I spent a couple of weeks in Pennsylvania for work and missed the recent fires in Southern California…it was only this week that I finally took a moment to drive through Altadena, California (just eight minutes from my home)...
Onboard Peanut One: The United Airlines 727 That Transported Jimmy Carter
A United Airlines Boeing 727 jet dubbed “Peanut One” played a critical role in US presidential history by serving as the primary aircraft for Jimmy Carter during his 1976 presidential campaign. Jimmy Carter Chartered A United Airlines 727, Calling...
RE: Terrorist Attack In New Orleans – Resist The Urge To Scapegoat
2025 is off to a bloody start in the USA with a violent terrorist attack in New Orleans. As despicable as the villain was who perpetrated this attack, we let his ideology win if we scapegoat an entire group...
The Year Of NO…Reclaiming My Boundaries In 2025
A personal reflection as we enter 2025 that goes beyond this blog but also will shape the way I travel and spend my time. Saying NO In 2025 I made a lot of progress in 2024; I’d call it...
What Is The Way? My 2024 Christmas Reflection
Although I am not a theologian or pastor, I like to offer an annual Christmas reflection. This year, I focus on The Way…and how our need for direction to avoid being lost is at the heart of the Christmas...
A Syrian Dinner To Commemorate Syrian Revolution
We raised a glass (of water, because the restaurant is dry) to the Syrian people at Aleppo’s Kitchen, praying that the new government would not be worse than the last and that peace would return to that afflicted land....
A Thanksgiving Resolution
Once upon a time there was a boy who loved to fly around the world using his miles and points. Around the globe he flew, visiting the far corners of the world; meeting new people and surveying new lands....
Farewell To My Father…
My father recently passed at the ripe age of 85 and I want to take a few moments to reflect on his life and how grateful I am for him. Reflections On My Dear Father My dad, Ronald, was...
On Election Day, I Offer A Travel Promise
I think it’s often interesting to look back on our musings to see what we have learned or what has changed. Below is an essay I wrote on the day of the 2020 election. One of the candidates is...
One Year Later: Chaos In The Middle East
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the 10/07 terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, which killed nearly 1,200 Israelis and launched a bloody war that has killed tens of thousands. We can mourn the horrific loss of life and...
What Morbidly Obese “Passengers Of Size” And Loud Babies Have In Common On Airplanes
Why do we generally handle morbidly obese passengers with delicacy and compassion on airplanes? It is for the same reason we afford such treatment to babies who are crying uncontrollably: both are members of the human race and therefore...
An Ode To Work On Labor Day
On this Labor Day in the United States, I celebrate work and express thanksgiving for the ability I have to do the work that I love. Labor Day Essay: An Ode To Work Labor Day as a nationwide celebration...
Thomas Jefferson: Don’t Travel!
Today is Independence Day in the United States, the day the United States formally declared Independence from the British Crown. I thought today would be as good as any to get to know one of the most respected Founding...
Islands Are Not Vanishing As Sea Levels Rise. Many Are Stable…Or Growing
While climate modeling predicted many islands would disappear as sea levels rose, scientists have made a surprising discovery in island nations like the Maldives: while there is some erosion, there is remarkable stability and even growth. That bodes well...
The Necessity Of Father-Son Trips
Boys are complicated creatures and boys can greatly benefit from male figures to help nurture them into being gentleman. As we reach Father’s Day, I am so deeply grateful for the trip of a lifetime I took with my...
10 Lessons I’ve Learned From 10 Years Of Marriage
10 years ago, I married my wife Heidi in a castle chapel in Stuttgart with friends and family looking on. The last decade has been quite a roller coaster, but we stand together today stronger than ever and more...
In-N-Out LAX: The Great Melting Pot
I revived a dormant post-flight custom and stopped by In-N-Out Burger near Los Angeles International Airport after my last trip. Looking around the dining room reminded me of what a great nation the United States is. Yes, I’m being...
Armenian Remembrance Day In Los Angeles
It is a quiet day in Los Angeles today, as we remember the Armenian Genocide across the sprawling county. Yet it is an important day to reflect on the capacity for human depravity and how overcoming that starts by...
The Glorious Baby. My 2023 Christmas Reflection
Although I am not a theologian or pastor, I like to offer an annual Christmas reflection. This year, death takes a central role in my reflection, both for events thousands of miles away and one tragic event in my...
Sandra Day O’Connor’s Life Of Travel And Public Service
“The practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned by each new generation.” – Sandra Day O’Connor Sandra Day O’Connor was honored yesterday during a funeral at the Washington National...
