I have very good 'travel karma' ... always have had. Things tend to work out for me when I'm on the road. Connections are made, and if wires are crossed, it almost always turns out to bring about some providential meeting resulting in life-long friends or never-could-have-been-planned event. Weather seems to cooperate with my agenda, as do politics and circumstances.

I have seen this as cosmic intervention ... some great unseen hand guiding me through my adventures toward experiences that would most facilitate learning and growth. Maybe. I suspect, however, serendipitous... more

After being a tourist in many different countries, I now make my home in a place where tourism is a major player in the economy. Seychelles is a dream destination for many, especially Europeans who are more familiar with Indian Ocean islands that most Americans will ever be.

Since I became a seasoned traveler, behaving with respect for locals and attempting to blend into new atmospheres have been important considerations when visiting a country. Now that I am a local, I... more

Although the thought of travel may cause anxiety in those new to the idea, travel itself can be addictive once the practice starts.

With a taste of the wider world, I sure wanted to experience more and expand my horizons. Within the span of a couple of years I visited Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Belgium, Switzerland, France and Spain, soaking up as much as I could of the sights, sounds, smells and flavors of each country and culture.... more

With our trip to Kenya now just a week away, I'm thinking about travel in general.

In my not often humble opinion, travel is one of the best things about international adoption. Even if the travel doesn't happen for the adoption ... for some do choose to have their child escorted to their new home country ... having such an important link to another part of the world opens up the possibilities for travel at some time in the family's collective future.

I didn't grow up as an explorer of the larger world, although my dad was keen to put miles on our cars' odometers... more

After writing about malaria yesterday, some folks are wondering why anti-malairal drugs aren't already part of our daily life. After all, we're tropical and off the African coast.

Simple answer: No Anopheles mosquitos, no malaria, and we don't have the little buggers here. Yipee!

Why?

It has to do with distance, then vigilance. Back in the days before air travel,... more

We're off to Kenya in a little over a week, so it's time to think anti-malarials.

And if your international adoption journey could be taking you to any one of many countries where the Anopheles mosquito thrives, you should join me in my think.

In the way of good timing, the BBC decided to put out some info just when it would come in most handy and inspire me to visit our friendly online neighborhood CDC... more

It's been a while since I've done a wrap specific to details of international adoptions, so today I'm pointing in directions that lead to knowledge and understanding.

Since many readers navigate to this site directly, you may have not taken the time to look through the other blogs listed on the right of this page, but they're well worth a look.

Erin, over on the transracial blog, has been doing a wonderful job... more

What's in a name?

In the adoption world, a lot.

It's hard enough to stick a life-long moniker on any poor, unsuspecting infant when you're making one from scratch and have nothing but your own roots, family, hobbies ... whatever, to influence your choices. But when your child comes complete with an identity that has little to nothing to do with anything you're familiar with, it's tougher. So ....

To change, or not to change? That is the issue, and vociferous factions line up on both sides.

Birth names, orphanage names, family connections in names,... more

Torture. That's the only word that truly sums up the time between referral and travel. It's torture, plain and simple.

Every morning brings a crossing off of a day passed, and a counting up of days-to-go. Referral photos, stuck up all over the house, begin to get a bit tatty, and worry that in some strange Dorian Gray fashion the same may be happening with your child begin to make waiting families a bit crazy. Rooms are decorated, stuff and more stuff is bought, washed, ironed, assembled, and stared at while imaginations stretch to perviously unknown limits trying to... more

“I love the smell of diapers in the morning!”*

(*A very different Robert Duvall in “Apoopoolypse, Now” speaking over the wail of a wet and hungry baby, a Barney sing-a-long blaring at full blast, and a never-ending loop of See n’ Say doing farm animals.)

Some people aren’t fond of kids. They may go all squishy inside at the sight of a newborn, but that’s just nausea. Sticky fingers scare folks like this and can have them avoiding contact as though melted chocolate contained a deadly virus. And diapers? Don’t even think about diapers!

My... more