ByGD
The United States has been in a bind since China stopped accepting our recycling for processing last year. It’s a little ironic, really, that we can’t handle our own waste. We’ve got big trucks for residential recycling pick up and automated sorting lines. But we have no facilities for actually, you know, recycling the material. For that we depend on China. Meanwhile, here is a photo of recycling pick up in Qingdao.
ByGD
When I went to China with my daughter, I researched everything to the last detail. I found the Castle Boutique Hotel, which doesn’t have its own English-language web site, on review sites like TripAdvisor and Agoda. It was one of the hotels that I could book with points from my travel rewards card, so we could stay there for the full 10 days paying for only 2 of them outright.
The hotel is located on the grounds of the old governor’s mansion in the German Concession neighborhood, surrounded by lovely, quiet gardens. All of the reviews were adamant that you should insist on a room in the front overlooking the gardens.
I don’t remember now if I tried to do so or not, but we ended up in a room at the back, overlooking the neighbors’ back yards. I’m so glad we did. It offered us an oddly intimate view of everyday life in a country where it can be very difficult for tourists to meet locals.
Every morning we woke up and peered out our window overlooking the routines of the family next door. An older couple watched their granddaughter during the day. The grandmother hung laundry and the grandfather gardened while the little girl rode her tricycle around the yard.
I felt like a voyeur who had been caught when one day they noticed us watching them from above. But they were good-natured about it and waved hello. After that, every morning we woke up and peered out our window overlooking the family next door and waved good morning.
ByGD
image from Gratisography
One of my favorite things about freelancing is that I don’t have to commute. I always feel that beginning my day with the rush of making myself presentable, finding everything I’m going to need for the day, getting out the door and to the bus stop on time to spend 45 minutes in traffic uses up most of my energy for the day.
Once each week, I do work in an office downtown, and that once-weekly commuting day reminds me how much I love freelancing. Last week, it also reminded me of an experience I had forgotten in the haze of travel exhaustion and jet lag when I got home from Iceland in July. Read More
ByGD
I bought this medallion of the defunct patron saint of travelers, St. Christopher, on my first backpacking trip at a flea market in Wales. He’s accompanied me on every trip since. I’m not quite superstitious, but he’s been such good company over the years that I can’t imagine getting on a plane without him.
I bought the “jade” pendant from a night market street vendor in Chiang Mai, and was quite proud of myself for talking him down to 30% of his first price. Then I walked into a bead shop two doors down and found a box of them for half what I paid. I wear it now as a reminder not to get too cocky. Life will always win, but the consolation prize is often a great story.
Today I am wearing these two mementos again, as I head to the airport for an overnight flight to Iceland. For the first time, I will not be visiting that country alone. I’m bringing my husband with me, and I hope he falls in love with it as I have.
ByGD
Bucket lists are all over the place these days. Last year, I wrote a bucket list on this blog, but I never looked at it again. (Oops, adding the hyperlink I realized it was two years ago.) As much as I love to make lists, the bucket list just doesn’t resonate with me. Except for one bucket list that I carry around in my heart. Here’s how it started.