This song, by award-winning inspirational artists Wayne Burton and Jenny Jordan Frogley, so beautifully expresses what I wish for everyone in the coming year and beyond. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Five tribal leaders from the remote South Pacific island nation of Tanna are sent to the U.S. by their supreme chief. Their mission? To bring the message of joy and peace they learned from a very special soldier during World War II – a man they called ‘Tom Navy’ – back to America. The journey is being documented by the Travel Channel in a six-part series, Meet the Natives, which premiers with back-to-back episodes at 9 and 10 p.m. E/P tomorrow night, November 29, 2009.

As a travel writer, the Travel Channel provided me with a special link to preview the first two episodes and frankly, I was blown away. Amidst much hilarity, these traditional hunters and farmers who wear grass skirts and live with no electricity or television, don layers of clothing and learn how to operate a video camera before departing for their first destination, a cattle ranch in Montana. I laughed out loud as they struggled with sleeping bags on the floor of the cabin and then again when they helped the wife cook breakfast – a first, since in Tanna, women do all the cooking. Coming from a culture that produces everything required to sustain the tribe on a daily basis, it is difficult for the men to understand why the Montana ranch contains 5,000 head of Read the rest of this entry »

I thought I would forever regret not having asked his name, until I rolled into the same McDonalds a week later. There he was, just like before, food spread across the table and belongings spilling from an overflowing backpack. He wore the same oversized Carpenter’s jeans, faded brown T-shirt, and velveteen hoodie with the nap worn down to nothing. When he glanced up I was again I was struck by the twinkling eyes, ruddy cheeks, and grizzled beard that put me in mind of Santa Claus.

“Hello again,” I said. His momentary blank expression turned to a wide smile.

“Well hello, darlin’! You’re back again. Didn’t recognize you at first.”

“I don’t think I introduced myself last time. My name is Barbara,”

“Rudy,” he replied, enfolding my soft, manicured hand in his rough calloused paw.

He extricated himself from his pile of belongings and joined me.

We had chatted briefly the previous week about being on the street but now I asked the question that haunts me, where the homeless are concerned. Why?

“Because I travel.” He looked down at the table for a moment, lost in thought.  “Folks don’t realize that homeless are same as anyone else. Most of us have had jobs, apartments, been married and had kids – at one time. But I really don’t want to give my money to some landlord. So I sleep in cuts and under bridges. It’s cold sometimes, but I’m from Colorado so it’s not too bad. I wake up shivering, but as soon as sun comes up I’m OK. I’m tough.”

“Do you worry about being mugged?” I asked, recalling recent incidents where homeless were beaten and Read the rest of this entry »

Joshua Bell performs incognito in Washington, D.C. Metro station

In a Washington, D.C. Metro station on a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces. During his performance approximately two thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes after the young man began playing a middle aged man slowed his pace and turned to look at the musician, but kept on walking.

Half a minutes later the violinist received his first dollar; a woman threw the money in the hat without stopping.

Not until six minutes into the performance did someone actually stand against a wall and listen.

A three-year old boy tried to stop and listen but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped and looked at the violinist again, but the mother pushed harder and the child continued to walk, turning his head to look at the musician as he walked away. This action was repeated by several other children; parents, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

In the forty-three minutes that the violinist played, seven people stopped what they were doing to take in the performance. Twenty-seven gave money – most of them on the run – for a total of $32 and change. The remaining 1,070 people hurried by, oblivious to the music, few even turning to look. As he finished playing, silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded. He received no recognition.

The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played some of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days prior, Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and people’s priorities (Read the full, original Washington Post article here).

In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, how many other things are we missing in life?

Taking a break from my physical journey today to work on the inner journey, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than to share this amazing video sent to me by my friend Karen. Peace and love to you all…

A couple of weeks ago I received an email thanking me for posting photos of the old buildings in the village of Matten, Switzerland on my blog. The message, which was from a William Diesslin, read in part:

“You didn’t know it at the time, but you photographed my great grandfather’s store front! I’ve attached the photo for your reference.”

Matten was the town I stayed in when visiting Switzerland during the summer of 2007 and I had taken scores of photos of the intriguing architecture in the village. Curious, I downloaded the photo he had attached – an historical black and white image of an old storefront. I figured it would be a simple thing to find the present day photo among those I had published on the blog and began side by side comparisons. It was not as easy as I had assumed it would be, but by comparing things like the gables, roof line, and the horizontal strip that separated the first and second stories, I was eventually able to identify the correct structure.

Today the building is home to a hostel, the Balmer’s Herberge. The building is located on the same street as my hotel and I had even eaten at the Thai restaurant that now occupies the basement. Take a look at the photos below for a glimpse into the past and an idea of how well these old buildings have withstood the test of time.

Today one of the buildings comprising a large hostel, the Diesslin store hides its age well

Historic Diesslin store; the man standing in the doorway is Bill's great grandfather and the child to his right is Bill's grandfather

A closer look at the store from the opposite direction, as it looks today

But that’s not the end of the story. Read the rest of this entry »

Benjamin Zander, conductor with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, spoke at TED recently. Beginning with an amusing discussion of classical music and what he calls “one-buttock playing,” his speech takes unexpected twists and turns that he connects with beautifully played Chopin. At the end of his remarks, Zander leaves us with a final, prophetic question. Watch it to the end – he is remarkable and his speech reminded me of my commitment to treat everyone with loving kindness.

Renowned author Elizabeth Gilbert, who is probably best known for her New York Times Best Seller “Eat, Pray, Love,” recently spoke at the annual conference of TED (technology, entertainment, design), where the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers are challenged to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. In her speech, Gilbert suggested that we need to look at genius in a new way. She proposed that, like the Romans, we accept the premise that creative people are not geniuses, but that creative people have access to genius.

There is no doubt in my mind that she is correct. When I write – when I am truly in the zone – I am all too aware that the words are not mine. They come from somewhere else. Gilbert tells the story of a 90 year old poet whom she interviewed. The poet described how the words would come thundering at her from across the land when she worked in the fields as a young girl. Each time, she ran for the house and a pencil. If she got to pencil and paper before the words passed her by, she would have her poem. If not, the words would Read the rest of this entry »

I didn’t see the lunar eclipse yesterday. It occurred around 8 am. and the sky would have been way to bright (I say “would have been” because at 8 a.m I was still sound asleep, having worked on various writing projects until 3 a.m.). But I didn’t need to see it. I could feel it, and that was quite enough.

Yesterday was just plain Ugh! My energy was so low I could barely function. Everything seemed a giant struggle. Every time the phone rang I wanted to throw it at the wall, because I just knew it would be another problem. I couldn’t write. Heck, I couldn’t even think. They say that the energy of a lunar eclipse is about leaving the past behind and looking forward, but I just felt stuck.

This came on the heels of a month of compete indecision over where to take my life next. I know Lonely Planet is seeking an editor for their Laos guidebook. Should I go off to Laos and Malaysia for a couple of months? To Scandinavia to try and see the Northern Lights? Some time prior to June 15th I need to return to North Carolina to complete my annual real estate continuing education requirement. My father wants me to come back to Illinois for a couple of weeks this summer. I’m thinking about going to a Yoga retreat somewhere, although I don’t know where. Yet with so many options, I was incapable of figuring out what to do.

This morning, even though I’d been up until nearly 4 a.m again, I virtually Read the rest of this entry »