By John Dalton
My son Chris thinks I should stop roaring down fire trails on my mountain bike. He hasn’t told me this directly - he uses his mother, my wife Marilyn, as an intermediary, knowing full well I’ll get the word. I have, and I’m unconvinced – even though I’m 67 years old.
Through the years […]

By Jan Burak Schwert
An encounter with a stranger in a small Umbrian town helped me understand the depth of a country’s grief.
Even in medieval Trevi, I wanted to check my email.
“Intairnet?” I asked, arms outstretched, typing in the air. Several people pointed to the north edge of the village, but I couldn’t find an […]

By Jan Burak Schwert
I’ve always been a Willie Nelson fan. So the first time I traveled to Texas, I headed straight for Austin and Willie’s hangout, the Broken Spoke. When he didn’t show up, I had to settle for some old black and white photos on the wall.
I drove to San Antonio for a conference […]

by William Raney
Central Coast, British Columbia
6:15 AM:
I roll over. Speck of light. Time to get going. Today’s the day we cross Queen Charlotte Sound. I flip on the diesel heater and ease myself out of bed. They say you don’t need so much sleep when you are old, but if […]

by Jan Burak Schwert
A man walked in, and my jaw hit the floor. I’d never seen the man before. It was my husband.
Let’s go back to the beginning.
My husband Ron and I had traveled to Konstanz, Germany in search of his ancestors. The city, on the banks of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) […]

by U. Joy WoodersonForget sky-diving. Forget hiking the Himalayas. This senior woman had one adventure goal in mind—riding the waves of my beloved Indian Ocean once again.
On a blustery October day in Missouri, I carefully folded my swimsuit into the suitcase in anticipation of my return to my homeland, South Africa, and the beaches of […]