can't! We plan on buying some things when we get there. And we also realize that we probably don't "need" as much as we think. Here are a few other good reasons we're not checking any luggage:

How can you take that much time off work?

Those of you who know me well, know that I am fortunate enough not to have a "job", but have created a business that generates residual income. So I am to a large degree, in control of my own schedule, but I'm still required to work a few hours a day to keep things running smoothly.

What are we going to do in Panama?

Our thoughts about what we might do on this trip have changed and will most likely continue to do so throughout our time in Panama. Our main purpose is simply to experience a new place and culture, and enjoy time together as a family. The ways to accomplish this are endless.

Learning Spanish

One of the biggest challenges with traveling to a foreign country, for many people, is the language barrier. And since I don't know very much Spanish, I'm expecting to have less than perfect communication with the Panamanians.

What about Our House?

One of the other questions we're frequently asked about our trip is, "What are you going to do with your house while you're gone?"

Reserved Hotels so Far

Wow, it's a lot of work getting ready for a six-week vacation! I guess it doesn't have to be, but I'm such a planning freak, and like to learn as much information as I can before making a decision (that's both a strength and a weakness).

Why Panama?

One of the questions we're most often asked when telling people we're heading off the Panama for six weeks is, "Why Panama"?

Six Weeks in Panama

Welcome to my new blog! I’ve created this blog in response to interest from several people who’ve mentioned they want to keep up to date with our family while we’re on our upcoming trip to Panama.

Why Are We Going?

Why are we going on a six week trip to Panama? This is a question that could take pages to answer. In future posts, I'll go into more detail about how we came to the decision to leave, and why we chose Panama and the length of the trip that we did. But in this post, I want to cover the benefits we…