France (May, 2015) – We took the train into the city for the essential excursion into history and for some gourmandise. Somewhere between sampling chocolate and venturing for gelato, dashing our way through point zero and finding distractions in the barrage of street art, I found a moment of reflection. It's the novelty of doing everything and nothing at the same time. It's always a sensory experience when day-tripping with the tribe, though perhaps groovy isn't the correct term.

Canada (December, 2023) – It felt very apocalyptic as the fog overtook the car for long stretches of road. The four-year-old remarkably repeated and multiplied our discourse that the world was coming to an end, as everything beyond a couple metres simply disappeared from sight. To lighten the mood, we debated flat earth theories and zombies between humming the tunes melodically playing in the background. Our lofty goal of catching the northern lights was indeed a failed family mission, but what we missed out on with climacteric skies was replaced instead living in the moments of pure wonder and joy.

Canada (December, 2023) – We skirted around Bridal Veil Falls; along the winding path of fairy houses, passing several bronze sculptures and patches of dangling icicles without the covering of snow. Mother nature has certainly made her mark, as our expectations of snow-covered indigenous territories failed to appear. We arrived in Manitoulin expecting inclement weather and perhaps an atmosphere of winter wonderland. Instead the last day of the year brought with it a mix of emotions, lost in thoughts and taking in new memories while adventuring into the woods.

Morocco (September, 2014) – I'm unsure if the Art Deco details or the muted hues drew my attention first, but the coral gate was different from its surroundings. I have an intellectual draw towards the romanticism of postcards, letters, calligraphy and all things postage. Cast against the adobe hues, the amusement of a lovely coral letterbox invigorated my imagination. 

Uzbekistan (November, 2019) – I still have flashbacks and glorious dreams calling me back to the ancient fortified city. With our travel in Central Asia; occurring outside the typical touristy times of the year, we appeared to have the benefit of minimal wayfarers and the freedom to roam. After spending the day driving the famed Silk Route; our arrival in Khiva felt surreal. We wandered up to the Hotel's roof to catch a glimpse of the setting sun against the eastern wall of the wondrous Itchen Kala before heading out to explore a little further before total darkness.

Türkiye (November, 2019) – We navigated the Hagia Sophia with extreme enthusiasm, as it is part of my great silkroad bucket list. The combination of architectural styles and varying religious motifs from a number of bygone eras is the precise area of interest... the migration of spiritual beliefs and practices. The museum that we visited had a spiritual energy which felt open and respectful of its mercurial history. Alas the museum has been transformed again into an active religious site. 

India (January, 2017) – Days before my departure; the family reassembled for a joint pre-wedding ritual for a bride and a first rice ceremony for a tiny-tot. As with most cultures, food is an essential part of the ritual process, for Bengali's this means fish curry. Out on the back patio-garden, a multitude of family hands each contributed some effort into preparing a portion of the festive meal.