New Caledonia When we visited New Zealand for the first time, in 2016, we were planning a rare 3-day weekend and wanted to visit someplace special that was close to where I was working. A staff member where I worked asked me where we were going, and I told her we planned to visit the Coromandel Peninsula, which had been highly recommended by several people. She pursed her lips and said, "Oh no, don't go there. It's nothing special. Just mountains on one side, ocean on the

During our 36-night cruise across the Pacific Ocean, we have stopped in several ports. We've had our fair share of typical port fare - island drinks and shaved ice in Hawaii which was, admittedly, amazing with its special cream on top and macadamia nut ice cream center. Mine pictured here was pina and coconut flavors. But there have been some surprising meals at some of the stops. In this post, I'll discuss an amazing sushi meal in Honolulu, a fabulous lunch of Indian curr

We boarded the Holland American line ship Westerdam in Seattle, Washington, USA on October 2. We left the port of Seattle and headed for the Pacific Ocean. The first five days we were at sea. It was beautiful and calming. There was a stunning sunset the first night. Next days were beautiful and calming. Then, we arrived in Hawai'i. Our first stop was Honolulu. First, we visited the Iolani Palace. Hawaiian kings and queens had homes in various locations, and Iolani Pala

We boarded the Holland America ship Westerdam 22 nights ago, on October 2, 2022. Generally, we have been very pleased with this voyage. We are not frequent cruisers - unlike many of the passengers on board this trip, we have only taken a few cruises before this one, ranging from single day to a little over a week. Other than our short cruises in the Baltic Sea from Helsinki last May, we have sailed over holidays and usually with children. We worked full time and couldn't

I’ve always had trouble relaxing. For over 30 years, I did well in my career because I could manage multiple projects – juggling courses, interactions with students and colleagues, and creative projects. I always had a to-do list at hand, constantly checking things off and adding more on. Equally intense, I enjoyed the responsibilities of trying to be a good partner to my spouse and mom to my kids. When I traveled, it usually related to work or family, and I had a list of t

Yesterday, on October 2, we boarded the Holland America ship Westerdam, embarking on a 36-night cruise from Seattle to Sydney, Australia. Some people have asked us, why are you taking such a long cruise? Reasons why we decided to take a repositioning cruise: It's been a long few months, filled with stresses and tasks. We love the idea of getting on a ship and not cooking, cleaning, or washing our clothes for a little over a month. We need some rest. 2. We'd like to estab