Teaching can be a soul wrenching existence. Not the most positive way to start a blog post, but this 2021-2022 school year has been like a school yard see-saw. On one side sits the plethora of blissful moments and on the other, the dark abyss of negative interactions. The negative parent and student interactions seem …
Continue reading "A Teacher’s socio-emotional journey"Meydan Besiktas is the coolest hippest vibrant fun neighborhood we found while in Istanbul. It is located on the Asian side of the city and magically balances the traditional ancient architecture I came to expect in Istanbul with modern night life. Unlike Taksim Square, the throngs of mostly 20-30 year old hipsters crowded the narrow …
Continue reading "Meydan Beşiktaş–Istanbul’s nightlife mecca"Istanbul contains within its borders sights and sounds that are frozen in time. The people have managed to capture the grandeur of their rich history. My time in Istanbul was short lived, but I managed to visit places like Topkapi Palace, the Column of Constantine, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque, and the Hagia Sophia …
Continue reading "Top Destinations in Istanbul (Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar and more…)"Hopefully, after reading my past posts you now have a small clue that I love tattoo’s. About three weeks prior to leaving for Istanbul, I researched tattoo shops in and around the ancient city. Eventually, I came across Fine Line Tattoo. With the power of the internet at my fingertips, I perused the artist portfolio’s, …
Continue reading "Fine Line Tattoo (Istanbul, Turkey)"The first night in Istanbul, I decided to walk the neighborhood and being searching for night life opportunities within a two-mile radius of the Double Tree Hotel Topkapi. You are probably thinking to yourself, “Why don’t you just look on the internet for suggestions?” Trust me, I did, and quickly learned COVID had decimated the …
Continue reading "Grand Makel Hotel Roof Top Bar"Traveling to Istanbul, Turkey happened on whim; a lark figuratively speaking. It was a Wednesday night, my friend and I were sitting at our usual table inside of the local pizzeria in Clovis, California having beers, a large mushroom and olive pizza when out of the blue the conversation turned to an acquaintance who was …
Continue reading "Istanbul, Turkey Here I Come…"Background: For the past year, we have been contemplating buying a Tesla. Our needs have fluctuated based on children growing up, not needing a large SUV or “family car”, gas prices are steadily rising, California has tax breaks for owning an EV (electric vehicle), Biden’s administration seems poised to reenact further Federal tax incentives, we …
Continue reading "Tesla Experience"Cabo San Lucas holds a special place in my heart. When my children were younger this was our last stop during a week-long Disney cruise. Our first stop on the cruise was Puerto Vallarta. In my experience, I was a little turned off by the touristy sections of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Not that Puerto Vallarta …
Continue reading "Cabo San Lucas reflections (Pueblo Bonito Sunset resort and Off roading adventures)"I think the idea of family has taken on a new identity during the pandemic. Maybe I should clarify a bit before moving on; what I meant to say is I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time reflecting on family because we spend more time together as a result of quarantining and trying to figure …
Continue reading "“I’m a real person”–a 21st Birthday memory"I spent this past weekend in Santa Cruz, CA visiting with my Dad who lives alone in a modest three-bedroom beach house approximately two blocks from 26th Avenue Beach. For the better part of my teenage years, I lived in this beach house along with my two younger brothers, mom, and dad. My parents eventually divorced …
Continue reading "Poet Dad"