E2C_Travel
Not all travel is into the great unknown... some takes you 'home', to your people. I found my roots again after the pandemic with an aluminum love child named Bella and the 50 aunts and uncles who just can't seem to get enough of her. The Airstream community took me completely by surprise, but it's not the campers that create the connection -- it's the love of outdoors and nature, working hard to prepare an obscenely over-the-top family meal "just because", and genuine affinity for the stories that brought each of us here.
Any experience where you have an opportunity to learn the stories of others, try new foods, see how people live differently - each of those moments changes your life just a little. If you're lucky, your worldview becomes a patchwork of all those experiences. Mine has.
#mycuprunnethover
ABOUT ME
Part journal, part treasure map, part petri dish of thoughts about the future – this website is the synthesis of years of informal (and informed) study of the human condition… coupled with an unyielding need to explore every old tree trunk, breathe in as many back alley spice markets as I can find, admire the monarchs in every protected estuary along the coast, and climb the hillsides on gas-powered mules those few precious days the poppies raise their gorgeous orange faces to the sun. I'll do it all - every single mile - while my hands can still manage the camera.
The more time passes, the more I understand Thoreau's beloved Walden and his need to "live deep and suck out all the marrow of life." With Bella and an increasingly more amazing collection of people in my life... my physical footprint has been smaller these past few pandemic-impacted years, but my "heart-print" has never experienced more reach. To those who are with me, you are everything to me. To those who will join our treasure hunt, I promise we're going to see the world... and see it differently, #together.
E2C_Connection
So many amazing people come into my life and teach me unexpected things. They make my life fuller and more interesting in more ways than I imagined. These connections are what drive me - they’re my secret sauce, my signature strength. Every success in my life is, quite simply, based on my love of people and bringing people together to do wonderful things.
This summer I joined the Board of a publishing company that enables people to publish their personal stories online (here’s mine if you’re curious: Tonya's Cues & Views). Working with this commitment, I’m even more convinced of the importance of sharing our journey to connect with others. I see firsthand the difference connections make when people recognize how much we are alike… not different. With that as my goal, I look forward to sharing my journey and story - sharing my connections and creating new ones on the way. Exploring2Connect. Join me.#onwardandupward
“ChIndia,” you say? Well, yes. I’m headed to China and then India for the next three weeks. My trek to China begins early Monday morning, flying through Chicago and on to Shanghai before reaching my destination in Dalian. There’ll be…
So I’m in China now to start the real reason I’m over here – work. This will be the final post in this blog, as I’m certain none of you have any interest in my next eight days of administrivia….
It was a long trek to Hakone and Mt. Fuji on Saturday – but after being on my feet about 16 hrs the previous day, I was ready for a more restful tour. Mt. Fuji is considered by the Japanese…
Just kidding. The rest of the day was fantastic. (But you gotta admit – that’s one attention-grabbing opener.)I’ve never been a fan of “group tours.” If you haven’t noticed, I have a bit of an independent streak. But today was…
Warning: This post is not for the faint of heart or those easy-to-be-queasy. It is, in fact, a posting about a bunch of dead fish. Millions of pounds… of dead fish. Read on at your own risk. So when I…
I’m up here at 3am… oh, the joys of pre-jetlag. Up early and ready to roll — I’ll be dragging tail by this afternoon. I had a couple of hours before I leave for the famed fish market and thought…
Two good flights and every piece of luggage present and accounted for. Airport navigation to find a bus was simple. Arrived at my hotel around 6:00, dumped my bags and headed out on foot. Tokyo is famous for it’s culinary…
So I’m a bit intimidated by what little research I’ve done on Tokyo – it’s “gi-normous” as my nephews would say. I know I have very little time – and even less patience – about being lost and losing precious…
