Love that tingly feeling! So fun to share your experiences. Oh yea, May, I know that totally alive feeling of taking in the exotic in a new place. I just love the totally mundane, the inane and the range of smells and tastes. In Japan and Kenya last year I travelled with kids for the first time in a while, and I walked around in a world of my own. Soaking in everything. Such soul food. Sisters at heart. Glad it is going well.
Hiya Hiya I'm enjoying reading of your immersion adventures. The pictures are wonderful, too. I hope your tummies make the bacterio-adjustment soon. xoxox, Russ
Bangkok reflections The pictures and summary of Bangkok is most interesting. I'm glad you are taking pictures of street vendors and restaurants as well as the buddhas and other more historical objects!
thank you so much.... Dear Castelloes...
I am so grateful for you to take the time to write about your experiences and to show us all those pictures. It´s like traveling along with you and you can surely imagine how inspiring that is! It seems like Ubud is full of spirituallity, it seems not hard at all to start connecting with the nature elements that surrounds you, right? Something we so often forget. I got very moved by it all!!! Thanks you guys! Keep going.
Love
Ina
Padang Food The padang food sounds very interesting. Maybe you can fix it for us when you return? The swimming and reading sound fun, and the dances must be entertaining! We go to the farm for a curry dinner Sat. night. Love, Paul and Louisa
Bali Thanks for wonderful descriptions of life in Bali. I must say I am jealous....it sounds so wonderful. I am especially envious of the beautiful salads and fruit. Our selection is not too great now. I have given up on my usual cantelope for breakfast. I am sure all of you are having the time of your life. Love to all, Doris
What fun! This is such a wonderful place to visit. I love the shops, the zoos, the library, the resort swimming and your home away
from home. I am soo glad Ella has recovered. It is no fun to be sick away from home. Have a grand time and continue
to keep us informed. It is such a treat to hear from you and see the wonderful pictures. Brad and I just returned from a
cruise up the east coast from Baltimore with 2 stops in Maine, 2 in Canada, and a stop in Boston on the way home. It
was great fun but not nearly as interesting as Bali. Love to all, Doris
Drink a mojito for me! We have been thinking of you all often with all the reports of quakes and tsunamis. Thanks for sharing your adventures! We all have a fun time reading about your travels and seeing the beautiful pictures. Love from Memphis!
education Your blogs to us are very educational! Thank you! Glad everyone is feeling better. Bargaining can be fun, and your reasoning for it was enlightening! We are just back from a wedding in snowy Colorado! Can't wait to hear again! Love, Louisa and Paul
lovely pictures I'm glad to learn that the Hindus in Bali have offerings as a lovely part of their lives. Sort of like flower and fruit arrangements for the gods. Your rationale of the positive side of bargaining seems right on.
Thanks, May I can't tell you how much we enjoy reading your blog, May. We're learning so much and it really fuels my desire for exotic travel. Except for that last entry. That one scared me a little. Love the picture of you and Jordan and the mojitos. Very glad to hear that Ella is feeling better...hope that means that she'll get Patsy to write another blog entry. Take care...
Liz
hello Hello friends! I last wrote on May's facebook page, but thinking that commenting here is better. I read the last entry meaning to come back and comment, but that didn't happen. So glad things are feeling more settled right now and the the travel difficulties have abated and good health has returned. The picture of the lending library was a symbol of rest and happiness. A good book is a good time and it sounds like happy reading is happening. Great to see other pictures and hear about Bali. My only other exposure to Bali was through Eat, Pray, Love. I really appreciate your sharing your experiences so we can go along for the ride. All is well here. Peyton is getting ready for work (at Brueggers, if you have not heard). Walton is sleeping in after "chilling" with friends last night. He is running cross country for a few more weeks (shin splints have healed) and is liking that alot. We are still enjoying living in town. Social and work schedules are much easier to coordinate. I was gone to New York several weeks ago for an excellent retreat with Cynthia Bourgeault. Russ was in Raleigh last weekend for a U2 concert with our good friends the Rainwaters. So, we are having some adventures here and doing well. I'm not seeing much of the Sigsils, but hear that they and life at the farm are good. I think Joyce is settling in nicely. When I have seen the doggies, they are wagging happily. So, we miss you and love hearing about your adventures. If you have not checked out the Walker Wilson's life, their blog is Walker-Wilson.blogspot.com. I am loving keeping up through blogs! Talk to you soon. Love and hugs all around, Jeanine
Thanks for all the info. I love reading about things you are doing. So glad Ella is well. Everyone looks well and happy in the wonderful pictures. Wishing you good health and happiness as you continue your travels! Love, Linda
Hello Dear Ms May, We miss you. Dexter wants to know how much fun you are having. Jed said he wants to know your favorite food there. Shelby wants to know how much money you have to spend there and want kind of money is it- can you send us a picture of it? Annika wants to tell you that she loves you, Ms May. Lana wants you to know that she really misses you. Elijah says he loves the purple cow. Willow really loves all of those pictures that you sent to us. Flora wants you to know that she really misses you. Aidan asks "Do you have any friends there?" Shelby really misses you and loves you.
Well, May, we have another great class this year. We have 11 first graders and 6 kinders, but we will get a new kinder on Tuesday, and this is also Ryan's last day with us. Ryan is moving away this weekend and will go to a new school. We will miss him. These are lovely. They are smart, and nice and you would like them. My first graders, your old friends, miss you and are really doing a great job learning this year. We have settled in. We are looking forward to writing you everyday. Each child will have a chance to email you soon. It will be a choice on the pocket chart.
That's all for now, good bye and take care of yourselves.
love, Ms Patti and all the kids
Hello from NC mountains Hello Castelloes! I am learning so much from your travel blog. I love the pictures and the local culture info. I just figured out how to get to the next pages in your blog. Please keep having a fun time and sending new information.
answers to Leigh's questions Leigh, You ask good questions. We didn't see any big lizards in the forest, just one little one. The canopy walkway was a little wobbly. We walked slowly and carefully so it wasn't too wobbly. There was on part that was many steps, down that was more like a ladder that was the scariest part to me. The restaurants were big floats tied to the land but we had to cross a little plank bridge to get to them and they moved with the flow of the water up and down but didn't go anywhere. I love you so much too and miss you so much too. May
Howdy from Texas Such troopers you are. This definitely tops our arrival in Mexico. Hope your journey slows down and mellows out. Thanks for the updates and lovely pics.
what adventure!!!!!!!!!! Fortunately there is something in human nature that helps us forget the bad times. By this time next year you'll remember all the good things and the difficult ones will fade. How adventurous to see how other people live. The photos are wonderful. love, ma
KL Your travels here freak me out! I'm sure you wished often that you were back at the beach. Health issues make even the most wonderful places miserable. I'm glad everyone is feeling better. Your pictures are wonderful. Everyone actually looks happy and I'm sure the bonding you are all doing is incredible. Thanks for sharing the good and the bad. Love you, Doris
This is Leigh. Dad just read me everything. I'm sorry that you all were sick. Did you see any of the big lizards? What culture shocks did you have? How wobbly was the bridge? Were the restaurants tied onto the land with ropes or were they just floating in the middle of the water and you had to take boats?
I love you so much and miss you so much too! Leigh
Hola travelers,
Waaaw!!!
It has been really amazing to follow your stories and enjoy the pcitures. You all look so happy and seems like you are enjoying the time you spend together. It must be such amazing experiences!
I am sorry you have dealt with some travel difficulties and sickness. But for sure, so far so good and as you say just be flexible and adapt plans to places that suit you better. I can only imagine what it must have been like. Keep up the good spirits!
Know we are thinking a lot about you all and wish you the best of the best!!!
Hugs to all!
I will write you soon with some news from Mexico on you email.
Ina
si se puede!!! hola paul y familia! hechenle ganas y animo! it is good to hear from you guys and to hear about all the adventures - the good, the bad, and the ugly. charcoal pills have saved my life on more than one occasion for stomach troubles. i've only tried them for the street corn and gorditas in mexico but they have really helped ;) i look forward to hearing how these lessons learned play out on your future plans.
abrazos,
ada
We are a family of four from the US traveling for 8 months in Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia). We'll end our trip with two months in an apartment in Paris.... full info
Cathy Watts
non-member comment
Love that tingly feeling!
So fun to share your experiences. Oh yea, May, I know that totally alive feeling of taking in the exotic in a new place. I just love the totally mundane, the inane and the range of smells and tastes. In Japan and Kenya last year I travelled with kids for the first time in a while, and I walked around in a world of my own. Soaking in everything. Such soul food. Sisters at heart. Glad it is going well.