We are, by nature, uncomfortable with being lost. It doesn't matter if it's in a strange city, a deep forest, or life itself. We hate being lost. It's scary. Uncertainty is unsettling. But, out of all the hard lessons I've learned over the years, I think learning how to get lost is one of the most important. Back when I graduated grade school, my aunt gave me a card with the quote "One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long t

Oh Portugal. It's been a little over a month since I returned from my Portuguese adventure and I still can't stop thinking about it. So many beautiful places and people. The food! The wine! The music! And, of course, so many ridiculous stories to tell. I landed in Lisbon and got over to my apartment in Barrio Alto. Enthusiastically lost, tired and hungry, I had a couple hours to kill before I could get the keys so I wandered around, heavy duffel bag and backpack in tow. It wa

Downtown Auckland from Hauraki gulf They say that traveling is good for the soul. Unfortunately I, like most Americans, don't travel nearly as much as I'd like to. It seems like I either have the time but not the money or the money but not the time. But after saving and planning for a couple years, I was able to take off for a long-overdue holiday. I was asked a number of times, by both friends and strangers, why I chose New Zealand for a vacation and my answer was simple: l