What a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, tastes, ideas, beauty, newness and so much more these past four days in Singapore. It's hard to describe the complexity of this nation-state. On one hand it's the epitome of a country that has figured out how to define itself, and seemingly redefine itself every decade, without the stranglehold of legacy infrastructure, bolstered by deep pockets and a dynamic attitude towards change and futurism. But scratch the surface and you see much more. Yes, the streets are amazingly clean, and yes, the ubiquitous security cameras are everywhere. The ex pat community lives a life unheard of at home, and yet, when describing the living accommodations of the the Filipino women who support this lifestyle, Steve's cousin Tracy said that at first she broke down in tears. A complex country indeed. ... read more

They said it couldn't be done. Well, what they really said was that Steve could do it - no problem - but there was no way Anne Marie could. What you say? Pack for 45 days covering 28,000 miles in just one 22" inch rolling suitcase - well, one suitcase expanded to its very greatest. Well, the negotiations with said suitcase began about a week ago when Lauren's room turned into the staging area - plenty of stuff went in, not a lot came out. Steve is fond of reminding me that we were not going to a third world country but......how about I really needed that cute pink top???? So yesterday the negotiations got serious and the zippers strained, the editing began (only the pink polo, not the pink tank top), friendly advice suggested I ... read more

Grand Canyon, AZ – Albuquerque, NM – 449 miles Total miles: 1381 After saying goodbye to the gorgeous Grand Canyon – a bit sunnier this morning but still very unseasonably cold - Albuquerque is the next stop, crossing the Southwest on I-40. The last time I did I-40 across the Southwest was on September 11, 2001. I had been on an early morning flight from Atlanta to San Francisco and when all flights were grounded we landed in Oklahoma City. I was fortunate enough to get one of the last rental cars available, asked the woman sitting in back of me on the plane if she wanted to drive to San Francisco, and we hit the road. It was an eerie trip – I really didn’t have any idea on how to get to California and ... read more

Peach Springs, AZ to Grand Canyon National Park, AZ – 144 miles Total miles: 932 40 years ago, in 1971, Steve and his cousin Larry Oster did a week long rafting trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon and to this day he still thinks of it as one his greatest adventures. After we married, and in a moment of his humor, he proclaimed that our marriage would be perfect when I rafted the Colorado with him. Well, 37 years later, we finally have the perfect marriage. The morning started early, sunny and a bit windy, with an hour long drive down an unpaved road to the Diamond Creek put in on the Colorado River. Our driver’s name was Cruz and he was aptly named for his driving skills! We met our fellow travelers ... read more

Sacramento, CA to Lone Pine, CA – 368 miles What is it about being on a road trip that Steve and I find so wonderful and companionable? When we first started talking about driving across country once again this spring, it was for the ostensible idea of getting the Subaru to the East Coast so we could switch cars with Lauren. Underneath all that reasoning – and we certainly always do things in a reasonable way – was this unquenchable desire to just hit the road once again. To lock ourselves in a car for 2+ weeks in our road trip bubble, experience 4,000 miles of Americana – somehow we have come to love this life. Steve still seems surprised that he loves the idea of the journey versus the destination – I think our life ... read more