richelle's
/travelogue
/moi
BONJOUR & HAPPY "88th" BIRTHDAY to my father Robert... may Almighty Holy GOD BLESS you with many, many more! 1.14.2016
This Travelogue website was created especially to share my travel photographs with my father, and a GIFT to him for his "SWEET 88th" birthday ...EVERYONE else please feel free to ENJOY! YES, I have been travelling outside of the US since July 25th, 2015 "in search of my NEXT home!" But, I have found that elusive "home" is within me, geographical changes do NOT change who I am (only where I am!), so I must turn within which is what this journey has turned into along the way. So, on the 25th of this month it will be 6 months of this "rolling stone" journey, perhaps to Barcelona next... After leaving the west coast & travelling across country for 4 days from Los Angeles to Chicago, then to NYC there for about 3 months completing a Philosophy class at the School of Practical Philosophy (which I look forward to continuing upon my return), and waiting for my passport. Megabus to Toronto hanging out with a friend was great FUN! In Montreal did a work exchange at a hostel for 1 month, then went to Paris for 2 weeks hanging out with friends I met in NYC 4 years ago waiting to go to Noisy-sur-Ecole (near Fontainebleau) for a work exchange at Caribou Adventures for 1 week... then BACK to Paris for 1 month just hanging out, taking photographs, eating baguettes & cheese, patissiere, and drinking delicious French wine and of course un petit noir! Where I was staying on Rue Oberkampf is right in the middle between the Bataclan Concert Hall & the Republique (Dec. 13th, 2015 event) my son actually emailed me about it, as I did not even know what had happened! Next I travelled to Berlin, Germany for 2 days then northeast to Tharpaland Buddhist Retreat Center for a work exchange, I was one of several cooks, cooking for upwards of 30 people vegetarian food, there for 3 weeks until Dec. 18th, this was a very INSPIRING experience for me in terms of the teaching, and cooking vegetarian food. There was a 4 day "Silent Retreat" the week after I arrived! On Dec. 18th I went BACK to Berlin this time in the Prenzlauer Berg area to begin a work exchange caring for a toddler while his momma completed her thesis. 3 days later she suggested we go to her momma's home in the Bavaria area...to Eisenheim Village a very quaint little village. With no distractions it was a good time for me to contemplate, pray, meditate, take & edit photos, and write with little else to do except to roam around the town which took all of maybe a few hours! My host family also fed me well, and generously showed me other little quaint villages, but I was glad to leave on a very snowy Monday morning BACK to Berlin, inching our way through the snowfall to the city of Wurzburg. The trip back on Berlinlinienbus, a nice bus ride for about 5 hours (300+ miles) to -8 degrees in Berlin, and then buckets of snow the next day with even more today ...whew!!! The snow either followed me OR I brought it with me! That brings me up to date as I write into the wee hours of the morning...I am here alone in the flat so plenty of time to photograph, edit, write & create! Oh, the work exchange I speak of is through HelpX www.helpx.net GREAT way to travel literally anywhere in the world, to meet people, and experience other cultures!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR "SWEET 16"!!!
xoxo, richelle
