Previous Next One of the most enjoyable parts of travel is finding and trying very local cuisine. Part of the planning a good trip is figuring out what are the key dishes and beverages that are consumed by the locals and are there any specialties that may be impossible to get elsewhere. These meals all have histories worth understanding and very much reflect local culture.On a personal note, I cringe every time I see an American fast food chain...
Flying from Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) to Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) was a piece of cake on Copa Airlines. We were in the air just shy of 5 hours and the PTY airport was virtually empty on Thursday afternoon at about 2 PM local time. We breezed through immigration and customs and then set off with a few immediate goals. First, Panama Metro to our Airbnb in Bella Vista. Second, Find the Airbnb itself and get checked in. Finally, get food...
We started training for Volcán Barú in early February with multiple hikes around the Northern Virginia region. Most of these hikes were along the Appalachian Trail, giving us lots of uneven terrain (rocky) and plenty of elevation. I'm excited to say that training is over! We're headed to Panama next week. After exploring Panama City for the first week we're heading to the town of Boquete in Chiriquí. If the weather cooperates we'll be...
Our Panama vacation is almost here!!! It's hard to believe but we are now just inside of 2 weeks to go before our flight to Panama City (PTY) from Dulles Airport (IAD). I'm slightly concerned about disruptions given all the havoc on United Airlines flights over the past week or so but... We're flying Copa Airlines (flight 357) and they don't fly a lot out of Dulles so fingers crossed. We also depart about 9:30 AM so with luck there...
Of the many personalities that regularly appear in my podcast feeds, Dr. Bill Schindler | Eat Like a Human seems to be one of those most grounded in a historical perspective. His approach to food, how it has been found, prepared, and consumed, and the role of tools in this process just makes a ton of sense to me. It also helps that his speaking style is devoid of much of the over-the-top claims (typically without evidence) that is found with...
A few weeks ago on a Sunday morning I woke DJ out of his teenage weekend slumber to drag him along to pick up some scapes. I didn't think much of it at the time, but as we headed out to the garlic farm he asked me: "What are scapes anyway?" This led to a fun discussion about how garlic grows, what scapes are, and why I was driving out to a farm to pick up three pounds of them. In the end, we had a great father/son experience, as silly as it...
We can't wait for Panama this summer. Planning is taking a good deal of time for a number of reasons though. First, Hillary and I see this as a second dry run for a minimalist, nomadic, post 2026 period in our lives. And Second DJ will be doing two weeks of camp in Panama as well so we've got to make sure he is sorted. Planning for DJ revolves around making sure he has the right amount of clothing, but not too much. The Amigos International...
During our trip to Panama this summer we have a lofty goal of climbing this long dormant volcano. Round trip from Boquete this trail is rated hard with 17.4 miles round trip and an elevation gain of 6,847 feet.Most hikers start this around 10 or 11 PM and hike overnight with the goal of seeing sunrise. After our own trial run from 5 PM to 1:30 AM we've decided we'll pass on the overnight. Instead we'll likely start hiking around 4 or 5 AM and...
This summer (2023) we are planning our next trial run in preparation for the next phase of life. We plan to radically downsize once our son heads off to college. At that point I'll retire from technology sales, we will sell, donate, or get rid of virtually everything (save a few items put into storage) and spend several years, perhaps even decades, traveling around the world. At least, that's the plan. It's an early, retirement reimagined.In...
We've always planned far in advance. We focused on getting to the comfortable retirement that modern America tells us we should want. Retire about 65ish. Enjoy the second home. Travel.
But what happens when you get the American Dream early and discover that's not what you want? That the modern American Dream is not only unsatisfying but actually makes you feel trapped.
That big house the bank tells you that you can afford (so you get it). And...
