Things that help me travel, work and be me.

This printer: Canon Ivy with Zink tonerless technology and every print is a sticker! Ok they’re not as beautiful as the ones I order from Social Print Studio, but they’re fun and immediate. https://socialprintstudio.com/

Commonplace Journal

Taking a turn, I chose to publish my Commonplace journal here including travel. What happened? A less than perfect travel experience—two actually—that made me reevaluate the way I spend my remaining time. Home, away, it’s all the same.

Seven days in Maine

Beautiful light, a rustic Maine cabin, a fire and good food—okay lobster every day. Changes one. Revisit for sure.

We disadvantaged travelers

Technology working as promised

Apple helps those with disabilities travel, work and basically live. We use these features daily. And appreciate them wholeheartedly..

Apple helps those with disabilities travel, work and basically live. We use these features daily. And appreciate them wholeheartedly.

Creating wall art from your travels

So many options! You can make beautiful, professional works of art to decorate your rooms. I love waking up to memories of Quaking Aspens above my bed, the very ones I saw on the dirt road drive to Crested Butte, Colorado. Those trees, my moment. I used Dalmatian Printmakers in Greensboro, NC for the highest quality black and white, then took the finished prints to a local shop that caters to artists for thick matting, glare resistant glass. You can absolutely go the budget route for your print products with impressive results; email me for suggestions and suppliers.

Julia Cameron, the mother of all journalers

During a dark time in my life I stumbled upon Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, where I learned about Morning Pages.

From The Artist’s Way, “Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*– They are not high art. They are not even ‘writing.’ They are about the first anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page...and then do three more pages tomorrow.”

Journaling led me toward creativity, healing and ways to pull up out of painful situations.

As my friend Robin puts it, journaling teaches you to write to yourself.

Why?

Explorers Lounge

If you agree that travel is the way to experience life with all your senses, taking home priceless moments that enrich your life, we’re in the same boat, pun intended. If you haven’t experienced the therapeutic joy of journaling, it’s not too late to start.

Journal for your life

The best way to memorialize your travel is with all your senses. Words, pictures, scents, sounds, little collages, original art; there are so many options. As a lifelong photographer, my easiest choice is with camera, a photo journal. We all have a camera with us most of the time; my inspiration when choosing a phone is the camera and quality—and yes, I’m in the cult of Apple. If you want your journal online, whether you share with close ones or the whole world, there are so many ways. Send me a question. The wonderful thing about a digital journal is that it’s searchable. The wonderful thing about a physical journal is that it’s holdable. Do both.

Making a Margaret-worthy egg dish

The Silver Lake Lodge, called The Highest B&B (in Colorado? The U.S.? The World?). Proprietors Andrew and Margaret Wal make every day delicious and memorable. The up-the-mountain switchback setting easily serves as home base for a quiet, lovely stay close to enough to the Denver Airport to make a last minute getaway a good idea. Breakfast, included with your room, is delicious and involves fruits, vegetables, sweet and savory flavors. Almost every morning a very Euro egg dish (Eggs en Cocotte) is baked to perfection in an individual ramekin and brought to the table hot, fragrant and pretty. For us these will be referred to as Margaret’s egg dishes and after picking up ramekins from Amazon, they’re mine too.

NÜ Car rental: just say no.

Love this travel tip from Austin Kleon

I’m a fan, reader and subscriber of Austin Kleon, and always take a photo of where I park at the airport. Why not room or cabin number as Austin suggests. Makes for good travel journal content! Magoo has a long story—8 hours precisely—about looking for his car during pre-cellphone holidays at Newark International Airport. You can ask him to tell it if you want, but hence the nickname Magoo.