The Village, Part IV
I have been thinking about the village of Supo ever since I left there over a week ago. I cannot possibly put everything I experienced […]
The Village, Part III
Hot, Hot Springs McTery’s aunt Theresa had arranged for a vehicle and driver to bring us to the Kili hot springs about two hours away. […]
The Village, Part II
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood “Tim, do you hear that rooster? That’s my timer.” It was almost 6:00 and McTery had just woken up […]
The Village, Part I
My trip to McTery’s village was a highlight of this year of travel. Here is the first of four posts about it. I’ll send one […]
Facing Fear
I returned from my journey to the village and am at a Starbucks in Manila, the only place open on a Good Friday in this […]
The Graduate
After guiding him through his first ironing experience, McTery was ready for his graduation ceremony. High school begins in seventh grade in the Philippines, so […]
Jeepney Riding 101
I’ve ridden in dozens of different types of vehicles over the past year. Each country has its own system of transportation, but they all have […]
Work It!
My brief career as a model began with a meeting at a Starbucks in the old walled neighborhood known as Intramuros in Manila. I was […]
Coincidence?
One of the things I am learning is that travel is just as much about the people you meet as the places you visit. Sometimes […]
Weekend Update
I do not expect any sympathy from my readers, but traveling is hard work. My new friends and fellow year-abroad travelers, Maya and Tony, understood […]
Cool, Cool River
“Do you want to jump, sir?” Edsil, our guide on the hike to Tangadan Falls, asked me this several times. I kept reminding him that […]
Volunteerism, Not Voluntourism
The Dangers of Volunteering Volunteering is a popular way to travel. In Europe, taking a gap year after finishing college to travel is very common. […]
Dancing in the Street, Again
It’s 7:45 in the morning, Eminem is blaring on the speakers throughout the plaza and nearby streets, there are hundreds of school children and parents […]
Back to School
A Warm Welcome The school year ends in a few weeks in the Philippines, but I was able to visit a small school near San […]
Eat, Pray, Eat
As I touched my forehead to the carpet, I could see McTery watching me from the side, his forehead to the ground, to make sure […]
Eat, Stay, Weed
There’s a giant toad, bigger than any I’ve ever seen, living outside my front door. An even bigger gecko serenades me every evening from a […]