Soles of a Nomad

In the quiet pre-dawn light of Amphawa, I watched monks paddle gently down the canal collecting morning alms. This timeless ritual of merit-making offered both beauty and a lesson in humility. I stood back with my camera, wondering—as I often do—if capturing these moments adds meaning or takes it away. Because travel.

While in Bangkok, I joined an NGO helping refugees at the Immigration Detention Center. What seemed like a small gesture turned into a powerful lesson in humanity. Even a few hours of your time can make a real difference.

I sat cross-legged on a porch in northern Thailand, listening to four hours of a meeting I couldn’t understand. But what I saw—local people solving local problems—was unforgettable.

Ever hunted eels barefoot in a flooded rice paddy? In Mae La Oop, Thailand, I got muddy, met a snake, and earned a delicious dinner. Another adventure brought to you by travel.

No hotels. No restaurants. Just floor mats, rice, and an invitation into someone else’s real life. This is the first post from Mae La Oop, a tiny village in northern Thailand that left a lasting mark.

Teenage friendships lost. Fried tarantulas gained. This is what one traveling dad hopes his daughters carry home from a year abroad. Because travel.

Among the rubble and grime of KL’s riverside, we stood watching the sun set behind Masjid Jamek as the call to prayer rose. A moment worth the chaos.

Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur greeted us with noise, confusion, and a sandal full of something best forgotten. It only got weirder from there.

A slow stroll through the forest with Solomon, a dignified orangutan at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, taught me more than I expected.

After traveling with our three daughters from the time they were babies to teenagers, we've learned a few tricks. Here are 10 tips that helped us survive—and even enjoy—traveling the world as a family.

Relentless touts in Vietnam taught me that humor and kindness go further than frustration — and made for one of my favorite travel memories.

A massive tree grows atop the temple of Ta Prohm Finding Solitude and Awe Among Cambodia's Ancient Temples   I went to Cambodia, more or...

My Friend in Namche Bazaar Making Friends Around the Language Barrier   I met the man in the above photograph in Namche Bazaar, Nepal....

Life on the Mekong River It is a Competitive World Out There   Everything is a competition.   There, I said it. You know this is true. I...

The Pyramid of Skulls The Basic Question   The sign in front of me read, "Please don't walk through the mass grave!"  I was on the...

A section of the lunch counter from Goldsboro, NC A Day of Monuments, Museums, and Meaning   On a family trip to the mainland, we spent...

Moscow’s subway was confusing—but meeting Boris turned a frustrating journey into one of the most meaningful experiences of my travel life.

In Nepal's sacred Pashupatinath, I watched life end on the ghats—and saw two boys collect a dead man's belongings from the river. What disturbed me most wasn't death itself, but what it made me question about my own life.

If travel = life, and life = food, then travel = food. Join our family as we slurp, nibble, and savor our way across the world—and learn the five rules we live by when food is the destination.