The boat started to slow down so I looked back to our 'captain' and noticed smoke coming out of the wish-we-had-an-Evinrude engine. And then it stopped. Kaput. Burned up. Dead in the water. We had left the 2,400 year old…
Two days in Rwanda could not have been more different. On one day we saw all that went wrong and the very darkest side of this small African country. Twenty-four hours later we saw what the future holds for the…
For the past 4 months we have been in malaria zones and take our Malarone pills every morning. We sleep under a mosquito net most nights and routinely lather up with Ultrathon. The boys love the mosquito nets so much…
Every day we negotiate for food, transportation, tours and even the bathroom. We wrestle with determining the fair market price and recognize that at some point, we are going to overpay and feel like we have been taken advantage of. …
"Dad, a baboon stole my headlamp" was Colin's response when I asked him to pack his stuff and get ready. Since I am constantly working with the boys to take responsibility for their actions and not blaming others, I cringed…
Every hour of the day, day of the week, and week of the month we are together. It has been eight months and while this could drive some families apart, I see it tightening our relationship. I wouldn't trade my…
Today the boys learned "Shithole." I prefer they don't swear but realize they will learn these words on the playground or after school with their buddies. Or, sometimes at Grandma's house. But, they overheard a conversation Audrey and I were…
It wasn't the trip I expected. It wasn't what Audrey expected. It was better than what the kids expected. We are not sure if any of us can say, "I told you so." This was to be the epic train…
This world trip is about many things. It's about spending time with our boys before they grow up. It's about seeing other cultures and realizing that not everyone lives in a wealthy San Francisco sub-urban community. And, it's about experiencing…
It was December 22 and I felt so overwhelmed. I could feel the lump in my throat and was about to cry as I stood in line at "Choppys", the local supermarket. The people around me were purchasing rice, beans,…