The tension in the room was palpable. Game on the line, just under a minute to go, second and goal at the one. The Seattle Seahawks one yard away from securing their second consecutive Super Bowl championship. All eyes were on the big screen TV at the end of the room. Most were sitting on …more

No Japan is not a Christian country, however, you would not know that during the holiday season. Everywhere you go there is wonderful Christmas music playing in the stores, and colorful decorations everywhere. Only 1 percent of the population is Christian. Way back in the 1500’s there was a large Christian population in Nagasaki and …more

“Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama” –The Beach Boys   In conversations about retirement, moving overseas is always a hot topic. The ocean is always bluer on the other side of the equator. We all know or have heard of the wonderful places, the low cost of living, …more

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So here’s the thing! I have shallow roots. In fact, I work to maintain shallow roots. I’m pretty sure it started when I was a child; forced to move many, many times as part of a horribly dysfunctional family with two alcoholic parents. I can’t even remember how many elementary schools I attended. I think …more

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The city of Vancouver is relatively small with only about 600,000 people. On the other hand Greater Vancouver, more commonly known as the Lower Mainland, has a population of 2.5 million. It includes, among others, the contiguous cities of Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, New Westminster, and Coquitlam, and across the harbour North Vancouver and West Vancouver. …more

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Moving to Italy was my dream. As I approached retirement age, I could be found most nights surfing the web, searching for my place in the sun. Those cold, wet winter evenings in Galway, Ireland, glass of red wine (Italian) and a few potato chips for company, I scanned a multitude of property websites in …more

One of our frequent flyer programs was about to change and become very costly. We decided to cash in some miles, and take a trip to South America. Originally, we wanted to visit Columbia, but the current State Department Safety Warnings were enough to try someplace else. On our bucket list was Uruguay, but for …more

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As the leaves change color and the morning air gets a little crisper, thoughts turn to that semi-annual ritual of changing places once again. No matter how long we do this, it seems that we just barely get settled in and it’s time to go. Where did the summer go? It doesn’t seem that long …more