The Women In Our Lives

Back in 1995 Brenda and I decided to take our first real vacation. We were approaching our ten year anniversary and wanted to celebrate by traveling somewhere other than northern Wisconsin. We married young, and like a lot of young couples struggled a bit financially. At that stage in our lives travel was still a […]

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The search for a home: Part 2

A few months ago I posted about our upcoming trip back to Costa Rica. The last one in September was still fresh and Brenda and I knew we needed to start planning our next visit. I wrote about how this was going to be more research and exploration, than vacation. We are hoping that one […]

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Modern Map Art

A couple of months ago, Jennifer from Modern Map Art contacted me and asked if I would be interested in doing a review of one of their maps. They are a Madison, Wisconsin based company and noticed that our web designer is located in the same city. After checking out their website I immediately responded with an […]

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Miami Beach: Home Sweet Home?

About five years ago Brenda and I started looking for a place down south where we could get away from time to time during the god awful long Wisconsin winter. We sat down one weekend and put together a list of preferences, along with things that were not negotiable. As expected, the number one requirement […]

Immigran expat map
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Immigrant or Expat: What’s in a name?

Of all the things to be concerned about regarding a potential move to Central America, I’m thinking about our status. I don’t mean where we are in the process or what our social status is. I’m wondering whether we’ll be considered an immigrant or ex-pat. I know that sounds odd, but I was having a […]

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Fabrica de Arte Cubano: This is what revolution looks like.

I had planned on writing a few in-depth reviews about our time in Havana, but to be honest I’m struggling to construct a cogent narrative. In a previous post, I wrote about trying to balance romanticizing Havana with the reality that is Cuba. And that is the dilemma I’m dealing with. Cuba is a complex […]

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Searching for a home in the Central Valley

Brenda and I have started planning another return visit to Costa Rica. It’s been a few months since our last trip and we are itching to get back as soon as possible. This time, we’d like to explore the Central Valley, near San Jose. There are a handful of small towns in the area that […]

Havana, Cuba: Romance vs. Reality

In a few weeks, we will be headed to Havana, Cuba. Of all the places we’ve visited, Cuba may be the most intriguing. I’ve had Havana on my list for so many years that part of me can’t believe we are actually going. At the same time, apprehension is starting to set in a bit. […]

Find your spot
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Find Your Spot

Some years ago I came across a website called findyourspot. It’s a survey site that recommends the best city/geographical area for you to live, based on answers to their questionnaire. The site matches up your personal preferences regarding climate, size of city, preferred geographical location, and a host of other metrics. After inputting roughly a dozen […]

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A Diamond In The Rough: Luna Llena Hotel

 Luna Llena Hotel It seems as though, on most trips, Brenda and I end up moving a couple of times. With limited time, we always want to experience as much as possible. Part of me would like to stay in the same place and avoid packing and unpacking. But if there is time to squeeze in […]