Touron. This is a made up word. This word is English. This word is known and used by people who work in outdoor industries. It is with great displeasure and angst that I even know this word. These people are hurting themselves, the environment, and others. This word is a combination of “tourist” and “moron”….

Remember that book, “Are You my Mother?” It is a children’s story about a little lost hatchling searching for its mother. While Mom is away gather food, the baby bird leaves the nest. It cannot get back in, so off it goes to find Mom. “Are you my Mother?”, it asks as it searches. It…

It was just a friendly challenge. My new work out buddy threw the flag as we were sweating it out one evening in the gym. But, I could not do it. I resisted for reasons that were not clear. Now, it is something I am compelled to conquer. Let me tell you about the box. …

I am living in one of those places I swore I never would. I ended up in the land of perpetual summer. I am far away from snow and cold and ice and rain. I ended up in the rocks and sand. I live and work in the desert.  I have to say, from the…

Nobody told me how difficult this off road would be! I was so scared about four times. This 26 mile trek took me just over four hours, including photo stops, a little exploring, and a slight nervous break down. My baby girl performed famously, though I was a nervous wreck by the end. Thankfully, Jeep…

Wow. Just WOW! My world has been turned upside down and I literally feel like I have traveled to another Universe. From the far north to the deep south, from the Northwoods to the desert, from winter to summer. In a matter of days, and hundreds of miles, I flipped my reality. I turned my…

I come back to the issue, the subject, the feelings of fear. I have written with great passion about fear. In particular, fear as it pertains to being a woman, traveling, and living alone. I am asked all the time about fear. I am questioned about my lifestyle choice and mostly folks are surprised.  It…

This will be my third installment on the concept of “home”. There may be more out there, but I could only find two others. I guess I did write once about being “home-less”, but that is different. I am compelled to write this rainy, somewhat noisy, Iowa afternoon down by the damn. I hear the…

I cannot tell you how many times the Willy Nelson song, “On the Road Again” comes and goes from my brain! I am, after all, back on the road again. This time it is different. The road has changed. I have changed. One for the better and one, well, let’s just say it changed out…

Here I am, about to hit the road. To say it will be different this time is the understatement of the Universe! I left the road in February after traveling since the previous April. By that time, I had covered about 22 states and nearly 20,000 miles. I started my second year of this adventure…