Crazy Adventures in the Life of a Redhead

Excitement abounded while exploring Copenhagen, Denmark, and the island on which it is located with my German friend, Melanie, whom I met in Washington, D.C. (You may remember her from my trip in July 2010 to Berlin.) I enjoyed the city immensely, after a couple of hours of frustration following my arrival when I realized one, I had reserved the wrong hostel; two, American credit cards are not accepted anywhere because they do not possess the gold chip reader; and three, getting lost in a city where cyclists are ubiquitous, seemingly coming from every direction, can be quite dangerous. Overcoming these initial challenges, I was prepared to go forth to generate some mental and photographic souvenirs. Attracting over three million tourists each year, Copenhagen has a vibrant collection of neighborhoods and inhabitants. On bicycle and by foot, we traversed the funky student area of Norrebro, the classy area of Fredicksberg, the former slaughterhouse and red light district of Vesterb...

Recalling my time with my dear friend, Lena, in Bern, Switzerland, in 2005, I was looking forward to passing another week in this small little section of Swiss paradise. Bern is the capital city of Switzerland; however unlike most European countries that have placed their seats of government in the most prominent cities, Bern remains a quaint city of Old World charm and natural wonder. With a town center full of typical Swiss construction, clay-tiled roofs, stucco and timber-framed or ruddy brick siding, and the glorious Aare River coursing briskly, slicing the city in two, Bern is quite captivating for a day or two. I discovered and appreciated anew this pleasant town. Unfortunately, Lena worked during the week; however I made the most of the alone time to enjoy life at a slower pace. We managed to meet twice for convivial lunchtime picnics near her workplace, go “swimming” in the Aare—it’s current is so strong that it literally sweeps you away until the point at which you clambe...

Many places imbue excitement into a traveler’s mind for the very novelty of being in a place that is uncharted and wholly new to the senses. There are other places that no matter how many times you visit that one locale, the streets remain as enthralling, as invigorating, as the first time you glimpsed their mysterious wonders. Paris never ceases to be a member of the latter grouping of places I have visited. My cousin once removed if you can say such a silly thing, generously permitted me to stay at her place in the 9th district of Paris, almost directly behind one of the most stunning and uproariously pious—contradictory but true—churches in all of Paris, La Madeleine. Close to her apartment are familiar sites such as La Place de la Concorde, les Tuileries, la Seine, l’Opera Garnier, and many others one would find on the “Places to See” list for Paris. Always nice to stay with someone in a well-placed location yet on an obscure street that maintains its non-touristy flair and loc...

What a charming little city is this northern town of Reykjavic! Iceland’s capital area is quite the beautiful land of spontaneously fluctuating weather—one moment its raining and the next the sun is peering through the blackened clouds—breathtaking vistas, and silent coves meant for reflecting upon and pondering one’s deepest, soulful questions and concerns. I decided to take a few days to enjoy a new land, my 28th country visited, to transition from one chapter to the next. The city is fantastic for an avid walker like me. Clean streets, quaint storefronts, eclectic merchandise, and bike paths that interlace the city create an inviting atmosphere for the curious traveler. With map in hand, I conquered in three days what seemed to be every nook and cranny of the city. When given a map of a new cityscape, I immediately seek out the green spaces, in which to get lost and seek serenity in the midst of urban chaos. On my first day in Reykjavic, I perused the botanic garden and some of t...

Packed and ready to go! The first sign that I am ready to depart is my packed bag, but the fact that my heart and affairs are in order makes for an even more seamless exit of this country. Leaving my home for an elongated period of time has been a tiered effort, peels of necessary bullet points I wanted to accomplish for peace of mind. The only thing I regret having failed to do was dust my room at my mom’s house. That dust might haunt me as I fly tomorrow! I am ready to leave the country after one year of anticipation. In favor of full disclosure, I did not handle this whole preparation process as I should have and yet I am at peace with my madness. My cousin, Claire, who is traveling and working in New Zealand for 11 months with her fiancé, completed a textbook exit. I greatly admired how she so neatly folded and arranged everything she needed for proper inspection before cramming it into the iconic backpacker’s backpack. Instead of order and organization, my room looked like th...

Work hard and play hard: this has been my motto since last August when I started working with the intensity of one who knows her time limit will arrive sooner or later. I would work without sleeping for a couple or a few days before collapsing from fatigue for a few hours, only to rouse myself to complete more rounds of work with the old folks. In the end, it was all worth it, for I achieved my goal of making money and remaining flexible to travel as I pleased. February, March and April all blur into one, except for the birth of my nephew (see last entry). But May was the calm before the storm—the tornado of June’s ceaseless shifts and sleepless days and nights and July’s tempest of emotional goodbyes and back-to-back double shifts. I cannot believe that I am already beginning a new chapter. On Memorial Day weekend, I was fortunate to take a trip to California to visit a dear friend, Lisa, from high school and to meet up with two friends from college, Esther and Sindy, for a weeke...

This entry has been a long time in coming, but I really feel strongly about putting into words my observations about the similarities between the people for whom I care at two nursing homes in Jefferson, WI and Dousman, WI and the life of my dear nephew, Bennett, who graced us with his presence more than four months ago. How time flies, especially in reference to another individual who changes rapidly with each week! The birth of my nephew, my eldest sister’s baby boy, Bennett, has profoundly affected my life in an unequivocal and irrevocable way. A miracle at once simple and utterly bewildering, Bennett awed and perplexed his family with his perfection and his infant predilections for constant attention and care. Psalm 139 says that all of us were knit in our mother’s womb and are fearfully and wonderfully made. To understand this about yourself renders a sense of peace and gratefulness that God was so active in knowing you and preparing your way into the world. But to envision the re...