Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Tag: interview

My Interview with Travel Tales of Life about Being a Nomad

A few years ago, Mark and I met Sue and Dave Slaght in Northern California at a pub serving Belgian beer. They’d arrived for a family visit from Calgary, Alberta, where they live close to the amazing Canadian Rockies. Our then house sit was nearby, so after following their informative, entertaining, and attractive travel blog Travel Tales of Life for many years (it was one of the first blogs I ever subscribed to when starting Roaming About, thanks to my sailing friend Lisa Dorenfest). The four of us had loads in common, became instant friends, stayed in touch, and kept following each other’s travels and adventures.

Dave and Sue have traveled pretty much everywhere, are avid bicyclists, and come up with fascinating angles for their blog content. Sue has an engaging writing style, great sense of humor, and an adventurous, can-do spirit, which is reflected in the inspiring and insightful questions she asked me in our interview. Check it out!

Nomadic Living Tips and Truth From an Expert

My sea sickness has finally subsided after being in the middle of the ocean, hanging over the side of the boat next to author Liesbet Collaert. Plunge left me ‘feeling all the feels’ of nomadic living. 

Through 2020, I could not settle my mind to actually read a book. Call it anxiety or being unsettled by a global pandemic, my mind refused to still itself enough to concentrate on more than a page or two.

That is until I began reading Plunge. So intriguing and honest in its telling, for the first time in 10 months I enjoyed reading again.

Looking at the glorious photo cover of turquoise water, white sand beaches and the author swimming blissfully with her dogs, one might assume the book will tell tales of paradise woven together like a mural of travel ecstasy. Instead Liesbet vividly shares the challenges of her insatiable quest for adventure along with the joy and freedom of nomadic life.

I invited Liesbet to tell readers more about the ups and downs of nomadic living.

San Blas Islands

In your book Plunge you are refreshingly honest about relationship challenges while at sea. What suggestions do you have for partners considering a nomadic way of life?

My husband, Mark, and I are in the unique situation of having been together 24/7 pretty much since the moment we chose each other in 2004, because of our lifestyle – sailing, house and pet sitting, camping. Sometimes, I think our partnership comes naturally but other times, the desire for me-time and the curiosity about how we’d do in a settled situation gets the better of me.

To answer your question, there are certainly factors that are important if you want to share a small space and a relatively challenging lifestyle with someone full-time. Compatibility is one of them, but if you have been a pair for years already, I assume that has been figured out. At least in a general sense. While you don’t have to be on the same page with everything, sharing similar interests when on the go is important. This includes agreeing on your travel style, means, duration, and comfort levels.

Liesbet and Mark on board their boat Irie in the Bahamas

Being patient and respectful about your partner’s feelings, thoughts, moods, and priorities, being grateful for his/her abilities, and being flexible when it comes to plans and ideas are other qualities that will make your relationship last. Communicating about each other’s needs is important. Even when you know your partner really well, do not always assume the next step. Talk about your differences and make sure there is enough me-time.

Each month you publish your living expenses which often are under $1,300.00 USD. What are your top five tips for inexpensive nomadic living?

Over the last eighteen years of my nomadic existence, costs have gone up, which I blame on inflation, technology, and the need for more comfort. Our biggest expense has always been maintenance on our floating and rolling homes, which partially contributes to our safety as well. Ever since my husband and I moved aboard in 2007 – and then on the road – our yearly average expenses for two adults and one or two large rescue dogs have been between US$12,000 and USD$20,000 with a steady US$ 16,000 average on land.

Continue reading the interview here. And if you’re not subscribed to Travel Tales of Life yet, I highly recommend following along with Dave and Sue’s travels and stories.

Liesbet Collaert Interview and Her Book, Plunge – Guest Feature on Priorhouse

This past week, author, photographer, and blogger Yvette had me over for a chat at her insightful, diverse, and creative blog Priorhouse . She read my book, interviewed me, highlighted quotes, shared her takeaways from Plunge, and left additional thoughts in the comment section. Check this feature out here.

Good Morning Readers,

Today I want to share the Priorhouse Interview with blogger Liesbet Collaert.

How did this interview come about?

I have been following Liesbet’s blog on and off for a while now and so I wanted to jump on board (pun intended) with the sharing of her new book, a short memoir called Plunge.  

Interview: 

Thank you, Yvette, for featuring my life, writing process, and debut travel memoir Plunge on your blog today. I’m looking forward to interacting with your readers!

Question #1: What is your brief bio?

Hello everyone! My name is Liesbet Collaert and I recently published my first book, Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary. I was born and raised in Belgium, where I worked as a teacher until 2003. In that fateful year, I took my passion for traveling westwards, crossed the Atlantic Ocean by plane, and never returned. I was 27. 

Eighteen years later, I am still a nomad, with a string of sailing and RVing adventures under my belt. My husband, our 60-pound rescue dog, and I are currently living on the road in a 19ft campervan, exploring North America. Writing became my job as well as my hobby. I translate documents (English and Dutch), create articles, co-edit a Caribbean boating magazine, maintain a blog, take photos, and focus on other writing projects. Because of our unique lifestyle and low expenses, we manage to satisfy our free spirits, minimalistic ideas, few responsibilities, and desire to live on our own terms. Indefinitely.

Question #2: Tell us about the book

Continue reading here.

Chatting with Liesbet about Her #1 Debut Novel – Interview on WordDreams with Jacqui Murray

Author, blogger, and educator Jacqui Murray was one of the first people to read and review my travel memoir Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary on Amazon and Goodreads. Not only that… She also posted her five-star review on her popular, well-researched, and informative blog WordDreams as a birthday gift to me on November 28th. You can read that in-depth review here. It garnered 115 comments!

In short, Jacqui – versatile, busy, and productive as she is – has been an incredible cheerleader and supporter of me, the aspiring author. After reading Plunge, she had three burning questions. Please, check out what they are and how I answered them on her blog.

***

I have rarely enjoyed a memoir as much as I liked Liesbet Collaert’s, Plunge: One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary. Maybe because at my core, I’m nomadic. She does what I wish I would (and don’t). Here is my review if you’d like to read more about this wonderful life story.

No surprise, I had a few more questions she didn’t cover in her book so Liesbet agreed to drop by and answer them.

***

Thank you, Jacqui, for inviting me to your informative, entertaining, and diverse blog WordDreams after you already surprised me with your fantastic and detailed five-star review of Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary on my birthday in November.

  • Do you like wandering on water in a boat or land in a van better?

What a great question. And, not an easy one to answer. I tend to think that there is a good time for everything, based on our circumstances, desires, and fate. Hopping on a sailboat seemed like the perfect adventure at the time and I enjoyed (most) of that eight-year experience in the Caribbean and South Pacific, until there came an end to it and we moved into a 19ft campervan to explore North America and, hopefully, beyond.

What I’m trying to say is that there are advantages to both lifestyles. While adventuring on land is less challenging than on the water (less life-threatening conditions, less maintenance, lower costs, more freedom to go wherever, the weather is less important and all-consuming, more outdoor space, and prepping/planning isn’t an ordeal), there are many factors that I miss about the boat life.

Continue reading here.

How and Why Do I Travel?

Coralie of the inspiring travel blog Grey Globetrotters interviewed me for her insightful “travel chat” series.

Travel interview with Liesbet Collaert, full-time traveller and blogger

Travel Chat With Liesbet from Roaming About

In today’s travel chat with Liesbet from Roaming About, mature full-time nomad Liesbet Collaert shares how she has been travelling for a lifetime and blogging about her travels for thirteen years.

Her travel stories are rich, detailed and always leave me wanting to read more, so I was excited to interview her and get to know more about the woman behind the blog!

Hi, I’m Liesbet, I’ve been a full-time nomad since 2003!

I’ve been blogging about my travels for thirteen years – eight years on my sailing blog It’s Irie – Cruising the World, the Way It Is and the last five years on Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary

As a nomad, originally from Belgium, I document our life and travels on the road (currently in a 19ft camper van in the US), my writing journey, and random thoughts and photos to inspire readers.

Q1. When did you start travelling?

As a child and teenager growing up in Belgium, I joined family vacations to France, Spain, Italy, and Norway and a school trip to Morocco.

Q2. Where did you go on your first trip, and why?

My first two trips without adults happened in the same year – the summer of 1993 – at age seventeen. One was by ferry and bus for a weekend in London, UK, with a friend. The other was a multiple-week hitchhiking adventure, with a different friend, to and in Italy.

Why? Adventure, freedom, and independence lured. 

Liesbet at The Wave, Vermilion Cliffs, Utah, USA

Q3. How would you describe your travel style?

Low-budget, impulsive, 100% independent, flexible, adventurous. I’m curious about cultures, languages, and sights – architectural as well as natural. In general, light on luggage, but that doesn’t quite fit the bill when travelling with your own house (campers, sailboats, cars), which I have been doing now for seventeen years.

Q4. What do you love most about travelling? And what drives you crazy?

Being in nature with its peace and beauty, especially interacting with or observing wildlife, and being immersed in different cultures while meeting fascinating people are my favourites. 

While I’m generally a flexible person, if nothing works out, consistently, and Murphy’s Law keeps following me, that drives me crazy! Also, not being able to get comfortable (or sleep) for days or feeling disrespected or taken advantage of diminishes my spirits.

Q5. How do you most like to travel? (mode of transport)

This really depends. While I like to say a small RV because that’s our current mode of travel and transportation, there are times I preferred our catamaran, and we both look forward to “no responsibility” travel in the future, as “backpackers” with just carry-on luggage.

Q6. Are you a planner or a last-minute traveller?

Last-minute traveller. We are quite impulsive and flexible and hate for anticipation to turn into disappointment. It’s better to have no or few expectations – pleasant surprises will await!

Liesbet & Maya – Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, Colorado, USA

Q7. Are you a full-time or part-time traveller?

Full-time since 2003. Before that, two stints of a year at a time, and part-time.

Q8. Do you travel differently today to how you did in your 20s and 30s? What’s changed, and why?

Yes and no.

  • As a 20-something, I mostly backpacked on an even tighter budget than now and I explored the US and Canada in a small RV.
  • In my 30s, it was a slightly bigger truck camper and two smallish sailboats.
  • Now, in my 40s, it’s a 19ft campervan. It’s shorter than our last RV, but, in a way, more liveable and “roomy”.

With age comes the desire for comfort (I won’t call it luxury). The solution for me – and my past and present partner – was to travel with our own home, on the oceans and overland. We always knew we’d have a place to sleep at night (our own bed) and food to cook and eat (in our own kitchen).

And, we figured out a way to always carry enough water for showers and create our own electricity.

Q9. Has Coronavirus made you think differently about your future travels?

That’s a resounding yes, as travel is our life. The biggest impact for me is not being able to see my friends and family in my home country. It had already been two years since my last visit to Belgium and this year, that trip won’t happen either.

Here in the US, it affected us back in March and it will do so in the future. We will still be able to roam about, but facilities might be hard to come by, national parks entries might be restricted, and certain attractions will remain closed.

We usually boondock (camp for free) in nature and away from other people. But we still need access to dump stations to empty our tanks and fill with fresh water. If those facilities close (again), we are in trouble.

Q10. Tell us about the most memorable place you’ve visited so far.

There are many memorable places; their influence depends on personal interests.

In the last decade:

  • Wildlife – Galapagos Islands and French Polynesia;
  • Culture – Guatemala, San Blas Islands in Panama and French Polynesia
  • Happy Hours & Socializing – Eastern Caribbean; Beaches – Barbuda and the Tuamotu Archipelago
  • Snorkelling – Bonaire, the Gambier Islands, and the Society Archipelago.

Sailing on Irie in the Caribbean

Q11. Is there anywhere you wouldn’t go, or a type of travel/experience you wouldn’t be comfortable with?

I’m open to pretty much any experience as long as it doesn’t affect the environment or local people in a negative way. Hey, I went sailing for eight years while being prone to seasickness.

Q12. If you could live in one other country, where would you choose, and why?

Very difficult question and one my husband and I have been debating for fifteen years. If there was a perfect country, everyone would live there, right?

We contemplated living in Belize, thirteen years ago, but changed our mind. At the moment, while being mobile, we kind of live in the United States, but we are ready to take our travels and lives abroad again. More tropical locales await.

We do think becoming expats in a place like Mexico, Grenada or Bali might be in our (distant) future.

Q13. What’s the worst travel mistake/regret you’ll admit to?

Being too frugal when it comes to splurging on a meal or visiting a site. Yep, I’ve skipped many an attraction, encounter, experience, and activity for this reason.

Q14. What do you do first when you arrive somewhere new?

Check whether there is WiFi. I sure hope this will change in the near future. Maybe whenever we retire… In our camper, we actually check if we are level first (or make that happen as best as possible) and on the boat, it was making sure the anchor was set. Safety and comfort are still more important than internet availability.

Q15. How do you stay healthy when travelling?

We walk most anywhere, go on hikes in nature, and eat a plant-based diet. Most importantly, we now have a dog that needs exercise, so taking her for a few walks a day is part of our daily routine.

Q16. What wouldn’t you leave home without in your cabin bag?

My diary (now on my tablet), my camera, my laptop.

Q17. Which movie(s) or book(s) have inspired your travels?

None. As a (young) adult, I travelled before I read books or watched movies. If I have to answer something, I guess it would be guidebooks and documentaries.

Q18. What are the best and the worst things you’ve eaten on your travels?

Eating fish tacos in Mexico

I like to try new foods and love rice and noodle dishes with loads of vegetables and non-bony seafood. I’ve also come to like spicy food as I started traveling. Mexican fish tacos along the street are cheap and to die for and you can order me anything in a restaurant in Thailand…

The worst? Probably Chinese street food (very different than what you eat in Westernized Chinese restaurants, as I’ve never seen fish eyes and chicken feet on the menu there) and fried insects.

Q19. When choosing somewhere to visit, what’s most important to you?

That it’s affordable, attractive, and a new experience, and that I can stay a while.

Q20. Tell us about three midlife bloggers you follow, and why their blogs inspire you

While I read (too) many, I’ll stick to three travel bloggers I follow for different reasons:

  1. Lisa Dorenfest from One Ocean at a Time – not only is she a positive, supportive, inspiring, kind, and strong real-life friend, adventurer, and sailor, she is also an amazing storyteller and photographer.
  2. Laura and Kevin of Chapter 3 Travels – I only recently discovered this blog through a mutual nomadic blogging friend, Peta from Green Global Trek, and like following along because they also travel full-time in a camper, love dogs and have one aboard, take amazing photos, and produce engaging (sarcastic and truthful) travel accounts.
  3. Duwan and Greg of Make Like An Ape Man – This adventurous nomadic couple has a lot in common with us. They owned a sailboat, did house and petting gigs, live frugally, and they currently travel in a camper van. We hung out with them in person a couple of times and hope to meet up again soon. I enjoy following their blog as it contains great shots and practical information that might come in handy.

Q21. What’s #1 on your travel bucket list and why?

I don’t believe in bucket lists. I think it’s an over-used word that has lost its original purpose and meaning. That being said, I want to travel to so many places still, with South Africa, Patagonia, and Antarctica high on “the list”.

Q22. Where are you planning to visit next?

We are driving back to the visually stunning American Southwest and hopefully hop over the border into Mexico again this fall and winter. Our short-term goal is to find a way (meaning a suitable camper) to explore the South American continent.

A Little More Travel Chat with Liesbet from Roaming About

Liesbet, Mark, Kali, and Darwin – Samara, Costa Rica

Liesbet’s Top 3 Travel Tips:

Top Packing Tip

Only pack what you need on a daily basis, nothing you rarely use. Comfortable clothes and shoes. Anything to collect memories and retain them.

How to Survive Long-haul Flying

With plenty of water and a book or tablet.

How to Stay Safe When Travelling

  • Be aware.
  • Remain vigilant, kind, and open-minded.
  • Learn a few words in the local language.
  • Trust your gut.

Liesbet & Mark, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Final Quick Words for this Travel Chat with Liesbet from Roaming About

  • Self-guided travel or join a tour? Self-guided travel
  • Window seat or aisle? Window seat
  • Favourite thing to wear for travelling? Comfortable shoes. Shorts with deep pockets 
  • Favourite Country? Australia
  • Checked bags or carry on only? Carry-on only
  • Book or Kindle? Tablet which has Kindle 
  • Best travel resource? Other travellers

I hope you’ve enjoyed this travel chat with Liesbet from Roaming About! Don’t forget to check out her travel stories on Roaming About and do follow her on social media Facebook and Twitter.

Welcome Liesbet Collaert #wouldyourather by Jill Weatherholt

On Friday, the lovely, kind, generous, and supportive blogger and romance author Jill Weatherholt invited me over on her site to participate in her fun and insightful #wouldyourather series. Check out our interview with her five unique yet tough questions and my less than ordinary answers!

Welcome Liesbet Collaert #wouldyourather

Today I’m excited to welcome friend, writer, blogger, photographer and world traveler, Liesbet Collaert. Many of you already enjoy reading about Liesbet’s nomadic lifestyle on her blog. If not, I encourage you to do so. Each visit is like taking a trip to a magical destination. She and her husband Mark are living a lifestyle that most could only dream of experiencing. Thanks so much for playing along, Liesbet!

Thank you, Jill, for featuring me on your lovely blog this week and for letting me play along in your entertaining Would You Rather series. I had a lot of fun participating!

Would you rather be able to freeze time or travel in time?

Travel in time. That way, I can keep going back to the moments I’d like to freeze and experience them over and over again. ???? The main reason I’d like to travel in time (sometimes in the future to have a quick glance at the outcome of a decision in case it’s disastrous and I’d have to go back and change it, but most often to the past) is to investigate something that has always intrigued me. Choices.

I’m a firm believer that life is about choices and not about luck or following social norms. Yet, I wish I had the ability to experience different paths in this precious lifetime. My future, in general, can be left alone; each new day is exciting and promising. But when it comes to my past, I often wonder what would have happened if I picked the other direction at a split in the road. To be able to experience alternate paths would be most novel and satisfying to the curious mind!

Would you rather be the funniest person in the room or the most intelligent?

Continue reading the post here.

Comments are closed on this page, but I’d love to read your thoughts – and your answers if you feel inclined – on Jill’s blog. Happy reading!

Guest Post on Global Housesitter X2 – Housesitting in America

Thank you to Suzanne, who interviewed me about house and pet sitting on her informative and entertaining blog, which has now been closed down.

Housesitting in America – Liesbet & Mark

In my series “Interviews with Housesitters”, I will be introducing you to various people who live life differently via slow travel and housesitting.

Liesbet and I have been following each other for a while now, well, since I started getting involved with the Blogging Community.  I have thoroughly enjoyed our interactions and have found Liesbet very informative, fun and a straight talker, a personality trait I find a breath of fresh air.  Then if you are like me you start reading more about her travelling life you too will be inspired at what these two have achieved and enjoyed as a team.

Meet Liesbet and Mark

Mark and Liesbet in Tahiti

Liesbet was born and raised in Belgium but calls herself a world citizen.

Since being a teenager, her two passions have been travel and writing. That’s mainly what she has been doing since her graduation as a teacher, many years ago. Her explorations backpacking and camping led her to many parts of the world and into the arms of her American husband Mark.

With him, she continued her adventures by truck camper, sailboat, and camper van. The closest they’ve ever come to settling down is choosing a lifestyle of house and pet sitting in North America. She is in the process of writing a memoir about the last decade of her unconventional life. Her blog Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary reports on her writing journey, travels, housesits and expense reports.

What made you choose housesitting as a way of life?

After my husband, Mark, and I sailed full-time on our 35ft catamaran for eight years, while maintaining an income, we were pretty exhausted. We decided to sell the boat in Tahiti and return to the United States, we but didn’t want to settle. A friend had told us about house and pet sitting when we visited him in New Zealand six months earlier, so we decided to give that a try in the US. It turned out to be the perfect lifestyle for us. We enjoy and appreciate living all over the country, rent-free, while taking care of dogs, sightseeing during the weekends, and being able to do our work in comfort.

Abacos, Bahamas with our dogs Kali and Darwin

What was the process you went through to become a housesitter?

I signed up for three house sitting sites, created an attractive profile with dog-loving photos, collected a few “character references” from friends and family, started the first sit close by to gain experience, a 5-star review and a “real” reference, and launched into full-time house and pet sitting, first in New England, then out west.

With Herk at Lake Tahoe

How long have you been housesitting?

Almost three years.

For yourself, what are the positives and negatives to housesitting?

Positives: being able to love, cuddle, walk, and spoil dogs without owning one, work and live in a comfortable and convenient environment, not spending money on accommodation, meeting interesting people, exploring new areas every time we move, having the ability to get to know places in-depth.

Negatives: for us, there is only one negative: we don’t have a social life. While living and traveling by sailboat and camper creates like-minded communities to be a part of, our current social life happens mostly online. Unless one of our friends travels through the area where we have a sit, which has happened on a few occasions. We would like to house sit internationally one day, but the big negative then will be the high cost for plane tickets and possibly car rentals.

With Tui on Cape Cod, MA

What do you look for when choosing your next housesit?

Since we both work from home, decent and reliable internet is our main requirement. The area has to be somewhat attractive, and we avoid “Trump territory”. We also ignore listings that require a lot of extra work (more than the usual pet care, cleanup, watering of the plants and normal yard work), because we are busy enough with our own jobs. Since my husband is allergic to cats, we don’t apply to sits with indoor cats. We try to get to know the home owners a bit via email and a video Skype call before we commit, to make sure there are no red flags.

Do you prefer long term or short term sits? The pros and cons are?

Long-term sits. After a decade+ of traveling, we were pretty burnt out when it came to moving frequently. Once settled in a place, we like to be able to enjoy the area, the dogs, and the home for a while. Plus, once our electronics are installed, and we know the lay of the land, it’s comfortable and enjoyable to just be in the same place for a while. I don’t see any cons about long-term sitting, unless you pick this lifestyle to travel a lot and desire to see many places in a short amount of time.

In the past, when we still had our Toyota Prius, we sometimes took short-term sits to fill gaps between house sits. We never stayed in a hotel or paid for accommodation those first eighteen months.

What website do you use? Or have you developed your own?

I have a “sitting” section on my blog that showcases our profile, reviews, and posts about our house-sitting experiences. The same profile and photos are listed on a few websites as well. We started with House Sitters America, Mind My House and Trusted House Sitters. Then, when seeing an attractive sit on House Carers, we signed up for that service as well. Last year, we canceled our membership with THS and more recently with House Carers. As we plan to combine travel and house sitting in the near future, the two remaining sites we belong to offer enough choice.

When not housesitting, what sort of accommodation do you mainly use? Or do you have your own home or motorhome to go back to, in between housesits?

When we started our house and pet sitting lifestyle in 2015, all our belongings fit in the back of our car. We managed to string house sits together, with only a few small gaps. Those days, we either prolonged the last house sit a bit, stayed with family on the East Coast, or crashed with friends.

One year ago, Mark and I bought a camper van, which gives us security in between house sits and a permanent roof above our heads. During the weekends, we have taken it camping in the areas of our sits, and soon it will be our “official” home on wheels.

Free camping in the Sonoran Desert, AZ

What’s one piece of advice you would share with someone who was contemplating their first housesit?

House and pet sitting is based on trust, respect and common sense. If you are a responsible, caring, and attentive person interested in this exchange, you can do it. Communication skills, honesty, and a love for animals are a must as well. Once you create an attractive profile and gather some experience (represented in positive reviews), you’re off to a good start. Before you commit to any sits, I highly recommend you have a video Skype call (or at least a phone call) in addition to email exchanges, to make sure you’re on the right page with the home owners. Have fun!

With Lola along the CA coast

Our summer update:

Mark and I are currently wrapping up our last week of being with family in Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA. On Monday, we go on  a three day/two night Amtrak train ride back to Zesty in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Once there, after a deserving shower and a good night sleep, we will be ready for new adventures!

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Open House Sunday Interview – Freelance travel writer and photographer Liesbet Collaert

via Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Open House Sunday Interview – Freelance travel writer and photographer Liesbet Collaert

This weekend, I am honored to be a guest on Sally Cronin’s blog Smorgasbord – Variety is the Spice of Life. 

Please, have a look at my interview, and leave a comment there, if you’d like!

My guest today is Liesbet Collaert who has a lifestyle that is very different to those of us who rarely stir from our comfort zones, except for the odd couple of weeks holiday.

Let’s find out more about Liesbet before finding out Belgium, her favourite leisure pastimes, the impact of modern technology and the five experiences we should all tick off our bucket list. Liesbet also shares some of her photographs from her travels which will certainly create wanderlust in most of us.

Continue reading here.

 

Blogging Awards: Thanks or No, Thanks?

Blogging awards are a controversial topic among bloggers. Some are ecstatic to receive them, others rather pass, claiming their blog is award-free. I have mixed feelings about the distribution of these virtual awards. They are an arbitrary thing, yet, they are also a symbol of recognition by a fellow blogger. When you receive any of these awards, like the “Liebster Award”, the “Versatile Blogger Award”, or the “Entertainer Blogger Award” (there are more, I’m sure, but these are the ones I have heard of and received), it doesn’t mean that you have been chosen or voted for by a group of people. Nor have you won a competition or a prize for outstanding work, decided by a jury. Is it a link-up? Is it a token of appreciation? Both?  Continue reading

Modern Day Nomads? That’s Us!

I am taking the easy way out today with my blog. I truly ought to prioritize my book and I am a bit demotivated because of a Bluehost server problem that was out of our hands, last Friday. It broke our 3 websites at a critical time, for 16 hours straight; just when I had put some extra effort into a few things. You gotta love the internet, and hosting services you pay a lot of money for…

Irie, Mark, Liesbet, Darwin and Kali in the Bahamas

Irie, Mark, Liesbet, Darwin and Kali in the Bahamas

So, I am offering up two links today. Don’t worry, they are not affiliate links, nor do they bring you somewhere you don’t want to be. The first one is a recent interview with us, by Modern Day Nomads, which officially declares us nomads of the present (and the future). 🙂 Continue reading

Back in the Swing of Things

Wow! I feel totally “deblogged” after an absence of over a week and not writing about much else than the A-Z Blogging Challenge lately. But, I am back. Well, almost anyway. Still getting re-settled in our current home. My three week visit to Belgium has come to an end and I have returned into the arms of my wonderful husband who remained in New England. Now, our long-term house sit in Heath, MA can start in earnest. Even the sun arrived with rays of pure bliss. I love all these warm embraces. The scenery has turned from deep brown to vibrant green while I was away, and I am ready for summer!

Continue reading

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