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america VanLife

Some Kind of Freedom

Something different is happening with my van, the Casa Roma, that I didn’t quite expect. It’s not that it’s surprising, it’s just that I hadn’t really anticipated it. It’s a freedom thing. Normally I have a lot of freedom in my life, committing only to doing things where my heart is drawn and that I […]

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growth speaking the truth

Spilling the Contents of Your Pot

There are boundaries to expression which most all of us would be well served to cross. Living our lives with too much restraint can be an almost certain shortcut to dissatisfaction. In my own writing, I notice that I’ve been feeling a little restricted, a little inhibited, a little too hesitant to hit the “publish” […]

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america VanLife

Junkie for the Open Road

Building a mobile camper van. It’s been a vision of mine for the past couple of years. Last winter’s road trip with Alexandra down to Baja really helped to add some fuel to that fire as I started to see some of the possibility of what a small home on wheels could offer. I’m kind […]

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belarus family Jewish

Train Travel Through Time and the Search for Belonging

They left Belarus in 1923 and the good life that they had created. Times had changed and the place of their home was no longer one in which they could remain. Just as I am departing now on this train to Minsk, my ancestors too left Vitebsk, six of them including my grandmother crammed into […]

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belarus Jewish on traveling

The Magic of Travel

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware. Martin Buber The Magic of travel is happening here for me in Belarus. I’m currently in Vitebsk, the childhood home of my grandmother and her family. After spending a few days in Minsk, I’ve been here for 7 days so far, mostly exploring and […]

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belarus Jewish on traveling

Visions of Minsk

I couldn’t quite find the heart of Minsk. Some places just feel heavier than others and Minsk seems to fall in to that heavy category for me. Life there feels burdensome rather than something to be celebrated and enjoyed. I know that is a broad brush stroke with which to paint a place, but it’s […]

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belarus family

Returning to Belarus – A Journey of Discovery

I’m on an airplane to Belarus and I find myself a bit teary. Not quite sure why, but it just feels like I’m feeling the sadness of my family for having been such a long time away. A return to this place is assuredly bittersweet in the hearts of my people. My grandmother Sonia Breinin […]

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favorites life nepal on traveling spirituality

Attending to Transitions – Saying Goodbye with Awareness and Appreciation

I just departed Nepal. I’ve been there enough times now (six) that it’s becoming somewhat of a second home for me. My time of course is largely spent with Nepal Orphans Home where I assist in whatever ways that I can. I teach classes at times, organize and present workshops for the older kids as […]