Elyn Aviva has spent more than half of her life going on, studying, or writing about pilgrimage—specifically, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Today, as she adjusts to the disorientation of isolation, she poses the question: Could it be that like a pilgrimage, this pandemic offers an opportunity to journey inward and engage in deep self-exploration?
As more and more folks seek their tribes, author Jules Older adds one more tribe to the list. It’s more significant than Jewish or Buddhist, Italian or Iranian, male or female, maybe even gay or straight—goers and stayers.
Each one of us is adjusting to the new normal of social distancing and self-isolation in different ways. We thought we’d open a door to the private lives of our writers, so you can see what they are feeling and thinking and doing —expressed in 25 words or less.
Perfect vacation spot. Check. Perfect partner. Check. So why did Stephanie Ambarsumyan feel anything but perfect? It was an important question and one that she hadn’t realized needed asking until she went away.
After eleven happy years as American expats in Spain, Elyn Aviva, and her husband Gary White, made the unexpected decision to return to the United States to make a new home in a new place.
Boundary setting and truth speaking have been a lifelong journey for Nancy King. So when she honestly communicated what she wanted and needed in a ski buddy to a friend, it was more than a difficult conversation, it was a chance to bring her authentic self to the relationship.
This is our Valentine's Day gift to you--some very very short stories from some of our stellar writers. You can read each one in a single breath.
Michael Papas was forced to adapt his travel plans on the fly after learning that his visitor visa had expired.
It was 1984 and Cynthia Marshall Shore, at 25 years old, was traveling with friends through Turkey when found herself over her head after getting involved with a Turkish soccer pro turned naval officer.
In Jerusalem, and away from his family for the first Christmas since his divorce, Michael Papas wanted to purchase something special. The experience took an unexpected turn, however, when he bargained with a shopkeeper.
Travel writer Fyllis Hockman was left speechless (well, almost) by a visit to Meow Wolf, an immersive art experience in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Unexpected visitors transform a quiet afternoon in rural Tanzania into a trip to the emergency room for Canadian expat, Mike Chambers.
She’d shaved her head to experience life as a bald woman. Resigned a six-figure job to live in a rural Irish cottage. Given away all of her possessions. Twice. And then Tara Myers decided to do something really scary: apply for a Russian visa and go to St. Petersburg. Alone.
Sweat was oozing out of his pores when Philipp Meier arrived at Koh Chang, an island in southern Thailand. The peace and quiet, however, promised to be the perfect antidote after the tourist hustle and bustle of nearby Koh Phayam.
It was 1976 and Mike Chambers was traveling overland on the Hippie Trail across Eurasia. During a stop in Turkey, tempers flared when a fellow traveler insulted a local vendor and suddenly, in the resulting scuffle, Mike became the target of an angry mob.
This article is an excerpt from the new book, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD…and How Cultures Do It Around the World, by YourLifeisaTrip.com executive editor Judith Fein.
Philippines-based American expat B.J. Stolbov heads off to Batanes, a remote cluster of islands, located almost 200 miles off the northernmost tip of Luzon, to discover if the islands are as crime-free as their reputation.
Fyllis Hockman recalls a sobering visit to Austria’s Mauthausen concentration camp and why we should never forget.
If you travel to the Philippines, where singing is a national pastime, American expat B.J. Stolbov advises you to let go of inhibition and join the fun.
A series of random encounters introduced American expat Aysha Griffin to the Muslim community in Girona, Spain, where she is currently based.
