Vermont: And a Storm Called Sandy

Where to begin? How to put into words what we are feeling? The anxieties we experience hourly?

Thankfully, we are all safe and sound here in D.C.  Our house experienced high winds and a small leak but that is no big deal.  In NY and NJ, the same can't be said. People are without power and water.  Kids will go to sleep tonight in a strange place, instead of their own home. Houses have been flooded. Businesses ruined. 

And on Fire Island, one of the hardest hit locations along the Eastern seaboard, we just don't know what has happened to our dear summer house. We do know that 120 people who chose to stay behind are stranded, with no way to get off. We do know that streets are flooded waist deep.  We do know that the size of this storm was something few of us could fathom.We do know that houses washed away, collapsed into the ocean.

Our summer community will never be the same.

Vermont: And my Day Job

So, it seems some people in my little town in Vermont think I work for the CIA.  I had to pause and think why. But then I remembered that last year when I came back from Juba, South Sudan, I went into my daughter's school and gave a presentation. It was hard -- oh, so very hard to explain what I do.

Then, there was the package -- the package that arrived from Kyrgyzstan.  The brown paper package with cyrillic writing and wax stamp. I ordered pillows. I really did.

And the black SUV that sat in our drive with Virginia plates.

And my numerous early morning flights to D.C.

What do I really do?  Check back tomorrow.

Vermont: And that Magical City called New York

It's a magical city like no other.  Filled with skyscrapers and shining jewels.  Overflowing with beautiful people. It's a city like no other.

Is it the lunch at Bergdorf's overlooking Central Park? Or the shoe department at Saks?

Or the Plaza, where we think about Eloise romping the hallways, while we sip our colorful drinks under the pale purple lights? And then sleep peacefully in those lovely white beds?

I don't know for sure....but I know that the magic has definitely rubbed off on our girls.

Vermont: And a Place Very Far Away

It's such an amazing city.  And I see it differently every time I go.  It can be the juxtaposition of old and new. A sky scraper with a motif of elephants and temples.  The Siam Paragon mega mall and an old wat around the corner, nestled amongst greenery and offering a respite from the hustle and bustle.  The monks serenely walking past while the scooters screech by and the pink taxis honk their horns.

It's crowded.  It's hot.  But it's never, ever dull. And it's always a different city I see from the last time.

I'll share some of my impressions the next few days.

Vermont: Travel Album from Morocco