During my first week in The Gambia I already experienced a bit of local culture that had me taken aback. I was surprised and a little...

So, I live in The Gambia now. The capital city is Banjul, a tiny town formerly known as Bathurst. But I technically live in the “Greater...

Every 2-3 years we take home leave, which is mandatory time off between overseas assignments. They typically last 4-6 weeks and require a...

Another year gone! Being 40 has been great. No complaints. Well, maybe a tiny complaint that my face takes a long time to unwrinkle in...

Because we’re moving to The Gambia for our next assignment (#8!) we can bring up to 3,750 pounds of consumables—food, drinks, and...

I can't imagine there was a single Foreign Service Officer (FSO) in Washington DC, or even overseas, who didn't wake up scared on Friday,...

This month has been a whirlwind of packing and saying goodbye. It’s the 7th time we’re leaving a country we lived in for a few years and...

I love biographies and memoirs. I've been reading them since I was a teenager, but it only recently dawned on me that it's my favorite...

So, I did it! I stayed to a Vipassana center (dhamma) near my house in Mumbai. There are hundreds of centers in the world, in 94...

And I'm done! I just completed a 10-day meditation course at Dhamma Pattana (near Mumbai) along with about ninety other students. It was...

I'm about to embark on a 10-day Vipassana retreat at Dhamma Pattana, in Mumbai. Two days from now, I'll report to the meditation center...

I didn’t understand much about Hinduism before I moved to India. Cows are holy, reincarnation, lots of gods. That’s about it. I hoped I...

Before coming to India I was only vaguely aware of Aryuvedic medicine. I’d heard about elements/doshas and had even figured out I’m a...

Did you know that Shymbulak is the largest ski resort in Central Asia? And that if you want guaranteed snow in March, it's one of the...

When & where to run in Mumbai Even if you really love running outdoors—and I know few people in Mumbai do!—it can be challenging to find...

Last month, I endeavored to cut sugar from my diet. I can't say it was a resounding success. Not only was it difficult to change my daily...

My decision to make a lifestyle change is usually the result of a slow but steady buildup of knowledge through reading and talking to...

The trickiest question of all is what people should do while they’re in Mumbai, because it’s not a tourist hub. It’s no wonder that the...

Close to Mumbai there are a number of popular tourist destinations within 1-3 hours by car, train, or ferry. Unlike most travel...

If you’re curious about exploring India and need some travel tips, you could simply open up a Lonely Planet. But wait, did you know the...