Looking out over the breathtaking view of Puget Sound, surrounded by women that I didn’t even know a few days ago, I was astonished at the energy in the room. The feeling of love and unity was almost tangible! Everyone knows that yoga retreats are supposed to be about health and wellness, but we were…
Those of you that engage in online dating know how frustrating it is. It’s very much like job hunting. You reach out, or respond to others with similar interests, in hopes of finding that one in a million experience that will enhance your life. Along the way, you meet all kinds of people, waste tons…
I used to be success driven. I started babysitting when I was 12 years old, and I’ve worked two or three jobs at a time for most of my life. I worked hard and accomplished every goal I set. I had a luxury home, fast car, great kids, and a successful career as an executive.…
Ever since I went to the 2018 Seattle Pride Festival last weekend, I’ve been getting a lot of questions and sideways glances. Why did I go? Wasn’t I uncomfortable? Am I gay? I’m not a big fan of labels, and who I sleep with isn’t anyone’s business but my own. The fact is, you don’t…
I’ve pretty much stopped taking friend requests from single men on Facebook. As a travel blogger and entrepreneur trying to grow my freelance writing business, it’s wise to increase my following on social media. So, generally I accept new friend requests unless the person looks like a total freak. However, lately I’ve been rethinking that…
There’s a new buzz-word in the travel industry, “voluntourism.” Voluntourism is gaining in popularity. Lots of people who are eager to help and seeking adventure around the world are signing up. They’re paying big bucks for the opportunity to make a difference in the global community, but some of these people are coming home feeling…
According to a 2014 study of the self-improvement market by Marketdata Enterprises, Americans spend over $500 million a year on self-help books. That doesn’t even include classes, workshops, and seminars. Self-help is a gigantic industry, but there seems to be an equally popular counter movement. When I was in Rishikesh, India I saw several people reading…
Somewhere right now there is a little boy in an impoverished country feeling lost and forgotten. He is fortunate that he has the basics in life: shelter, food, and water; but his young life is still a struggle. He has to work long days helping his parents in the little café they own in Bali.…
I love to travel. I live for it, and so do a lot of people. Besides being fun and exciting, travel teaches us more about ourselves and other cultures. There are tons of great reasons to travel, but to be honest, there are also many valid reasons not to travel. There is a dark side…
After traveling to twenty countries in the last two years, I can tell you without a doubt that every country has its share of problems. However, it’s America’s gun problem, and India’s garbage problem, that sadden me the most, because I love these two countries the most. What’s even more sad is that just the act of me writing this post will undoubtedly start off a shit storm that will have people unfriending me like a bastard at a family reunion. Still, the comparison of these two problems is real, and the issues must be addressed. Here are three ways that America’s gun problem is like India’s garbage problem.
These two issues are horrific, astonishing, obvious, and downright tragic. While politicians and corporate leaders try to glaze over the issues, because the mountain just seems too high to climb, the rest of us argue over which trail to take. Who’s to blame? Why is it a problem? It’s always been this way. We have the rights to our guns. We have the right to toss our garbage into the Ganges River. How dare you take away my rights! Meanwhile, children get plowed down at school like a scene in a video game, and our planet chokes on the garbage of over a billion people.