Twenty Questions (E1): Weird Food

Today kicks off the very long lead up to my 20 year blogging anniversary. I decided that I would do it this way, as I know myself and I do not want to be pressured to cram this project into the twenty weeks (I usually only post once per week) before the actual anniversary date, so this is the plan. Taking a page from Engie's book, I will do 20 posts, which will each be lists of 20 random things. These posts will be twice or three times a month depending on how many Mondays the month has, and will culminate just before the anniversary date, which is technically April 3rd, 2026, but will be celebrated on Monday, April 6th. 

I do want to have some crowd participation and so have compiled a questionnaire for you to each fill out and I will compile your answers into some fun lists down the road. You can fill it out here. Additionally for each list, I will put the prompt or questions at the bottom of each post for you to copy and paste (CTRL-C, CTRL-V, my site does not allow right click copy and paste) and answer as well! 

Without further ado, here is list number one: strange things that I have eaten. Now, I realize that (a) some of these actually are not strange to me (in fact many of them are not strange to me anymore!), but they may be strange to you, and (b) some of them may be strange to me but not strange to you, so feel free to add your strange thing if I have not covered it! 

Rambutan

1. Rambutan (fruit). Various parts of Asia, San Francisco, US.

I have mentioned this one before but if you look at the outside of it, you would never think that it was something that you could eat and enjoy. The inside tastes and looks kind of like a lychee and is quite delicious! You can find them at your local Chinatown sometimes or possibly in an Asian grocery store, and I have actually seen them at Fred Meyers in Portland, OR, so you never know! If you see them, I suggest you get them so you can try them! 

Chapulines

2. Chapulines (roasted grasshoppers). Mexico. 

These are actually quite good, if you get over the fact that they still have legs and wings and can ignore the feeling that they may crawl around in your mouth when you are eating them. However, if you were fed them with a blindfold on, you would just think you were eating some popcorn with nutritional yeast or something like that. They are not bad at all. 

3. Sweetbreads (thymus and/or pancreas glands). La Folie and other restaurants in San Francisco. 

Neither sweet, nor bread! If you get over the fact that you are essentially eating an organ, these are also quite good. Often they are covered in sauce and again, if you did not know what you were eating, you would likely enjoy them. They are quite light and a bit fatty in a good way, kind of like foie gras, which I also enjoy a lot. 

4. Chicken hearts. Bolivia, Peru, Brazilian steakhouses.

In Bolivia, you can buy these from street vendors, who grill them on a little BBQ right in front of you. They are not my favorite organ, but they are worth trying at least once. 

Pho

5. Phở Dặc Biệt (rice noodle soup with beef tendons, tripe). Vietnam, San Francisco, any place that serves pho. 

This is my favorite pho. Usually it comes with beef brisket, sometimes meatballs, and then of course the tripe and tendons and strange pieces of collagen. It may sound strange, but I have the nicest hair and fingernails you have ever seen. :) If you are not so adventurous, you can just get regular pho, which only has the beef brisket. If you have not tried this before, I highly recommend it; it takes like two days to cook the broth and it is so flavorful. This is one of my go-to meals, as in, if I have a chance to have it, I get it! 

Oink, oink

6. Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle). Germany, with variations in Czechia, Poland, Slovakia and other countries, also in German restaurants (this one in New York is my favorite).

If you like pork, you will like this. It is an entire pig knuckle, slow roasted for a really long time so that the skin is super crispy, and then below that you have a nice layer of fat and below that you have a fall of the bone tender pork. With one bite you get heaven every time. I got it when I was in Germany with the girls and made them try it so that they could see that just because it has the word knuckle in it does not mean it is gross. They both loved it! 

I did not eat this one

7. Rattlesnake. California. 

When I was growing up, we had rattlesnakes in our neighborhood (this is a loose term since really it was a lot of land with very few neighbors) a lot. One day after killing one that was getting frisky, we barbequed it and ate it. I was maybe 13 or 14 at the time, and it was surprisingly good to me, and of course, like the cliche states, it did taste a bit like chicken. However, it has a lot of bones and very little meat (see also: #13)

8. Pig trotters (hoof). The southern part of the U.S., and La Folie, San Francisco. 

Pickled pigs feet are definitely worth trying if you ever get the chance. They usually come in a jar with a lot of them floating around, which is a little off-putting, but like most pickled things, they taste delicious. And if you are not into that, you can find them at fancy French restaurants sometimes, which is where I also tried them, in a very delicious pig foot and lobster terrine. 

9. Haggis. Scotland, the U.S., my family gatherings.

My family hails from Scotland and so we have heard about haggis all of our lives, but I did not try it until I actually went to Scotland in my 20s and it was delicious. It is traditionally made of the parts of the sheep that you could not use, which are then cooked with herbs, onions and oatmeal, by steaming the entire thing inside a sheep's stomach. So essentially, just think of eating turkey stuffing, and that is haggis. I mean, not to insult anyone, but it tastes like stuffing, and nowadays is often made with artificial casing (no stomach) and less offal, so it is not even that crazy. 

10. Alligator. Florida, Australia. 

Alligator also tastes like chicken, and I have had it fried which really makes it taste like chicken, and in Florida you then even dip it in mayo based sauce, so you may as well go to McDonalds and get a chicken nugget. For real though, if you can get it grilled so that you can actually taste it, I suggest that. And actually, it tastes a tiny bit fishy, so it is like fishy chicken. Haha. Did I sell it or what? I actually like it just fine. 

Portuguese snails

11. Escargot. France, Portugal, Philippines. 

Snails! Who knew that you could take a pencil eraser and smother it in butter and garlic and it would taste good? Actually in Portugal the ones I ate were so tiny that they give you a kind of safety pin looking thing to pluck them out of the shell with and you also get like a hundred of them so by the time you are done you have burned so many calories and taken in so few that you need to go and get a pizza. 

12. Cuey (Guinea Pig). Peru. 

It tastes like very greasy chicken. The weird part is that when you visit people's houses they have them running around in the kitchen and you just know that later that day, the poor wee beastie is going to be someone's dinner. 

13. Chicken Feet. China, San Francisco, any Chinese restaurant. 

These also taste like chicken. Haha. Just kidding; I mean, they do, but they taste just fine but just like the snails, they are a lot of work without a lot of meat. (see also: #7) Worth trying, but nothing that I would order over and over. If I am going to do a lot of work for only a little meat, I would rather eat crab. 

14. Yak Milk. Nepal. 

Apparently the lady yak is actually called a nak, so technically (unless they are milking the males) you are really eating nak milk. It is quite sour, like kefir or plain yogurt, but apparently has some really healthy properties. I only tried it once and it was okay but nothing I would have gone running out to procure after that. I wonder if I would feel differently now, since I have developed more of a liking for non-sweetened yogurts etc. 

15. Ube ice cream. Philippines, San Francisco, Hawaii.

I have never met an ice cream I don't like and ube is no exception. Ube is a purple root that looks like a yam, and is often used in Filipino cuisine. In San Francisco, there is a really good ice cream shop called Mitchells and they have ube on the menu (they also have some really good ones like green tea, Thai iced tea, and seasonal favorites like pumpkin and eggnog) and it is delicious! If you go to the Philippines, you can get halo halo, which is an odd concoction of jellied things, beans, shaved ice, sugar, coconut and ube jam or ube ice cream. It is a must try! 

16. Cherimoya / Custard Apple / Sugar Apple. South America, Vietnam. 

These are strange fruits that looks kind of quilted on the outside, and then inside is white with large seeds. I first tried it in Vietnam it a little messy to eat when you are traveling by backpack, but is well worth a try. 

17. Kohlrabi. U.S. etc.

I accidentally grew these in my garden, thinking it was a beet based on the photo. However, once they grow, they are a large round vegetable with leaves growing out of it, and if you cut it up and eat it, it tastes similar to a jicama or an Asian pear or water chestnut (kind of). I found that I enjoyed putting them in salads for a nice crunch, or made into a slaw, but you can also put it into stir fries or boil them like a potato and eat them like that. 

18. Cacao fruit. Panama. 

I never knew before I went to Panama that the Cacao was a fruit. They harvest this fruit, remove the seeds, roast them, grind them and make them (the seeds) into cocoa that we are used to. However, the fruit (fleshy) part can also be eaten, and it is quite good! 

Nopales + Prickly Pear

19. Nopales (cactus) + Prickly Pear. Mexico. U.S. (+ Mediterranean, Australia etc.)

In San Francisco, you can get a burrito made with nopales and when I was a vegetarian, I would do this a lot. You can also get all kinds of dishes made with it. Also, fun fact, the nopales cactus is the same one that has the prickly pear fruit that is also edible. You can find them growing wild all over California, as well as other U.S. states and other countries. I used to work with a woman from Malta who would pick and process (peel, cut etc.) the prickly pear for us and bring it into work; I loved her, as that is a lot of work to do! 

Young almonds

20. Young Almond. Türkiye. 

When I was walking the Lycian Way, a farmer gave me these fuzzy little fruits and I was not really sure what it was but I ate it (why not, eh?). Later I Googled and it was young almonds. You can eat the entire thing (the shell is not hard yet) except for the fuzzy skin, but the outer part is a little bitter, but the inner part, which will later be the nut that we are used to, tastes kind of like cucumber! 

COPY PASTE - which of these have you tried?:

1. Rambutan

2. Chapulines (roasted grasshoppers)

3. Sweetbreads (thymus and/or pancreas glands)

4. Chicken hearts

5. Phở Dặc Biệt (tendons, tripe)

6. Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle)

7. Rattlesnake

8. Pig trotters (hoof)

9. Haggis

10. Alligator

11. Escargot

12. Cuey (Guinea Pig)

13. Chicken Feet

14. Yak Milk

15. Ube ice cream

16. Cherimoya / Custard Apple / Sugar Apple

17. Kohlrabi

18. Cacao fruit 

19. Nopales / Prickly Pear

20. Young Almond

Don't forget to fill out --> THE QUESTIONNAIRE!

Have you eaten any of these things? Or what other weird thing have you eaten that is not on this list? 

Summertime, and The Living is Easy?

I had to do several things when I was in the country of Georgia and it is amazing how hard a normal everyday task can be when you are in a place that you are unfamiliar with. We kind of take for granted the fact that if we need batteries, we can just go to Target (or wherever) to get them, or we can order them from Amazon. But where do you go to buy batteries in Georgia/Turkey/Thailand? Here are a few things that I did and a quick(ish) note on how they went. 

Getting your teeth cleaned. A few months before I left home, after having one filling keep falling out over and over because it was kind of situated on the side of the tooth so it couldn't hold on, my dentist told me that I needed a crown. When I inquired about the cost, the receptionist told me that actually their office did not accept my insurance for this procedure. I found this odd, since I had been going to them for years at this point, and had even had fillings redone with no (insurance) issues. They told me I had to have the PPO vs the HMO type insurance in order to do the procedure. So during open enrollment (December) I swapped to the PPO only to find out later (doh!) that my dentist was not in the PPO network. What the what? So I had to find a new dentist two months before I left, book an appointment and ask them to do a crown. However, the new dentist told me I did not need a crown and that she could fix my filling. In the end, this is probably the best accidental decision that I could have made. She also did a cleaning, fixed another filling that was kind of old, and fit me in on a Saturday to get it all done before I left. Best dentist ever (but this bar is pretty low to be honest). 

Bear with me here! My point is that I don't love going to the dentist in good circumstances, when I speak the language and know how to use (kind of!) the insurance system. But I had waited long enough; it had been a year since that last cleaning and I knew I needed to get my stuff in gear and just get it done. I looked into it in Türkiye, as they are known for dentistry, but nobody got back to me; I assume it could be because I was only wanting a cleaning rather than some huge dental procedure. Also when you ask about a good dentist in the expat group, you get some answers that kind of look like ads (this happens for apartments and other services as well) and so it doesn't inspire confidence. 

Turkish Dentistry Ad (not my teeth😊) 

So I asked about it in the Georgia expat group and got a few answers, so I started emailing dentists. I find this easier because if I call and they don't speak English it is hard to communicate over the phone. Also it gives me an idea of whether or not someone in the office does speak English. I emailed three and two of them got back to me and they both spoke English but one did not really answer my questions so I went with the other one that was more expensive but had better communication skills. 

I went to the office on the day of my appointment and it could not have been easier! The receptionist spoke English, the office was clean and cozy, it had a clean bathroom and a water cooler, the dentist was very nice and she explained everything to me before she did it, and she told me I had good teeth (I love her!) It was all very professional and I was in and out in about a half an hour. I could use my credit card to pay and the dentist even asked if she could write me a note or something to use for my insurance so that I did not have to pay it all out of pocket (my insurance only covers dental emergencies). In the end, it cost me about $60 USD. 

Getting a haircut. Luckily, in my case, I don't really care about my hair. The last time I got my haircut was when my friends came to see me in Canmore (June 2024) and I had my friend trim the ends. 99% of the time, my hair is up and so this is not something I really worry about too much. However, I was starting to have a little trouble putting it up (it was getting very long) and also the ends were pretty ragged, so one day I was walking around a small town and I saw a hairdresser and I got a wild hair up my a$$ (pun intended) and decided to walk in and see if they had free time. 

The hairdresser did not speak a lick of English. She spoke Russian, Armenian and Georgian, which did not really help me, but thanks to Google translate, we figured it out. I told her I just wanted to cut it shorter, she asked me a few questions, we negotiated a price of 40 GEL, which is about $15 and we were off to the races. She did an excellent job shampooing and massaging my head and then we were in the chair doing a bit of a blow dry when the power went out. This kind of cracked me up because (a) normally when I get my hair cut, they cut it when it is wet and (b) of course the power went out and (c) she refused to cut anything until it was more dry. So we had a coffee and sat and waited. It took a while for my hair to dry, so I probably sat there for about a half an hour before we finally got started with the cut. 

Getting a haircut in Borjomi, Georgia

Interestingly, she actually did the first cut with a pair of hair clippers. I have had people use razor blades, but never hair clippers, on the ends (not to shave the sides or something). Then she fine tuned it with scissors. When she was done, she styled it and waxed it and sprayed it. She then told me that since I had to wait so long, she would only charge me 30 GEL ($11). All in all, it took about an hour and 15 minutes maybe, and I was very pleased with the results. 

FYI, I have also had my hair cut in Argentina (a bob) and Thailand (a pixie) and in both cases, they did an excellent job. 

Buying running shoes. Luckily, I am not super picky about my brand of running shoes. I have tried several with good results, but I normally go with Saucony. At home, I put several pairs in my Amazon cart and let them sit there until the price goes down and I always (ALWAYS) buy them on sale. So usually I get a pair of $125-$150 shoes for about $50-$60. Well I don't have the luxury to do all of that when I am traveling! First of all, and I will talk more about this in another post, I sometimes don't have an address to send things to. Second, they don't always have the brands that you may be used to. I don't really want to buy a European brand unless I have heard of it or tried it. For example, I have used Solomon before and I would buy those if I saw them. Also La Sportiva is well known throughout the running world and so I might buy them, but I have never tried them. 

I really needed to go to a brick and mortar store. Have I mentioned that I hate shopping? Do you know the last time I bought shoes at a brick and mortar store? It's been a while! So I look up sporting goods stores and go to the first one near me. I walk in and the salesperson automatically asks me if I need help (in Georgian) and I go through the "do you speak English" rigmarole and find out that the running shoes are downstairs. I go downstairs and the salesperson asks me if I need help (in Georgian) so I go through it again and find out that they only carry Nike, which does not work for me, plus their running shoes are more like walking/jogging shoes, and I need something substantial. 

I go to the next store, do the Georgian/English dance with the salesperson, and they only have La Sportiva, and they are around $180 USD. I don't really feel comfortable paying that much for a brand I have never tried. I am okay paying normal retail (I mean, I am not, I would rather have them on sale, but needs must) but not for an unknown brand, and I will be leaving Georgia soon and would have no way to return them later if needed. Plus, do they even do that here? I don't know. 

I go to the next store, which is a New Balance store, and do the Georgian/English dance with the salesperson. I haven't worn NB since the 90s but it could do in a pinch. Once again, they cost around $150 USD and they are mostly walking/jogging type shoes. I really want a trail running shoe if possible or at least a hefty street shoe. 

I go to the next store, and do the Georgian/English dance with the salesperson. This store has a few brands, one being Jack Wolfskin, which is a German brand of outdoor apparel and all I know about it is that it is expensive and popular, but I have never tried it myself. I consider this but then, lo and behold, I spot a familiar logo, Hoka! I wore Hokas back in the day when they first came out and had those huge soles, but have not worn them in probably at least 10 years. However, they are one that I know works! They are around regular price ($150) and only have my size in one style (the Clifton). I would have preferred the Challenger, which is a trail running shoe, but they did not have my size, and after going to three stores already, I was ready to go home and have a glass of wine. Have I mentioned that I hate shopping? So I bought the Clifton, paid twice as much as I would have at home, and got a brand that I probably would not have bought had I had a choice. However, I was quite happy about it. See what happens when you lower your expectations!? 

Old shoes vs new shoes

I realize that this post is getting a lot longer than I thought it would so I will do a part two where I talk about the following "easy" tasks: Getting a new credit card sent to me. Shipping documents to the U.S. Getting something notarized. Doesn't that sound exciting? Stay tuned...

Have you ever had to do an "easy" thing in a different country that was harder than it should have been due to the customs or language barrier etc.? Or...what thing at home is always harder than it should be? 

What I Learned & Looking Back & Looking Forward: June 2025

Happy summer! Happy belated independence day to everyone from the U.S. and Canada! The heat is on! I hope that everyone had a great long weekend and is ready to jump back into it! Its time once again for a monthly wrap up! Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

Where was I? Georgia & Armenia.

Ice cream for breakfast, kitties, lots of churches
and mountains and historical buildings!

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Baguettes and Many Steps

February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii

March: Wet and Wild

April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too

May: Al Fresco 

June: Tales as Old as Time: The Christianity and Wine Versions

P.S. Armenia holds the distinction of being the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD. Georgia has a rich history and archaeological evidence suggests they were among the earliest regions to develop winemaking, roughly 8000 years ago, or around 6000 BC. Also, fun fact, they do not call their wine "red" and "white," they call it "black" and "amber."

2. What did you learn last month? 

Aside from the above (that is a long time to be drinking wine!) I learned a lot, probably too much to go into here. However, here are a few notable things. First, there are a lot of men in Georgia named Georgi. My walking tour guide, whose name was...you guessed it....Georgi, said that if you ever forget the name of a friend or a cab driver or whatever, just call him Georgi and you will probably have a good chance of being right. 

Interestingly, Georgia was not named after St. George, as some people may think. The natives do NOT call it Georgia, they call it Sakartvelo. However, Türkiye and Iran (and perhaps others) call it Gürcistan and Gurjistan, and Gurj means wolf, so the theory is that the Persians called the Georgians wolves because there were wolves in the region where Georgia is and it morphed into Georgian in English. 

I looked up how the state of Georgia was named just for fun, and apparently it was named after King George II. But wait, you may ask, why was it named after a Brit when the US was trying to escape them? Well, supposedly it was named this in 1732, before the US had independence. Also, at this point in time, Georgia was a colony that also encompassed part of what is now Alabama and Mississippi. Woof, I think I need to brush up on my U.S. History! 

Province of Georgia, USA

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It was hot enough to go swimming (or to want to!) a couple of times, and then rainy a few days, but otherwise mostly in the 70s and lovely! 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

I really enjoyed the churches and the wine; I mean learning about them! Okay fine, and drinking them in the case of the latter. If you ever see a Georgian Saperavi in the store, snag it, because that is my favorite kind! 

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

Book: How To Read a Book, or Look Closer

Movie/Show: N/A

Podcast: The Choose FI guys did an interview with James Clear that I found interesting.

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

This is not really that "funny," but when I was in Armenia, I got food poisoning (I think?) for the first time in my life. Although this is never really a fun thing no matter what, it was even worse, as I had booked a guesthouse with a shared bathroom (but my own room) since I was only going to be a few days there and I still kept my apartment in Georgia at the same time. Not only that, but I also booked a tour for the day after I arrived, and the night before, I was not doing so well, and so I tried to get them to change the date, but they wouldn't, so I decided that rather than lose money, I would go on the tour. I mean, at this point, I was not needing to run to the bathroom a lot, but I was not really feeling great. 

The tour was good, but it was super hot that day and there was a lot of stopping to get out of the car, get back in the car, get out of the car etc. and every time we stopped, I would go to the bathroom just in case, but was doing okay for the most part. However, I did not have breakfast as I was not feeling great, but I thought maybe I would try having lunch and that would help. It did not help and luckily the last stop of the tour had lots of bushes, as I had to lose my lunch in one of them when everyone else's back was turned. It was not ideal. 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

I am looking forward to a lot of things! I will be moving a bit faster, which can get tiring, but will cover a lot of ground and will finally do a hiking trip that I have been looking forward to for a while! 

JUNE:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

2. What did you learn last month? 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

JULY: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! If you are from the US, what did you do for the holiday weekend? If you are from Canada, what did you do for Canada day? If you are from neither, when is your independence day holiday?

Looking Back: Books

You are going to laugh at this. In my mind, I was thinking, okay it's time for my quarterly book post, since the last time I did it was in the first quarter. Then I went back to find the last one, as I generally use the template to create the new one, and the last time I did a quarterly book post was the first quarter of 2024! Oopsie. So yeah, I guess time flies..? So I am going to do Q1 and Q2 together, I guess! Since this is 2025, I am going to give you...2 books I gave 0 stars (DNFed), 2 books I absolutely loved (5 stars) and 5 books that I did not give five stars but are definitely worth a read. So 2-0-2-5, (+5?) kind of! I am not going to divulge all the books I have given five stars yet, as that will in the year end wrap up! Stay tuned! 

Before I start, speaking of five star reads, last month I put the new TJR on hold!!! She has been consistently good (except that I don't love her older stuff as much, but everyone has to start somewhere) and I am looking forward to seeing what this new book brings! However, I am number 57 in line with 96 people waiting per copy so we will see how it goes! Hopefully my library gets more copies! 

Recommend! (5 stars): It is hard to pick just two really, but like I said, at the end of the year I will tell you all of them, so for now I will arbitrarily pick two! For fun, I will try to give you two that I have not heard many people talk about lately, so hopefully you will have not read these yet.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult. Her books are sometimes a little over the top, but this one I enjoyed. I actually started it when I was riding my bike to Elisabeth's house, then my loan ran out and I waited around 12 more weeks before I could get it again and finish it! It is the story of the woman who was the real author of Shakespeare's plays, and a modern day woman who has written a screenplay about her. I found it fun. It also is based on an actual theory that Shakespeare was not the true author of the plays he was famous for. Picoult does a good job researching her subjects, and a good job portraying her stories, and this book was no exception. It got mixed reviews on GR, but I enjoyed it. 

Look Closer by David Ellis. I read this book in one day. I was going to do all the things, and then I started it and then I could not put it down, and I got none of the things done. It was exactly what I needed after reading a few meh books in a row. It is a thriller about a couple who seem normal at first, but the more you read, the deeper the tale goes and before you know it, you can't really tell which way is up. The cops get involved and there is money, revenge and emotional distress. I loved it. Recommended by Stephany (thanks!)

Still great! (4 stars): Once again, I will try to touch on a few that you may not have heard of as much on the interwebs lately. Four stars is actually my most common rating so far this year, despite the fact that if you asked me, I probably would have guessed it to be three. Here are a few good ones! 

Leviathon Wakes by James Comey. I feel like this is something Jenny would like, as it is a bit like Ender's Game in a way. This is the first of nine (?) books in the Expanse series, and just like the Picoult book, I started it in the middle of 2024, but either wasn't in the mood or my hold lapsed, and you may recall, I had it on a list of "should I ditch these currently reading books" at the end of the year last year. I did not ditch it because I have several friends of different walks of life who have really enjoyed the series, and I am glad I stuck with it, as it was fun. It is the story of a battle in space, topped with a bit of romance and friendship. This is not my usual genre, but I have put book two on hold! 

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley. This is a story about a teenager in the Ojibwe tribe, and covers some of the strife between the people on the reservation and the nearby town, and of being a teenager in general. The main character Daunis finds friendship in a hockey player friend of her brothers, but then finds out that he is not all that he was cracked up to be after she witnesses a murder and sees how he reacts. 

Wish You Well by David Balducci. I guess this author normally writes legal thrillers, but I have never read one. However, this is a coming of age novel about a girl from 1940s Manhattan whose family tragedy forces her and her younger brother to move to a small coal mining town in Virginia to live with their grandmother. The lessons they learn about life, love and friendship in the small town are priceless. I think normal Balducci fans, and some others, really did not like it, but I enjoyed it. 

All The Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. This is a cross between a missing person/murder mystery with elements of phycological thriller, coming of age and love (and obsession). It is the story of a young boy and girl and a small town. One day, the boy, Patch, saves a popular girl from a bad man but in doing so, gets captured himself. The search for him is lengthy and in the end, becomes bigger than you would ever imagine. If you like this, you may also like his other book, We Begin at the End, which I preferred over this. 

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. If you are looking for books from non American writers, this is a good one to try. The author is Turkish, and she writes beautifully. This book is about a talking tree (no, not like the Ents in the Lord of the Rings), love, and loss. Set in both Cypress and London, it is a beautifully written tale of a Greek Cypriot falling in love with a Turkish Cypriot during the time when this was forbidden. They have to meet in secret, in a tavern, under the branches of a fig tree. When war breaks out, people flee the island, but one person brings a branch of the tree to London, where it survives. Years later, the girl living there does not understand what this tree has been through, but as the tale progresses she learns more of its (and her own) story. 

Don't bother! (0 stars): 

Chaos Monkeys by Antonio Garcia Martinez. This book was actually so bad that I gave it one star, because I don't know if the zero stars go into the overall average and I wanted to make sure that my vote counted. In addition, I even wrote a review, which I rarely do. Here is what I said: Do not waste your time with this book. Whatever good information or insights the author may have had were drowned in his ego, entitlement and narcissistic manner. I nearly DNFed the book around the 5% mark when he started reminding me of all the finance bros I used to work with, but I carried on, thinking maybe it was a phase, but it was not. I thought I would check the GR reviews to see if they were so good that I should reconsider, but they were not, and laughably, the author rebuts several of the poor reviews in a very condescending manner, which seems pretty much on point. I finally DNFed for good at 22%.

Challenger by Adam Higgenbotham. I wanted to like this book; I wanted to learn more about this time period and situation. However, the description, the definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger disaster based on new archival research and in-depth reporting, is pretty much spot on. It is IN DEPTH, and it is minute by minute, and I tried to concentrate on it but I just could not. Maybe some other time, but I was not in the mood for that much detail and fact. 

Have you read any of these books and if so, what did you think? What was your favorite book in June? What was your favorite book so far this year? 

Our Small World

If you know me, you know that I am not one to discuss politics. I think it was Elisabeth that said that this was not good small talk, and I agree. Why would you bring this up in a group that you are not familiar with, and especially when we (by we I mean the US) are currently in a climate that is less than stellar?

However, I have been in an area with some political things happening lately! In Georgia, the country, not the state, you may or may not know that they have been having protests lately. I actually got a notice from the US State Department warning me of this and I did look into it to see if this was something that should keep me from traveling there, but it is not currently a dangerous situation. However, I want to say clearly that the US State Department is in the business of covering their donkeys, and often ramp up the warnings at the slightest provocation. I have been to several countries where they have had some sort of warning against traveling there, and I have been totally fine. 

Ilia State University, Tbilisi

Currently Georgia is on the Level 1, "exercise normal precaution" list, which is the top (best) one. However, Türkiye, where I just was, is on the "exercise increased caution" list, as is the UK FYI. And my favorite, Columbia, is on the "reconsider travel with higher security risk areas to avoid" list and several parts of Mexico are on the "do not travel" list. You can find the current travel advisory map here. Obviously Russia is on the "do not travel list." 

Current map (June 2025)

So I have some things to say about Russia. Firstly, the other day I was 3.7 km (2.3 miles) away from the border, which is the closest I have ever been to Russia. In addition, there are two parts of Georgia that are still occupied by Russia. I have been around a lot of Russians lately, as the countries that they can travel to at the moment are few, and also the proximity to Russia to where I have been is close. So that brings me to these questions. Do you know the details of the situation between Russia and Georgia? Or any of the other former USSR countries? 

There is a large mountain in between

FYI, creepy shirtless guy took this photo for me. :)

Or what about the history of Yugoslavia? Do you remember hearing about Serbia and Bosnia and Kosovo  on the news? Did you know that it was only in the aughts that some of them broke free from the regime (Serbia and Montenegro did not dissolve until 2006!)? That area has had a lot of conflict. I was in Albania in 2010 and the host at my lodging in Saranda was talking about the recent civil wars. Did you know that they were warring as recently as the late 90s, basically just over 10 years before the time that I was there (PS it was probably on the "do not travel" list at that point!)? 

All of these things make me realize how small my world really is, all of the things I have not learned, things I do not know, and people whose stories I have not heard. And the more I travel, the more I realize this. When I was in Türkiye, I went to a ruined town called Ani, which sits right on the current border with Armenia. I could look across the river and wave at the Armenian side. However, this land was at one point part of western Armenia, and they had their own dialect, and the town of Ani was a strategic trading hub for them. Currently, you cannot cross the border from Türkiye to Armenia by land, as the relations between the two countries are not great.

I later went to Armenia and learned a lot more about the history there, but also, while I was there I had a conversation with a woman from Iran about the current situation and how she had to travel over land for 24 hours to get a flight from Yerevan (the capital city of Armenia) because all flights from Iran (in and out) have been canceled. There were many Iranians seeking refuge in Armenia when I was there (you can read more about it here), and once again, this made my world, and all of my "problems" seem small. 

I will not talk about being on one side or the other, or believing in one political thing or another. What I believe in is the importance keeping our minds open to learning new things, and listening to the people who are living through or have lived through things that I cannot even imagine. As I have mentioned once or twice, I also believe that people are inherently good, and I refuse to believe that all of one group is bad just because there is a bad apple in the bunch. Lastly, I will once again say how grateful I am that I am happy and healthy, have clean drinking water and a toilet, and that I am able to travel and learn more and more every day. 

Are you well versed in world history? Have you spoken to anyone who has been through any of these conflicts? Would you travel to a country bordering Russia right now? What was the last thing you learned that you thought, "wow, why didn't I know more about this already?"

Living Out of a 40 Liter Backpack

The last time I did a packing round up was when I was still carrying everything with me on my bike and that was extreme! Now, as you know, I am traveling abroad for a year, and so I thought it was time to do an update! (also Birchie's post the other day where she asked if anyone had packing posts reminded me that I have had this one in my drafts since March! Oops.) As you know, I am a carry on only type of gal, and also prefer a backpack to a rolling suitcase for ease of maneuvering up/down stairs, over cobblestones and using small forms of transportation (crowded minibuses with no luggage storage means I have to put my bags on my lap sometimes). 

All packed and ready to go

Everything that is inside the bag

Let's talk about the weather. Since I was going to be in the northern hemisphere for the entire year, I pretty much needed clothes for every season. Also, I planned on doing some hiking, so I would also need to pack clothing appropriate for this, as well as some equipment for this too. This also meant that I would need to have a vessel to carry my hiking gear. So, although it is not the most practical for when I am not hiking, I opted to carry my hiking backpack as my carry on for this trip. For those of you who have been here for a while, this is also the same pack that I used as my rear rack pack when cycling last year. I will get into this more in a minute.

I also knew that I would have downtime and I did not want to be doing everything on my phone, so I am carrying my laptop with me, along with various camera gear. This meant that my personal item would have to fit my laptop, and luckily I have a huge purse that actually fits my laptop in it (I have a 16 inch screen)! Inside this purse, when I am traveling, I also put the following: pashmina (doubles as scarf, headscarf, blanket, pillow), electronics (charger, Kindle, cables, battery bank, camera, phone), empty water bottle and puffy jacket (no matter what season it is; sometimes the plane/train/bus is cold). Also in winter, I put my umbrella, gloves and beanie in here too. 

Laptop fits!

Personal Item

Wintertime contents of my purse
(plus laptop, minus fanny pack)

I also carry my trusty fanny pack with me everywhere, and in it I put (did you ever play that game? I packed my bag and in it I put...?) the following items: passport, headphones, wallet with ID, credit card, ATM card and small amount of cash, ChapStick, and floss pick (never leave home without it).

I am all about the layering system. What does this mean? This means that I basically have one of every layer, plus extras of some of them. But you don't want to hear about it; I will show you! 

Ready for every season

As you can see from above, I have a top for everything. Actually I have more than one, so let's break it down. 

Tank tops (plus the one worn in the photo)

Tank tops: Five. I believe that more lower level layers is better and it gives you a chance to have a variety when it is hot out, plus have more clean shirts when it is hot, and you are probably sweating more. Two of them are merino wool, including the one shown in the main layering photo above. 

Short sleeved shirts

Short-sleeved shirts: Two. In this case, one is a strictly running shirt and the other is a merino wool shirt that could be used as a out and about shirt except that I used it for backpacking and it is now permanently grey (not a good look) so it is now actually only an active shirt as well. Bottom line: I need a new "out and about" short-sleeved shirt.

Long-sleeved shirts: Two. Pictured above. One sweater (merino wool), and one zip-up hoodie (Uniqlo), which can be used as an out and about shirt or an active shirt, as it technically is a sunscreen hoodie, but is black so is a little more versatile. However, this one too is also on it's last legs (I also wore it the entire year last year while cycling, so I am surprised it has lasted this long to be honest. Uniqlo for the win! Well worth the $30 price tag!) 

Jackets: Three. Pictured above. The windbreaker is a great light layer that packs up into itself and is easy to carry around when its in the 40-60s just in case. The puffy, as I mentioned, goes everywhere with me, stays in my purse or daypack, and is a great pillow, extra layer on the plane, or emergency layer and I also take it with me backpacking. The rain jacket is mostly for backpacking, but when I was in France and it was below freezing outside I wore it when I went for runs. Its not the most attractive thing, but it does the job. If I had my way, it would be black, but that was not an option for this model. 

Pants: Four. Jeans (shown above), capri pants for either active days or travel days, jogging pants for lounging around, or going outside when you are lazy (if you are in Poland, but not when you are in France) and rain pants for hiking mostly, but hey if it was really cold I guess I could wear them outside! Also when I was in Germany in December/January, I did wear my capris under my jeans as an extra layer. Aside from the jeans, the rest are all black. 

Pants/shorts (jeans not shown)

Shorts: Three. I have one pair of "going out" shorts, one pair of running shorts, and one pair of lounging/pajama shorts. To be honest, I have rarely used the latter, but they take up basically no space. 

Undergarments: Four undies, four socks, one sports bra and one regular bra. I normally am fine with having two pairs of undies and handwashing, but this time I decided to splurge and bring more so that I don't have to handwash as often. Same goes for the socks, especially when I am in one place for a few weeks or so, it is really easy to just wash and hang each evening (especially for my favorite pair of Darn Tough socks, which are also merino). However, sometimes there is not enough time to dry in one day if you are moving faster, so this way I have a little leeway. As far as bras go, the tank in the photo above has a built in bra, so I can wear that when I need to wash my sports bra. To be honest, I have not worn the regular bra yet. 

Packed! Still have a bit of room!

Accessories: Beanie, pashmina (can be worn in churches, or used as a scarf, skirt or blanket), gloves (all black), running hat, buff, umbrella, sunglasses, and a swimsuit that I have barely used (one time so far in six months! What can I say, I like to swim in the buff. Just kidding!! Haha. I usually just swim in my running clothes/sports bra). 

Toiletries: My rule about toiletries is that you can always buy it where you are going if you need it, so I don't bring a lot. Also I don't really wear makeup, or care what brand of this-or-that that I use, and I don't really need to condition my hair. Here is what I do bring: 

Liquids

Liquid: contacts, contact solution, hand sanitizer, mascara, Vaseline (mostly for running/hiking chafe issues), sunscreen, extra ChapStick. 

Non-liquids

Non-liquids - packed

Non-liquid: Shampoo/conditioner bar, soap bar, toothpaste tabs (now all gone, so I am back to regular toothpaste), toothbrush, floss picks, fingernail clippers, glasses, dry wet wipes, feminine supplies, TP (must have in some countries!), brush, earplugs, pills, laundry sheets, razor + extra blades, q-tips, hair ties, sewing kit, facemask. 

For toiletries, I usually just keep them separate and keep the liquids handy when I am flying, but they both do fit in the one Lermende bag if needed. Also, I have a little reusable zip-up baggie (the blue one under the sanitizing wipe) that I will put my "essential" items in if I am traveling by train or staying in a place with a shared bathroom (toothpaste, toothbrush, contacts, shampoo/soap, earplugs) so that way I just have one essential bag to keep handy. Also, as a side note, in the last year, I have stayed at literally well over a hundred different places, and there have probably been about three of them that have not had soap and/or shampoo.

Electronics: Kindle, battery bank, adapter/converter, cords, running watch, GoPro, phone, headlamp/Inreach for hiking.

I also have these essentials: Osprey 18L foldable daypack (seriously, I have gotten so much use out of this bag!), Chico bag, my Solomon running hydration vest 2L. What can I say; I like bags! 

Foldable backpack

Shoes: Two. One pair of flip flops and one pair of running shoes. No fancy shoes. If I need to go somewhere fancy, I will buy something to wear. Until then, I will wear my running shoes. 

Camping Specific Gear: I also carry these camping items which will be of no use to anyone else most likely: sleeping mat, sleep sac (actually, even if you stay in huts or hostels, this comes in handy), water filter, stove, emergency items (first aid kit, lighter, headlamp, Garmin Inreach satellite tracker, athletic tape, duct tape and various other items). I also acquired a pot/bowl/cutlery set and a sleeping bag when I was in Türkiye and I can fit it all into the carry on but I have not had to fly with these last two things yet. 

Guilty pleasure and/or random stuff. I do carry a few extra ziplock bags with me just in case. I like to keep my passport in one and have one extra that I have in case I need to toss my phone in there. I will also snag a lotion or a shampoo if I stay in a hotel, but if I am flying and I need to cut weight, those are the first to go. 

I basically wear my heaviest item on the plane, which means: jeans, tank top, sweater, running shoes, socks, and zip-up hoodie. 

Are you a carry-on only person? Backpack or rolling suitcase? What is your guilty pleasure? 

What I Learned & Looking Back & Looking Forward: May 2025

Is it just me, or did May just zoom by? I felt like it did! Maybe because it is my favorite month? Maybe because I was doing stuff, literally moving from one place to the next nearly every day? Whatever it was, it went by fast. Oh and also, April showers DID bring May flowers, as I saw so many wildflowers! It was awesome. 

Where was I? Türkiye and Georgia.

What about you? Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Baguettes and Many Steps

February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii

March: Wet and Wild

April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too

May: Al Fresco 

(in reference to both being outside and also seeing a lot of art!)

2. What did you learn last month? 

I learned a lot about the Hittites, the Christians and the Ottomans and how the lands in this part of the world were fought over. I was really fascinated by the caves in Cappadocia and the history of the Christians hiding in them, as well as the takeover by the Ottomans and the subsequent years after that. Some of the ruins or structures are BC (like Hieropolis, shown below) and that just blows my mind. I really am in the cradle of civilization and it is all so interesting! However, I did not even visit some of the oldest sites, like Göbekli Tepe, which is said to have been inhabited from around 9,500 BC! Woof! I still have so many places on my list to visit and learn about, like additional places in Türkiye, places like Israel and Jordan and...oh man, the list goes on and on and on! 

Ani, Türkiye 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It has been great for the most part. The last few days of the month were rainy, but I will take it! Being outside most of the time (hiking) has been great, sunny, and I even got a bit of a sunburn on a couple of the days (I put cream on, I swear!) 

This shirt is for sun protection, not cold

4. What event last month was your favorite?

I had a few extra days and I decided to go to a small town in the Caucasian mountains and I am so glad that I did and I could have easily stayed for another week; it was so beautiful and the people were nice, and the food was good, and I could hike right from my doorstep. It was perfect. (see photo above)

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

I am going to tell this in book, movie/show, podcast format. 

Book: I had a lot of fours, but no five stars, but I did enjoy The Firekeepers Daughter, The Drums of Autumn (4th Outlander, although not as good as the first one), and The Island of Missing Trees. 

Movie/Show: N/A, again! But I watched a lot of nice sunrises! 

Obligatory horse and balloon sunrise photo

Podcast: I have been trying to listen to the news in French or Spanish at least once a week, but I am failing miserably. I just don't have the patience to really concentrate that hard at the moment. 

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

I don't know if this is funny, or just weird, but I was hiking to a glacier and as I was walking on a road leading up to the trailhead, there was a dude on a bike with no shirt on who would pass me, and then he would stop and do exercises, and then I would pass him, and then he would pass me, and then he would stop and I would pass him. Anyway, eventually I got to the trail and he and I were still leapfrogging (he was now off of his bike) and so we said hello and introduced ourselves. 

Bike guy

Well then he decided that (a) we were friends, (b) I wanted to hear all about him and (c) I must need him to tell me where to go and to help me find the best path. It turns out he was 27 and was a guide who had horses and hiked these trails all the time. Anyway, he was kind of annoying, as I just wanted to take photos and stop and look at stuff and he was adamant that he knew the best way, the best photo ops, the best trail and what I should be doing etc. Long story short, I finally shook him and almost felt like hiding and waiting for him to pass me so I could mosey along on my own. 

Fast forward to two days later, I get off a minibus on the outskirts of another town and I ask a German woman if she wants to share a ride into town. She does, and we get to talking about what we had done in the prior town, and she told me she hiked to the glacier, and I told her that I had too and I told her about this guy who kind of wouldn't leave me alone. She said that when she was there, there was a weird shirtless guy doing pushups who started talking to her, and we realized it was the same dude, and this must be his MO, going every day to the trail and picking up on random foreign women. Anyway, he was 0/2 in this case! 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

After moving around a lot (hiking for over two weeks, then pretty much staying in one place only a couple or few days at a time, and being on a lot of buses, trains and minivans), I am once again ready for an extended amount of time in one place. I have a list of (boring, admin, adult) things to do that I have been putting off, because I like to time block and my time has been a little erratic lately. Listen, I know I could have done paperwork instead of hiking, but my sanity depends on my getting fresh air and exercise, so I am not going to sacrifice that! I think June will have a nice mix of city time, nature time, excursions, errands/chores/admin stuff and downtime. Bring it on. 

MAY:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

2. What did you learn last month? 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

JUNE: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! Where/when was your best sunrise/sunset? 

Never Have I....Wait, Actually I Have! (2)

Happy Memorial Day to my US friends! The last rendition of this post got not one, but TWO of my long time lurkers to come out of the blog commenting closet and join in, so I thought that I may as well do it again and see what happens! To be fair, one of them (Hi Mr. B!) has commented before, but the other (Hi Funky Bunch!) was a TS virgin before this. Maybe I can get Bugsy and G-Money to chime in this time...

By the way, I was very happy to find out last time that I am not the only one who wets my pants from time to time. I am sure it will only be getting worse, not better, as time goes by, and I am glad to have company! 

Without further ado, here are some things that I have never done in my life. Let me know in the comments, have you ever done these things? 

1. Gotten a tattoo [Let me tell you, my parents were not happy!]

2. Been fly fishing [If you have never done this, I recommend it. It is very meditative and not boring at all!]

3. Seen an alligator [I've nearly stepped on one too]

My next door neighbor in Gainesville

4. Had a pet lizard [Bearded Dragons]

5. Smoked a cigarette [It was in my experimental days and I would not want to do it now]

6. Ridden on a subway [so many times!]

Antalya

7. Seen an elephant in the wild (aka not in a zoo) [Thailand, Malaysia (pigmies! They were so cute!), Africa]

Pigmy elephants are still pretty large!

8. Dated someone from a different country than I am from [actually several...and you thought I was boring!]

9. Ridden in an 18 wheeler [Africa]

10. Read two books at the same time [Nowadays I nearly am always listening to one and reading one]

11. Been on TV [after the Boston marathon bombing, I got interviewed on our local news station!]

2013 Boston Strong run organized by the Pavement Runner

12. Been to the doctor/hospital in a foreign country [Ug. Several...Mexico, Uruguay, France, Türkiye (surgery even!)...I think that is it! Does getting a COVID swab in Austria count?]

Luckily I did not need this one

13. Sang karaoke in a bar [Many times. My go to was usually a Grease related duet with a friend of mine, and I was always John Travolta, because you know why? Because I got chills, and they're multiplying!] 

[Actually, funny story, a friend of mine had one of those karaoke microphones that you plug into the TV and we had hotel security called on us because we were doing karaoke in my room, in the French Quarter of New Orleans no less, which is kind of known for its rowdy characters!]

Tell me, which of these have you done? Feel free to elaborate! (Copy and paste by highlighting below and clicking CTRL-C, the click CTRL-V in the comment box.) 

1. Gotten a tattoo

2. Been fly fishing

3. Seen an alligator

4. Had a pet lizard

5. Smoked a cigarette

6. Ridden on a subway

7. Seen an elephant in the wild (aka not in a zoo)

8. Dated someone from a different country than you are from

9. Ridden in an 18 wheeler (bonus points if you have driven one!)

10. Read two books at the same time

11. Been on TV

12. Been to the doctor/hospital in a foreign country

13. Sang karaoke in a bar (and if so, what song is your go-to?)