The Shared Eyebrow and the Runaway Tablet
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
He has a blue jogging suit and winter coat, she wears leggings as pants with a ski jacket. They stand close while…
Do You Hello?
Friendliness is my nature. This is such a deep instinct that I’m always the one saying hello when I pass people in public. In Vienna, when you say hello to … Continue reading
Mr. Independent
A little boy in a blue t-shirt acts tough, strong, fearless. He clutches a toy truck low at his side and eyes the passengers on the train. His father sees … Continue reading
Road Trip. Colorado, Kansas, and Who We Are
…we’re not born with unlimited choices. We can’t be anything we want to be. We come into this world with a specific, personal destiny. We have a job to do, … Continue reading
The March. Guest post by #theRedondoBeachDude.
On an early Friday morning three tiny travelers make their way to school. Passing shining blades of grass, the trio giggles and smiles with the brightness of the day. Hand … Continue reading
Have a Nice Trip
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
I stumbled over a dip in the sidewalk, tumbled over my own…
Step Dois, Três. Turn Dois, Três
The folk dancers gather, circle out, promenade, move to the music. A man in a brown hat calls out directions, and the audience whispers, “Is that English?” The Portuguese folk … Continue reading
Possibility
My new niece is two weeks old. This brings my total to two nieces. Naturally, I know that Addy, Savannah, and I will certainly be traveling like mad–once they can … Continue reading
A Love Story At Just Over Five Feet
The elderly couple hunches together over their soup. They stay like this, heads tilted toward each other, even as they finish. The waiter reaches under the bridge of their gaze … Continue reading
Dinner Shift
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
The man and small boy park their cart and are waiting to be of service. Early in the evening, they sit on…
Citation
She was widely read enough to appreciate my literary wit but not so widely read that she knew my sources. I like that in a woman. I could say things … Continue reading
Self-Defense
In Vienna, I terrify a little boy who offers me his seat in the bus. He has a yin yang patch and an American flag patch affixed his backpack. This … Continue reading
Take Care
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
The bus trip from Vienna to Trogir, Croatia takes twelve hours and rolls overnight. As the monster idles–half the passengers taking final…
Among The Many Things I Can’t Say in Hungarian
In a Budapest shopping mall, I spot a boy with one bleached white eyebrow. The other is dark like his hair, like his eyes, like his gaze. I begin to … Continue reading
The Biblio-Commuter
The man’s briefcase lies across his legs like a desk and he rests his elbows on it. The U-Bahn stops, but he does not. He inhales, sits up straight, leans … Continue reading
In Bloom.
She had no expression ready for so direct a glance and with a sense of failure she fluttered and dropped her eyes. She wondered if she were blushing. She had … Continue reading
Double Czech
The Czech woman forgot her hearing aids. She is supposed to be doing the Reading at Mass, but there are two options in the Lectionary and, “oh dear, oh my, … Continue reading
Guest Post: Rachael Hanel. We’ll Be The Last Ones To Let You Down.
Thanks so much to Paige for allowing me to guest post on her fabulous blog! If you’re like me, you are inspired by Paige’s adventurous travels. If you’re like me, … Continue reading
Under Lock and Dream
I left him to his envy. A colleague’s envy, when all is said and done, is the scholar’s one reward on earth. I didn’t tell him that in all likelihood … Continue reading
My Shaky Sarajevo Notes
So there is such a thing as too much Bosnian coffee, and I have sipped on beyond it. Tiny cup number four clatters in my hand—three were invitations at various … Continue reading
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