Our Carpe Diem Adventure

Reminds me of that song!

Welp!

I wrote a blog post today, but it was over at my wife's new blog, Boom Travel & Wellness. 

Check it out. It's about our Carpe Diem moment - our decision to move to Puerto Rico.

It's going to be an adventure!

Walked 8 Miles Today

 Getting in shape for a 15 mile a day, week-long hike in May. Only up to 8 miles at this point. Walked 4, had brunch, walked 4 more. Then took an hour nap! Boy, I need to get in shape.

New Post at Boom Travel & Wellness

My wife in her ultramarathon days.

FINDING YOUR WHY

Motivation. Whether we like the word or not, motivation is what causes us to get up out of our chairs and do something. We all need it, otherwise, we’ll never get going!

A lack of motivation, then, is what causes us to stay the same, not change, and sometimes not do anything at all. In fact, a severe lack of motivation can lead to depression; physical and mental lethargy.

Motivation comes in different forms. (For more click on the link.)

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FYI - My wife and I have started a new blog called Boom Travel & Wellness. The purpose is to share stories of travel, transformation, and wellness - all in the pursuit of a healthy, active lifestyle.

We'd love of your to subscribe that way you can keep up with our journey as we transition from Kansas to Puerto Rico ... and beyond! We'll be doing a lot of travelogues and sharing of ideas, inspiration, and tips to maintain a balanced, but adventurous, life.

Big Reveal - We're Moving to Puerto Rico!

It's official...we're cleared for takeoff! 

We’re excited to announce the launch of Boom Travel & Wellness – a place to talk travel, transformation, and wellness. Follow along as we make a life transition from Kansas to Puerto Rico ... and beyond!

I'll still be blogging daily here, but at our new site, my wife and I will be sharing about our adventures near and far – new and exciting destinations and discoveries. Places, people. Hidden gems and favorite locales.

Via various social media sites, we want to connect with anyone interested in travel and healthy life change, though our new blog, FB page, and IG account, etc., are especially for those wanting to maintain an active lifestyle during those wonderful ‘boom’ years just around the corner for so many of us.

We invite you to join us on the journey!

As we talked about entering this next chapter of our lives, we liked the idea of doing ‘a new thing’ – and to experience the transformation that occurs during the process.

The grape harvest represents the kind of change we’re after. That’s us in the photo. Picking grapes, participating in the process of turning this delicious fruit into wine.

All the while enjoying the complete adventure – the before, during, and after! Sharing what’s good and encouraging others to experience the good in life is part of our mission.

If you’re looking for a positive place to find inspiration and share your empowering tales of travel, transformation, and wellness, then check out our new blog.

One of the first things we’ll talk about is the event that sparked this whole enterprise…our decision to move from Kansas to Puerto Rico!

That’s right, over the next six to nine months (and then beyond as we branch out from our new home base in PR), we’ll relate the good, the bad, and the ugly of this transition. Should be fun! Should be exciting! And could be a little scary, too!

We’re pretty stoked. Life is full of opportunities. Are you looking for them? Maybe, as we share our story, we can help you find a new, fulfilling route for you to follow in the near future.

Check in for regular updates as to our progress. Along the way, you’ll be inspired, entertained, and encouraged. At least, that’s our goal. Thanks for joining us!

Congratulations to My Wife on Her Retirement!

My wife retired from full time employment last Friday after ten years at the local YMCA. I’m celebrating her accomplishments with this blog post (among other things like dinner, wine, flowers and chocolate!).

She started her working career in high school, as so many have, at McDonalds. Didn’t enjoy coming home smelling like hamburgers, so switched to retail at Sears. There, all the older ladies smoked so she came home smelling like an ashtray. Pick your poison, I guess. ;-)

Put herself through school on that job at Sears – at a private Christian college outside of Chicago, no less! With a few grants and a couple of gen ed courses from a community college, she graduated with a BA in Elementary Ed without taking a loan. She’d started saving for college in the eighth grade!

We got married at the end of our junior year, had a baby right before graduation, and then we moved to Philadelphia for my seminary. There she taught 2nd grade at a private Christian academy in North Philly in exchange for about 9k a year! We were living large.

After the birth of our second child, we moved to western PA, where I served as a pastor. She entered the field of social work with a position at Family Preservation Services. She also did a bit of retail again; part time at a Hallmark store so she could buy me Star Trek ornaments on discount!

A full time mom and "pastor's wife" (sans piano playing), my wife earned her MEd at nearby Slippery Rock University. (Yes, such a place exists! And we're still on their mailing list despite asking them to save a tree.)

When we moved to Kansas twenty-six years ago, my accomplished life-partner continued her career in non-profits with positions at Early Head Start and Mental Health Services. She then transitioned to becoming the Director of Operations at a private special education clinic and school, serving in that position for ten years.

At this point, her interest in ultramarathoning and physical fitness led her to obtain her nationally recognized ACSM certification for personal training. (And when I say interest, I mean passion! A few years back I crewed for her as she completed a few 12- and 24-hour events as well as a 50 miler or two!)

With certificate in hand, she joined a local branch of the YMCA as a trainer, working her way up through the ranks to Senior Program Director. She has now concluded her career there and is retiring from close to forty years of full time employment.

Man, time flies since I first fell in love with that teenager I met orientation weekend in college! She’s as beautiful today as she was then and I’m so excited to celebrate her accomplishments. Even more excited to enter this next chapter of our lives together.

What will that next chapter entail?

Well, on February 1 we’ll announce a new website, Facebook page, Instagram account, etc. (expanding to YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and more as time allows) in order to focus on travel, transformation, and wellness.

Not planning to be social media influencers, per se, just sharing our journey into this next wonderful era of active living and encouraging others to live the good life along the way.

And we’re moving!

But more on that next week. Until then, join me in celebrating my wife’s successful career path that has led to a much-earned change of pace and transition to a new phase of life.

Love you, babe. Congrats!

Quick Trip to Chicagoland

Just got back from a quick trip to Chicagoland. Left Monday morning, returned last night. Drove! From Kansas. So about 11 hours on the road each way, including 4 or 5 stops. Got gas twice each way? Can't remember, but the most expensive was $3.29, I think. We're around $2.70 where I live.

Anyway, purpose of the trip was to check in on our mom. Getting older and just needed a visit. Couldn't stay for Christmas (obligations here at home) so a brief stay had to suffice. Helped her out with a few things that she needed help with. Glad to do it.

While there, we played Skip-Bo. Mom loves the game. It's fun, but I'm not a big game player. When I do indulge, I like short games that last 15 minutes or so. Like Oregon Trail. I usually die pretty quickly on that one, so I get to sit out and read while the rest of the fam tries to get to Oregon, lol.

Another fun activity? We got to eat at Portillo's. It's a pretty cool hotdog place. They also serve burgers and roast beef sandwiches. Chicago "street food." I guess they have them all over the country now, but since we missed going there last time we visited mom, I put in a request to eat there this time. Yum.

Another favorite place to eat when in the Chi-town area is Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. We like it better than Giordano's, Gino's or Uno's. All good, mind you, but "The Lou" deep dish is superb, imo. Unfortunately, we did't have time to eat there, so next time!

So overall, a good trip. Plus, we brought home our stocking stuffers and Christmas presents. So definitely worth the drive! Just kidding, mom! We came for you, really. Merry Christmas!

Our Camino de Santiago Route

If the weather holds (read covid whether!), we'll be in Portugal and Spain next May.

We'll be day-hiking what's called the "The Portuguese Coastal Camino" from Baiona (just north of the Portugal border) to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. 

We'll fly into Lisbon, take a train to Porto, then drive to our starting point in Baiona. None of the hiking we'll be doing is actually in Portugal, however. Here's the map:

And here's our itinerary:

• Day 1 - Baiona to Vigo (25k)
• Day 2 - Vigo to Arcade de Riba (22k)
• Day 3 - Arcade de Riba to Pontevedra (11k)
• Day 4 - Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis (24k)
• Day 5 - Caldas de Reis to Padrón (18k)
• Day 6 - Padrón to Santiago de Compostela (24k)

That's about 120 kilometers - some 75 miles! Yikes. Right now I'm walking about 3 miles at a time, every few days. I need to pump up the volume! My goal is to be able to walk 8 to 10 miles a day for a week before we leave on our trip. Wish me luck!

As you might have guessed from the link above, we're using SantiagoWays travel company to book our hike. Some advantages: They take our luggage from one bed and breakfast to the next, so all we have to do is carry day packs on our walk.

Another advantage - there are 10 of us going (5 couples), and it's easier to book our reservations through one travel company than try to coordinate everyone's schedule. Plus the price isn't bad.

To share our journey, I'll be posting pics on my Instagram account. Follow me there and look for the hashtag #PerrysOnCamino (so far that hashtag is unique to us! lol).

Any exciting trips planned for you next year? See you on the trail!

~*~

"Tip a buck, get a book."

(via PayPal.Me - an e-book from Tule Fog Press.) 

This blog is reader supported. Thank you for your support!

My Most Viewed Photo on Google Maps

Okay, this is crazy.

I have almost 200,000 views of a terrible photo of a local Asian fastfood restaurant. Isn't this the most non-descript picture of the inside of an establishment you've ever seen?

A boring picture of Wok Hey in Wichita, KS.

And yet, 197,000 people have seen it! Embarrassing. Maybe because it was the first photo of the place when I reviewed Wok Hey back in 2017? Not sure.

My second most viewed? Some greasy fried food at a kiosk in Puerto Rico. 92,000 views. Heart attack on a stick, I call it.

Almost 60,000 people eyeing some Abba-Zaba candybars. And 50,000 look-sees of a local Subway. But at least the interior of this store looks appealing!

What in the world? 

And yet I'm not an influencer, I don't think, because I don't have any followers on Google even though I'm a Local Guide, Level 5. Whatever that means.

Seems like I should have some street cred, though. I was just informed by Google Maps that my review of a winery near Paso Robles, CA just hit 1,000 views. 

Dang, now if only I could get paid to post pictures and reviews!

~*~

"Tip a buck, get a book."

(via PayPal.Me - an e-book from Tule Fog Press.) 

This blog is reader supported. Thank you for your support!

Two Travel Articles Published

A few weeks back, I posted about my aspirations of being a travel writer. Welp! I now have two articles published, albeit locally.

Somewhere along the line, I think I mentioned that my first short travelogue was published in a small town Kansas paper - The Cunningham Courier (see page 10).

Cunningham is about an hour west of Wichita, in southcentral KS. The article was about our day hike to Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park in western Kansas.

So last week, my second article was published. Same paper, this time page 9! The image of the article is featured in this blog post.

This time around, I highlighted our day hike at Mushroom Rock State Park in north central KS. A pretty unique spot.

Anyway, I'm pleased that these 650 word articles have found an initial home. I plan to write more and find new markets. 

If you're a travel writer, what are some of your f avorite spots to write about? If you haven't written anything yet, what location would you like to feature if you were to get something published? 

Oh, and if you're interested in reprinting these two articles in your local paper, let me know. I work cheap!

~*~

"Tip a buck, get a book."

(via PayPal.Me - an e-book from Tule Fog Press.) 

This blog is reader supported. Thank you for your support!

Travel Tales: My Appalachian Trail Fail

When it comes to backpacking, I’m an epic failure.

First time giving it a real shot was on the Appalachian Trail about ten years ago. Our plan was six days along the Blue Ridge Mountains crisscrossing Virginia’s awe-inspiring Skyline Drive.

Goal: cover about ten miles each day. That sounded reasonable, right? Relatively healthy guy in his mid-forties, swimmer in college, occasional triathlete. Who needs to train with a backpack? I hear you say oofta.

I made it one dang day!

Forty pound backpack (too much), new hiking boots (dumb), not enough water (double dumb). I bonked at mile eight. Bellyached the last couple of klicks. Even traded my pack for my wife’s lighter one!

Full on shame.

There were six of us. Fortunately (for my ego!) two others were about as bad off as I was. So we ditched the Appalachian Trail and set up camp in Shenandoah National Park.

Great decision despite the major fail. We basically hiked a few miles each day for the rest of the week.

Day-hiking! Now that’s something I could do. It’s really a fancy way of describing walking outside and enjoying nature, but at least I’d found a new hobby. I guess I wasn’t the trim college athlete I thought I was.

For the past decade, then, my wife and I have been day-hiking sans backpacks. Yeah, I know. Not really like backpacking, but hear me out. Day-hiking can be just as enjoyable because you’re still outdoors and in the company of friends.

Last year we day-hiked the Kansas Badlands. Officially, Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park in western Kansas. We scheduled a tour (only way to go off-trail) and took in the stark beauty of eroded chalk towers reminiscent of the ancient fortress walls of Old Jerusalem (thus the park name).

We also got in about six or seven miles of hiking. I had plenty of water. My boots were thoroughly broken in. And I had no weight on my back! It was a blast.

I even wrote about it – which is the real kicker. My short article got accepted by a small town paper and they even paid me for it! So I’m a professional travel writer now? Well, I don’t consider myself an expert by any means.

But heh, like you, I’m just hiking along, enjoying life. Hoping our trails one day cross.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay.

P.S. Watch for this article to appear soon as a Travel Tale at The Broke Backpacker Instagram account. Follow them for a slew of inspirational adventures.

~*~

"Tip a buck, get a book."

(via PayPal.Me - an e-book from Tule Fog Press.) 

This blog is reader supported. Thank you for your support!

Postcard from an Aspiring Travel Writer

As you might know, I’ve written a few books. Not many, not widely read, but there it is. So I’m a professional writer. Not full time, not widely read, but heh. I like to write and get paid to do so.

My wife and I also like to travel. We don’t get paid to do that. Yet! So I thought I’d try my hand at travel writing. Recently, I composed a 600 word article about a day trip we took to western Kansas.

And it was just accepted by a small town newspaper in the area. So I’m happy to announce that I am now a professional travel writer! When the story goes online, I’ll update this blog post with a link.

But for now, I’ll just share a picture or two and a few words about our day trip to Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park.

Did you know Kansas has badlands? Not as extensive as the national park in South Dakota, but still worth seeing. Just north of Scott City, KS, there are about 200 acres of rugged and barren landscape that is starkly beautiful.

The article I wrote focused on the health benefit of “day hiking” – a fancy term for walking outdoors! There are dozens of trails in Kansas (maybe hundreds? who knows?) and we’ve hiked a number of them.

My thought was to write a few travelogues about our adventures, tying together nature and exercise. Day hiking is a low-impact, high-satisfaction hobby that boosts the body and soul. Nice tagline, I should trademark that!

Anyway, I wrote this article and sent it out to ten or twelve small town newspapers and one finally responded. (Like I mentioned above, once it goes online, I’ll link it here.)

So I got stoked and wrote another 600 word travelogue about our day hiking experience at Mushroom Rock State Park. Sent that out to ten or twelve papers. So far, no bites or nibbles.

(And yes, we have rocks that look like mushrooms here in Kansas. It’s a beautiful state. You should come visit! Visit the KansasDepartment of Wildlife and Parks at ksoutdoors.com to sample some of the sites.)

Bottom line, I’m not being paid to travel yet. But I did join a few Facebook groups for travel writing tips. It’s all good. As this hobby develops I’ll share more of my experiences of being a professional travel writer.

Where have you traveled recently that combined beautiful scenery, adventure, and exercise? Any favorite hikes you'd recommend? Doesn't have to be in Kansas! Comment below.  

~*~

"Tip a buck, get a book."

(via PayPal.Me - an e-book from Tule Fog Press.) 

This blog is reader supported. Thank you for your support!