Insights and Updates

Car horns are to Managua what live jazz is to New Orleans. During our stay in New Orleans this year we enjoyed some of the finest local musical talent the world has to offer. Live music was on practically every corner, in every bar and…

When we travel we do not typically stay in hotels. Over the years of my professional life I have stayed in some of the finest hotels in the world and I enjoyed those excursions immensely. Everything I needed to conduct my business was at hand…

We spend considerable time planning. As Admiral Painter (aka Fred Thompson) told Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October in his slow Tennessee drawl, "The average Russkie doesn't take a dump, son, without a plan." I believe the "plan" is what makes for a…

Cathedral de Santiago, Managua There’s something about long-term travel that’s relaxing and addictive. Travel soothes the soul and nourishes the mind. Once hooked, it’s tough to not crave more. When we are traveling, I am more relaxed and feel more stress-free than I have since…

Levee Jazz Band One of the pleasant surprises of New Orleans each time I come here is the music. Between trips, I tend to forget that music is everywhere. It is pleasantly inescapable. Our new found friend Larry Talerico, who we are renting our temporary…

To paraphrase Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week among other works, "...don't listen to the news; ...listen to all the music you want." Wise words to be sure and I must admit that my life has been more stress-free since I took…

Heide and I started our winter travels for this year on November 1. We are spending seven weeks in New Orleans before heading back to our son's and daughter-in-law's house in Ashburn, Virginia for Christmas. Then it's off to Nicaragua for four months (January through April).

"Simplify, simplify." ...Ralph Waldo Emerson Part of the driving force in our decision to sell our house, thin the clutter, and become "vagabonds" (click here for earlier post) was to provide the time and freedom to change our lifestyle, downsize significantly and simplify our lives. We…

Amish horse and buggy As many of you know, Heide and I have lived in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania for the past 28 years. We loved the area and rural Lancaster County. With its rolling farmlands and Pennsylvania Dutch Amish and Mennonite culture, it is one of…

"I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give." -Roberto Clemente As a young child, I remember falling in love with baseball. Baseball players were my heroes and my friends and I traded baseball cards for our favorites (Oh, to…

Individual Taxi in Managua The city of Managua is a big place. Too big to walk everywhere and I wasn't adventurous enough yet to ride the local buses. Taxis seemed the most logical option for me but I struggled with telling taxi drivers where I…

Believe it or not, I, Steven Melnick, found Jesus. Yep. Not kidding. Right there in Nicaragua in the most unlikely place. Those who know me well are aware the last time I went to church regularly was for a date (seriously). But there, looking out over…

Traveling gives one a privileged glimpse into the world we inhabit, but its rewards are found more in the people you meet along the way, sometimes in the most unexpected places, than in the tourist attractions you see. It's the people, the culture, and the food that fascinate me…

In a country where more than 70% of the population identifies themselves as Catholic, Christmas is a serious celebration. Last Sunday and Monday were a celebration of The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (December 8). Many businesses were closed both…

OK, I have to admit, I finally can’t stand the heat. Those of you up north will pity me I’m sure as I suffer through daytime temperatures of 87-89 degrees (feels more like the 90s with the humidity) and night time lows in the low…

Street-side booths selling everything under the sun I'm walking a lot, seeing some of the same faces each day and they are beginning to warm up to me. The Nicos on the street in this area are not as friendly as the Ticos Heide and…

Off again to foreign lands...this time Managua, Nicaragua. I am spending 15 days here to check out another country, it's people and culture, and in yet another futile attempt to learn Spanish. I started my journey on Monday and have been staying in a small…

One of the benefits of retirement is that I get to read a lot more than I used to and not all of it has to be professional, academic journals that are more boring than watching whale snot dry. I get to choose books I'm interested…

The trip to Costa Rica has come to an end. And what an end it was. After a two-hour delay in the terminal before being allowed to board our plane (our flight was to have left at 2:40pm), we had another two-hour wait onboard while…

Last night, in Costa Rica, Heide and I came face-to-face with true poverty...and it broke our hearts. Growing up, I had little idea that we weren't wealthy. But looking back on my childhood, I realize my brother and I grew up in a loving but…