This is how I used to feel about my life:

And that is why I now travel, take photographs, and write…..life is about the journey, not about the destination.

Sippin' Key West Internet Cafe is tucked away on a side street in Old Town

For years I have had a love/hate relationship with Key West. Although its an entertaining place to visit, its “party town” image makes it seem plastic and phony. The island is rich in history, local lore, and is home to a vibrant, multi-ethnic culture, however I have never been able to break through the tourist facade to discover the real Key West. Until now.

A week ago Sunday, on my way home from having dinner in Old Town, I heard music coming from a side street. This is not unusual. From the street musicians on Duval to the raunchy honky-tonk of the Country and Western Bars, to the lady boys belting out their Streisand impersonations, music is ever present in Key West.  What caught my attention was the type of music – somewhere nearby, a woman was singing and playing an acoustic guitar. Even from a distance I could tell she was spectacular. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve added a new blog to my list of favorites – BriefcaseToBackpack.com.

Now, you might think that I’ve chosen it because the authors, Michaela Potter and Sherry Ott, recently published a feature article about me. And indeed, my initial introduction to BriefcaseToBackpacker occurred when Michaela contacted me about an interview. But from the moment I began surfing around it, I was hooked.

From left to right: Michael Bontempi (who accompanied Michaela on her career break), Michaela Potter, and Sherry Ott

The concept for Briefcase To Backpacker evolved as a result of Michaela and Sherry’s career breaks. Having worked for many years in the corporate world, Michaela needed a change. She left her job, strapped on a backpack, and hit the road for nine weeks. At the time, Sherry was well into her 16-month backpacking trip around the world. She, too, had grown tired of her corporate career and a fast-paced life in New York and hit the road. Then, fate intervened. During her travels, Sherry taught English for a month in India through the volunteer organization, Cross-Cultural Solutions. As a Program Manager at CCS, Michaela was made aware of Sherry’s trip and followed along on her travel blog.

Although their individual trips were different in many ways, they came away with similar realizations. They met people from a wide variety of countries and backgrounds, but very few Americans. In turn, most people were surprised that Read the rest of this entry »

Using everything from wood to cardboard to found and salvaged objects, Reuben Margolin creates one-of-a-kind techno-kinetic wave sculptures. His inspiration comes from observing things in nature – things as simple as a caterpillar’s movement or the patterns created when a drop of water splashes into a pond. When he moved into his new shop, Margolin decided to create a giant kinetic sculpture that would take advantage of its high ceilings without using up any floor space. His inspiration in this case came from a rafting trip. Every time he paddled he noticed a spiral eddy coming off the back of the paddle. After ten days he had the spiral wave figured out. Margolin returned to his shop and built “Spiral Wave,” a giant creation of redwood from old decks, 30 aluminum arms, and scores of mono filament threads that drop down to a flower-funnel spiral that appears to float as it undulates. Numerous examples of Reubens diverse artwork can be seen on the following YouTube Video:

Note: In December of 2006, author Barbara Weibel left her successful but unfulflling career to pursue her dream of becoming a travel writer and photographer. This story is one in a series about people who, like Weibel, have chosen to lead authentic lives by pursuing their true passions.

Lydia Raurell has always loved to dance. Like so many little girls, she dreamed of becoming a fairy ballerina. When she was chosen to perform in the children’s Corps de Ballet it seemed that her dream might come true, but after two years her dance instructor said that her bone structure was too fragile to go into pointe and her parents refused to pay for additional lessons.

A Year of Dancing Dangerously by Lydia Raurell

Raurell didn’t return to dance until her late twenties, when she ran across an advertisement from a dance studio that offered a free Tango lesson. Although she couldn’t afford additional lessons, that free introduction to Tango rekindled her passion for dance. It took another ten years before she returned to that very same studio, finally able to afford lessons. She threw herself headlong into the world of dance, but at the end of a year realized that her life was out of balance – she had gone back to college to pursue the degree she’d never completed and both her studies and her family were suffering from lack of attention. Again she walked away. Little did she know it would be many years before she had another opportunity to pursue her lifelong passion.

Twenty danceless years later, at age 54, Raurell picked up the local paper and read an ad that said “Walk in Monday, dance out Friday.” By that time, her life had changed immensely. Raurell’s son was raised, her home paid off, and she  had the support of a loving husband who encouraged her to fulfill her dream. Read the rest of this entry »

The footage of an angry ocean crashing onshore and sweeping beneath an oceanfront cottage is indelibly imprinted onto the memory of anyone who saw the movie “Nights In Rodanthe.” The storm scenes are so jaw-dropping that people may think they were computer generated, but the house is real. It is located in the development of Mirlo Beach in Rodanthe, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

The ocean sweeps beneath the house where "Nights In Rodathe" was filmed

Other than the blue storm shutters that were added to the exterior for the filming, in real life it looks exactly like it did in the movie. And just like in the movie, it stands like a solitary sentinel on a deserted strand of beach.

It wasn’t always so. Houses used to stand all along this beach. But since 1999, when hurricanes Floyd and Dennis roared onto the Outer Banks, the oceanfront houses on this particular stretch of severely eroded beach have toppled into the ocean, one by one. During my years as a real estate agent I had the opportunity to show many of these houses; I have even had to Read the rest of this entry »

Although I have visited some downright unpleasant places in my travels, the majority of the places I visit are lovely, interesting, and entertaining. However, it is also true that some places “grab” me more than others. I like almost every place I visit, but occasionally I find that I love a particular place. This happened to me recently when I traveled to the northeast U.S. to see the fall colors. I liked New York, Vermont and New Hampshire, but I loved Maine.

Since then, I’ve been wondering why I found Maine so captivating. Of course, the scenery was spectacular. In Acadia National Park I hiked through vibrant red and gold foliage along craggy cliffs that plummeted to azure and turquoise seas below. In town I talked to any number of Mainers who live simply and maintain traditional values. Still, I couldn’t figure it out. Why did Maine feel so different? What was it about Maine that attracted me so?

Soon after returning home to Florida, I received an email from Brian Kliewer, an artist who lives in Camden, Maine. He discovered my blog and wrote to tell me about his latest project:

“I’m doing 100 small paintings in 100 days. All are for sale and you can probably guess the price…”

I was intrigued enough to check out his website, http://kliewerstudio.com. On his ‘About Page,’ Brian explains his philosophy:

“Believability is very important to me in my work, not just in realism, but in the emotional, human connection I often feel toward the subject.”

High Sun, Pemaquid Point, oil on canvas, 10 x 10, available from the Geary Gallery in Darien, Maine for $1,000

Read the rest of this entry »

Eight years ago Orrin Hudson was watching the news on TV and heard that seven restaurant employees were shot in the head, execution style, for $2000. He said to himself, “That’s it, I have to do my part.” Hudson, who had previously been an Alabama State Trooper and subsequently owned a car dealership, used his savings an even maxed out his credit cards to start a program to help inner-city kids. His unlikely tool for helping these kids? Chess.

Hudson had himself been a problem child. He was in and out of trouble, associating with the wrong people. A teacher took an interest and taught Hudson chess, using the game as the means to introduce him to critical thinking. Now Hudson is imparting these same lessons to thousands of at risk kids through his Read the rest of this entry »

While I am still searching for a way to give back something to this world, Kaziah Hancock has already figured it out. She is an artist who lives on a rural Utah ranch with 100 goats, painting landscapes in oil that sell for thousands of dollars. Then one day, she heard about the first Utah boy to be killed in the Iraq War and decided to paint his portrait to memorialize him. The following video documents what has happened since then, but I warn you, it’s a tear-jerker:

Note: In December of 2006, author Barbara Weibel left her successful but unfulflling career to pursue her dream of becoming a travel writer and photographer. This story is one in a series about people who, like Weibel, have chosen to lead authentic lives by pursuing their true passions.