I choose my yearly adventures in strange ways. I chose Barcelona (almost embarrassed to admit it) because I saw this city on an episode of "The Bachelorette". It looked interesting and I wanted a change from the sometimes dark and ancient history of some of my previous trips. I really had no idea that this …
Continue reading My Favorite Adventure-Barcelona, Spain and Antoni Gaudi
My second visit to Scotland put a spell on me. I traveled through the Highlands, taking in the vast green fields, the rocky hills and mountains, and the lovely waterways. Since coming home, I've been like a hologram, a wavering collection of intense energy without substance. I've tried to understand why I have such a …
I'm pretty sure I made up the phrase "Urban Hiker". I love to go to a city and just start walking. At first, I'm totally lost, but if I keep exploring long enough, my navigation skills become as sure as any native's. I set out from my hotel in London, knowing that if I followed …
A mystery. I ignored the clues until my sorority sister, Annie, pointed out that the stone walls at the edge of my Northern New York State property were most likely used centuries ago to prevent sheep from entering my woods. How did sheep get to The North Country, a wilderness overrun by wolves, lynx, and …
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." Marcel Proust Every weekday morning before I retired, I drove to school down the same country road. You won't find my route in any guidebooks. It is just an ordinary rural asphalt passage through Northern New York State. But …
I'm from Upstate New York, way upstate near the Canadian border. Growing up in a rural area dotted with orchards and dairy farms, I never had the opportunity to meet many Jewish people. Somewhere, somehow, I had heard the word "kibbutz", maybe on TV, maybe in school. I grew up in a kind of diversity …
Due to family dynamics and my shyness, I spent a lot of time alone during my childhood. But life is about adaptability, and I came to enjoy my own company. I always found things to do, to see, to ponder. When my life became too overwhelming, I would ride my bike through my neighbor's orchard, …
I loved India. Namaste. The goodness in me honors the goodness in you. Copyright 2019 @ theautonomoustraveler.com
Visiting The Ganges River in Varanasi, India, was not at all what I expected. It is world famous, and I have seen pictures of it, but to be there, to have direct experience, is a whole other thing. I have had this disconnect between a pictorial presentation and an actual site before, namely, The Great …
Continue reading India-Blown Away by The Ganges River, The World is Not Flat
On my tour, we were able to visit places that engaged in traditional Indian crafts. Henna Painting Ceramics Papermaking Indian paper shopping bags and boxes are in stores all over the world. Rugs Semiprecious Stone and Marble Inlays Copyright 2019 @ theautonomoustraveler.com
The Autonomous Traveler 