We have just returned from safari … with TONS of stories to pass along. This is our first: four lionesses struck down, then slaughtered, a young wildebeest outside our two, canvas Serengeti tents … as we “slept” inside. There will be lots more to say about the...

(Soldiers parade through Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s mausoleum in Ankara.) Some recent facets of our journey have been a bit heavy, dark. During our recent swing through Istanbul, three Kurdish activists were found dead in France. We were a bit oblivious to the developments … until we...

We went swimming in the Indian Ocean during our first afternoon in Tanzania. There were lots of jolts to our comfort zones: warm water clogged with trash and weeds, dozens and dozens and dozens of black bodies swimming in the surf around us, no other whites, lots of underwear instead of Eddie...

Oh my, how far we’ve come since November 18. We were robbed on that day … in Spain … (in the rain). The wrenching experience relieved us of a fair amount of our THINGS. Some of the loss, if we’re honest, was for the best. It made us leaner, more mobile … less...

E — pictured above with his brothers at Istanbul’s astonishing Hagia Sophia — delivered the Quote of the Day early this morning: He attacked S and I in bed as we woke up, landing between us with a morning roar. “Mom and Dad smell differently,” he then...

  From a GORGEOUS, frigid, and delightfully snowball-friendly storm in Istanbul, a few excerpts of how pop culture has made its way to our mobile hearth and home: A recent gift of CDs for our journey has introduced us to Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe.” I think it’s...

This may horrify some of you … but we rented some sweet off-roaders today and, well, went off-roading in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Yes, E drove by himself a handful of times. And, yes … he nearly drove himself off a cliff. Seriously. True to form, as the ATV...

S made an announcement at dinner this evening, over chicken shish kebap, cheese pita pizza, and some seriously wiped out children: “When we get to Istanbul, I’m going to get some prescription glasses.” She apparently was having difficulty reading the fine print on her water...

I want to share something that has been shared with us. Our recent hosts in Antalya, Turkey made two music CDs for our travels. Those CDs have been on constant play for the last two days … and one song in particular is a close second to Owl City’s “Sunburn.” It’s...

I met a man in England’s Lake District named Martyn Leaver who rebuilds ancient stone walls. He told me he’s called a Waller, a title given to craftsmen like him who have helped divide land and livestock between neighbors and farmers for centuries and, more recently, UK...

So — purely coincidentally — all the males in our family were dressed up in newspaper costumes on New Year’s Eve. Apparently, four out of six separate groups needed a Wildman to decorate their entry in the annual Antalya Turkey Fashion Show … modeled after the great...

Earlier this week, S was asked about her vocational dreams: What is your passion? (Asked by Uncle J, our host and excellent listener.) It’s fair to say — and this sentence has been pre-approved — that S does not have a clear answer to that question. I’m able to answer...

It’s true: the boys and I had a 2-on-2 Nerf gun battle inside the ruins of the ancient city of Perge … where Saint Paul and Barnabas surely traveled on their first missionary journey. Our first game was delayed indefinitely by a wandering tour group. The second game was won by W...

  BEAUTY has been a wonderfully constant companion on this trip. There was profound beauty in these places in Iceland, for example. Body-calming beauty. Severe beauty. We have just spent the last ten days in Turkey being FED by beauty of an entirely different degree. It began in the...

Singing SILENT NIGHT on Christmas Eve at the St. Paul Cultural Center in Antalya,...

A few days ago, Ali Turabi Ogkoz introduced himself to us while we strolled along this Aegean beach. That conversation led to an invitation to join him and his wife, Nurcan, for tea … which led to a full, impromptu evening around their table for dinner. We talked of the Kurds, Turkey...

So we wrote yesterday (“Two Havens”) about our recent visits to two villages, one in France and the other in Turkey, that are believed to be havens from what some say will be the end of the world … today. The CBS News crew mentioned in that post was not turned off by my...

A photo taken on the mountains above ancient Ephesus. S and the boys, weary and wet from rain, waited in the car while I sought out what we thought was a cross atop the mountain peak. Turns out, an unthinking text I sent her on the way is worth further reflection: “Going to cross,...

There are some who believe the world will end on December 21, 2012.  That’s tomorrow. It’s based on what appears to be the end of the ancient Mayan calendar. There are many, of course — like us — who don’t give much credence to Mayan prophets and their...

Today’s Echo of the Day came early, just a few minutes ago. Here’s what happened: E often asks unexpected questions. Today’s opener (as S and I were still in bed) was about the financial basis of why we decided to come on this journey. We have discussed with the boys that...