I didn’t fall in love with Nicaragua when I visited last June and wasn’t particularly excited to go back this year. But then I saw a couple articles on Lonely Planet’s Twitter feed that changed my mind. Top 10 stops for Central America first-timers Top 10 best value destinations for 2011 I learned about a whole new Nicaragua I hadn’t known… Isla de Ometepe’s twin volcanic peaks, rising up out of Lago de Nicaragua…The island’s fertile volcanic soil, clean waters, wide beaches, wildlife population, archaeological sites and dramatic profile… …hammock-hanging opportunities on the mythically unspoilt Corn Islands, bar-hopping and live music in colonial León and Granada, and volcano trekking on the Isla de Ometepe… And these places are close to Managua and inexpensive to boot! Of course, as soon as I started looking forward to my trip back, my boss has decided she would like to go instead (since she’s worked for my organization for nearly a decade and has YET to see a project on the ground). Leon, Nicaragua. June 2010.
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I didn’t fall in love with Nicaragua when I visited last June and wasn’t particularly excited to go back this year. But then I saw a couple articles on Lonely Planet’s Twitter feed that changed my mind.

I learned about a whole new Nicaragua I hadn’t known…

Isla de Ometepe’s twin volcanic peaks, rising up out of Lago de Nicaragua…The island’s fertile volcanic soil, clean waters, wide beaches, wildlife population, archaeological sites and dramatic profile…

…hammock-hanging opportunities on the mythically unspoilt Corn Islands, bar-hopping and live music in colonial León and Granada, and volcano trekking on the Isla de Ometepe…

And these places are close to Managua and inexpensive to boot!

Of course, as soon as I started looking forward to my trip back, my boss has decided she would like to go instead (since she’s worked for my organization for nearly a decade and has YET to see a project on the ground).

Leon, Nicaragua. June 2010.

I met this woman yesterday. She was jolly. She laughed at everything. She smiled big tooth-smiles. She shook our hands again and again. She shouted “jerejef”, “thank you” in Wolof, until we could no longer see her waving at our truck. I think we all need a little more jolly in our lives. It’s not just reserved for Santa Claus, you know. Senegal, February 2011.
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I met this woman yesterday. She was jolly. She laughed at everything. She smiled big tooth-smiles. She shook our hands again and again. She shouted “jerejef”, “thank you” in Wolof, until we could no longer see her waving at our truck.

I think we all need a little more jolly in our lives. It’s not just reserved for Santa Claus, you know.

Senegal, February 2011.

It’s that time again. The time to dust off my suitcase, fill up my 3.5oz bottles with liquid toiletries and get ready for the joy of having someone else make the bed. I’m going away this weekend, but not to a rural village in a developing country, or even a big city in a far-off land. I am headed to the exciting metropolis of Albany, New York for a little R&R this weekend! Sarcasm aside, Albany happened to be the halfway point between my mom and me via car, so we decided to get together for a weekend of shopping, eating out, manicures and relaxation to celebrate my birthday. After a bit of research I realized Albany actually has some great restaurants, and the nearby town of Saratoga Springs is chock full of good food, adorable boutiques and antique shops, and lots of small-town charm. Tomorrow afternoon, I’m hopping in the car, driving three hours north (so, yeah, I can actually bring FULL-SIZED toiletries - woo!) and getting ready to experience all that frigid upstate New York has to offer! [photo via]
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It’s that time again. The time to dust off my suitcase, fill up my 3.5oz bottles with liquid toiletries and get ready for the joy of having someone else make the bed. I’m going away this weekend, but not to a rural village in a developing country, or even a big city in a far-off land.

I am headed to the exciting metropolis of Albany, New York for a little R&R this weekend!

Sarcasm aside, Albany happened to be the halfway point between my mom and me via car, so we decided to get together for a weekend of shopping, eating out, manicures and relaxation to celebrate my birthday.

After a bit of research I realized Albany actually has some great restaurants, and the nearby town of Saratoga Springs is chock full of good food, adorable boutiques and antique shops, and lots of small-town charm.

Tomorrow afternoon, I’m hopping in the car, driving three hours north (so, yeah, I can actually bring FULL-SIZED toiletries - woo!) and getting ready to experience all that frigid upstate New York has to offer!

[photo via]

After many hours spent manually transferring posts from Blogger, surveying the Twitter crowd for Wordpress how-tos, going back and forth on URL names, fixing funky formatting and adding photos, my travel blog, 100 Degrees and No A/C, is now up and running! http://100degreesandnoac.wordpress.com/ In the past, I’ve used the travel blog as a way to keep my family and friends in the loop during my adventures but I plan on updating it more often. I’m headed to Mali and Senegal in three weeks so stay tuned for the adventures to come!
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After many hours spent manually transferring posts from Blogger, surveying the Twitter crowd for Wordpress how-tos, going back and forth on URL names, fixing funky formatting and adding photos, my travel blog, 100 Degrees and No A/C, is now up and running!

http://100degreesandnoac.wordpress.com/

In the past, I’ve used the travel blog as a way to keep my family and friends in the loop during my adventures but I plan on updating it more often. I’m headed to Mali and Senegal in three weeks so stay tuned for the adventures to come!

This was a happy day. I was visiting a village in Nepal that was about to start building their very first official schoolhouse. The children currently attended classes in a makeshift lean-to made of sticks and mud, and they couldn’t wait to start digging the foundation for their very own school. I had quite the royal welcoming as each child presented me with his or her handmade marigold necklace and a smudge of tikka. The bees were swarming my head as I reached the end of the line and I was HOT with all those necklaces (LOOK!), but it was incredible to see these villagers get so excited about a better education for their children. Whenever I think about changing jobs, moving to a profession with a cushier office and luxury hotel travel and more money, I remember to look at these photos - they remind me why I do what I do. If my nine-to-five can help this organization bring joy and peace and, most importantly, education to poor families around the world? It is worth my little, insignificant sacrifices.
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This was a happy day. I was visiting a village in Nepal that was about to start building their very first official schoolhouse. The children currently attended classes in a makeshift lean-to made of sticks and mud, and they couldn’t wait to start digging the foundation for their very own school.

I had quite the royal welcoming as each child presented me with his or her handmade marigold necklace and a smudge of tikka. The bees were swarming my head as I reached the end of the line and I was HOT with all those necklaces (LOOK!), but it was incredible to see these villagers get so excited about a better education for their children.

Whenever I think about changing jobs, moving to a profession with a cushier office and luxury hotel travel and more money, I remember to look at these photos - they remind me why I do what I do. If my nine-to-five can help this organization bring joy and peace and, most importantly, education to poor families around the world? It is worth my little, insignificant sacrifices.