I’m living in a movie
It feels odd, living in the early scenes of an apocalypse movie. The toxic taste of city-spanning smoke is a seasonal normality here now, as enormous pieces of California burn in the… Continue reading
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Coming home
The truth is, I have trouble coming home. On one level it’s just logistical withdrawal. I go from leading my 27 newest friends on a busy tour of some of the greatest things… Continue reading
Gratitude for Georgia
All the Renaissance masters, Roman gods, and Golden Age heroes showed up right when I needed them, no one was grievously injured, and even the weather behaved itself (for the most part). So… Continue reading
Where to start with the New Zealand shooting
When I woke to the horrible story of the shooting in New Zealand this morning, there was a flash of sorrow for the human tragedy. Then I read more news, including the… Continue reading
Exactly where I wanted to stay in Kenya
The staff of Voi Wildlife Lodge were wonderful when I arrived with my nausea. They took care of my bag at reception, brought me a hot towelette, and offered fresh fruit juice before… Continue reading
Not puking on lizards, Kenya
The plan was to meet a childhood buddy in the train station in Voi, then catch a car to the Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary for two days of charismatic Kenyan macrofauna. Things went off… Continue reading
Julian the elephant
Kenyan rangers don’t name the animals. It’s not Jerry the giraffe or Billy the buffalo, it’s an animal to be protected against poachers (potentially at the cost of their own life). Except for… Continue reading
There’s something about trains
There’s something about trains. Beyond the rhythm of rails and spars that inspired and echo in jazz, more than the misty platforms of noir farewells, and more immediate than their vital role in… Continue reading
Mombasa love
You might think you packed light until you’re in the back seat of a van, the kind that coaches used to take seven high schoolers to track meets in the 80’s but now… Continue reading
Nairobi to Begin
Nairobi gave me a light case of First Destination Syndrome. Thrilled to be back in Africa, but thrown off by the chorus of “Don’t walk around, don’t take photos, it’s not safe, haven’t… Continue reading
