The Student Becomes the Teacher

But by the third day, I had settled into the rhythm of life in the studio. We ate breakfast of bread, cheese, and tea and then Khushnud and I spent the morning at the pottery wheels, throwing new pieces, decorating, and trimming whatever had dried enough to handle. Before long, it […]

Detained at the Uzbek-Kyrgyz Border

While Julia was busy taking pottery classes, I got my ass in trouble. Funny story. When we arrived in Rishton, it was already dark outside, and we barely saw the surroundings.  But as we settled for the night at the pottery studio, I looked at Google Maps on my phone […]

Pottery for Pets

I woke up the next morning with my heart fluttering. It was the first day of my pottery retreat. I threw on older clothes I didn’t mind getting dirty with clay and hurried outside. I hadn’t really seen the courtyard the night before. We arrived after dark, when little was […]

First Lesson. Rishton.

It was late evening, and we had just arrived at the pottery studio of one of the most famous ceramic artists in Uzbekistan. We were exhausted and sweaty and weren’t sure if our long day of travel was over or if we would now need to look for alternative accommodation. […]

Getting There.  Rishton.

I’ve been talking about doing a pottery retreat for a long time – somewhere I can learn new skills, work with different types of clay and glazing techniques, get some fresh ideas for my craft.  It was always “one day” and “wouldn’t it be cool” type of idea.  I might […]

Bosnia and Herzegovina: One Country, Two Regions, Three Nations

By Julia / July 24, 2025

What is a country? It’s a strange question, especially from someone who has traveled extensively.  But the answer is not quite as simple as a glance at a political map might suggest.  We have been to countries that no longer exist (Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, USSR), regions that used to be countries […]

Smuggling Molcajete

By Julia / July 16, 2025

One of my most impractical dreams, born from years of travel, is this: I want to decorate each room in my house in the style of a different country.  The bedroom would be designed like a chamber in an Indian palace with ornate fabrics, carved wood, and a hint of […]

Dancing with Chinelos

By Victor / July 2, 2025

The old, battered bus bounced along the road with dusty Mexican countryside rolling past the window. Google Maps on my phone showed we were approaching our destination: Yautepec de Zaragoza. Before the trip, I never imagined going to this small town in the middle of nowhere. And here we were, […]

Rioting in Cuernavaca

By Julia / June 26, 2025

We were enjoying a quiet breakfast of an omelet and sopes on an outdoor patio, taking in the beautiful view of the central plaza. Like so many town squares in Mexico, it featured all the familiar elements: a park, a gazebo, a historic church, and the oversized colorful letters spelling […]

Temazcal in Tepoztlan

By Julia / June 19, 2025

Don’t worry if you don’t understand two out of three words in the title, I will explain everything.  This year, we traveled to Tepoztlan, hiked up and down a mountain, and ended up in a temazcal. Ok, I’ll keep explaining. It was an intense, surreal experience, and I am still […]

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jack

By Victor / June 12, 2025

Part III Those of you who follow this blog closely know we are on a lifetime quest to visit all 30 major league baseball ballparks. We are not in any rush to see them all, and it is kind of fun to take this journey slowly to savor baseball trips […]

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