I am a fighter. I am strong.
I have the courage and strength
to climb many mountains beyond.
All photos taken along the Annapurna Trek in Nepal. November 2010.
Category: TRAVEL
A Visit to the magical Luray Caverns
Last week, we were in Virginia visiting family and decided to take a day trip to see the Luray Caverns near the Shenandoah National Park. I have always wanted to see a cavern and Lurary Caverns is known for its beauty and grandeur being the fourth largest cavern in the United States.
Labeled parts of a cavern. Photo source: Wikipedia Free Commons. A stalactite (meaning “to drop” is a type of formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves whereas a stalagmite (meaning “dropping, trickling”) is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Source: Wikipedia.
Discovered in 1878 by a tinsmith and local photographer who happened to stumble upon a large sinkhole and started to dig, the Luray Caverns has been one of the most visited and popular caverns on the East Coast and is a U.S. Natural Landmark. Formed over the course of 450 million years and still changing, the caverns are simply spectacular. Visitors can take an hour-long tour through the maze of cathedral-sized rooms taking in the breathtaking formations of the stalactites and stalagmites that are each an amazing work of art.
A Glorious Fall Day in Minneapolis
Today is a glorious picture perfect day in Minneapolis. A day that makes me feel incredibly happy to be alive, breathing in the fresh crisp fall air and marveling at the gorgeous display of Mother Nature’s brilliant fall beauty.
I took a run around my lovely urban Lake Harriet, reflecting on what is on my agenda for the week. I couldn’t stop taking pictures along the way. It was so heartwarmingly beautiful that all my worries and concerns drifted away. That is what nature is supposed to do. To refresh, revitalize and invigorate you. My dad has passed on his love for nature and being outside to me. In honor of his birthday, here is a collection of photos taken today on my run. October 7th always marks the peak of our fall colors in Minneapolis. I can’t think of a better birthday gift than the beauty of nature.
“Happiness is largely an attitude of mind, of viewing life from the right angle” – Dale Carnegie
Breakfast in Paris
My favorite time of the day is morning and there is no better way to start your day at one of the many outdoor cafés in lovely Paris. Cafe culture has been an essential part of Parisian life for centuries and I can see why. What could be better than sitting outside sipping a dark, strong cafe au lait, munching a buttery, hot fresh croissant and watching the world go by? Not much in my book.
During a late April trip to France, I enjoyed my breakfast in Paris even if the weather was a tad bit cold. It brought me back to over twenty years before when I lived in Paris as a student at the Sorbonne and embraced the cafe culture with all my heart. Now, I’m lucky if I get a real french coffee and normally just enjoy my regular cup of joe.
Ah, c’était ça la vie!
A votre service!
No I didn’t have this for breakfast but they were making fresh tiramisu that morning! I was very tempted to eat it for breakfast!
This post was inspired by the weekly photo challenge: Good Morning! To see more entries, click here.
A New American: The Rise of Somalis in Minnesota
Update to this post:
12/2025 Minnesota has one of the largest populations of Somalis (over 80,000 and most are either legal residents or U.S. citizens) in the United States, and our Somali population has been represented wide and far in our local, city, state and National governments, in business, in education and more. Somalis are a vibrant part of our culture here in Minnesota and I stand behind our local government, our Mayor and our Governor, in standing up against ICE. As Jamal Osman, our Minneapolis City Council member says: “Many Somalis that live in this community are working at your groceries, working at your hospitals, delivering your babies. They are very successful individuals. ” Osman, a Minneapolis City Council member, came to the United States from Somalia.
It is hard to fathom what is happening in the US as quite frankly we are ALL immigrants except the Native Americans who land we stole, whose culture we decimated and whose lives we have ravaged. It is the beauty of all our cultures that makes us great, not the hate.
NM
————————————-
Last Tuesday on my flight home from LaGuardia I had the most exceptional experience. In fact, days later after an incredibly inspiring three-day visit to New York City where I attended the 2013 Social Good Summit, I still cannot stop thinking about my plane ride home. Sitting next to me on the window seat was a new American.
I really wanted to capture her beautiful, kind face but she was sleeping by the time I thought of it. Here is the New Minnesotan, a mom just like me.
For all that I’ve traveled, I have never actually been on a plane with someone immigrating to the United States. Seeing this middle-aged Somali woman sitting tentatively next to me wearing her U.S. Immigration Tag and holding her white plastic U.S. Immigration bag, simply blew me away. I couldn’t stop thinking it was a strange coincidence that she happened to not only be on my flight but was sitting right next to me after I had just spent three extremely intense days at the Social Good Summit learning about a vast array of global issues.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
“There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
A Look Inside Minneapolis: The Lake Harriet Rose Garden
One of my favorite places to savor the change of the seasons in my hometown is the Lake Harriet Rose Garden. Located just a short block off my favorite urban lake, The Lake Harriet Rose Garden always inspires no matter what time of year.
My two favorite seasons to capture the color inside the Rose Garden are Spring and Fall. Different perennials pop up each month and it is always exciting to see what I will find. After a hot couple of weeks, today finally felt a bit more like fall. The brilliant blue September sky cast its luminous glow across Minneapolis and I knew I’d have to go take some photos of the beautiful fall flowers at the Lake Harriet Rose Garden. Here is a peak at what I found. Enjoy!
A Unique Visit to Delhi’s Lotus Temple
Any trip to Delhi requires a stop at the spectacular Lotus Temple. Built in 1986 of pure white marble from the Penteli mountain in Greece, the Lotus Temple is a Bahá’í House of Worship where people of any religions can come to pray. What makes this temple so incredibly unique and awe-inspiring is its shape and form.
Inspired by India’s sacred lotus flower, the temple is composed of 27 free-standing marble “petals” arranged in groups of three to form nine sides forming a lotus flower. It is fitting that the temple is designed to look like India’s treasured lotus flower as the lotus symbolizes many important things in Indian culture: Long life, honor, and good forturne. Images of lotus flowers can be seen throughout India as engravings on temples, buildings and in art.
My Top Five Wild Hikes
I just finished reading Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” a dark, raw and fiercely humorous book on how one woman finds herself during a three-month long trek through the wild Pacific Crest Trail. The book is powerful, emotional, honest and inspiring, and Strayed uses her brilliant memoir to take a hard look at self-discovery, heeling and change.
Of course when times are tough, we can’t always pick up our bags and leave town. Yet, I often find that there is no better way to escape and reflect upon life than to go on a hike, and the more remote and wild, the better. I have been fortunate to have done many wonderful adventurous hikes over the years. Although every hike I’ve done has been special and has brought me to a new place, there are a select few that have truly inspired me and are unforgettable.
Here is a list of the top five wild hikes that are bound to get your mind thinking.
A Sea of Ice: Iceland’s Myrdalsjökull Glacier
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Sir Winston Churchill
Perhaps one of my most memorable adventure travel experiences thus far has been my hike across a real live sea of ice. There is nothing quite like strapping on a pair of crampons and moving at a snail’s pace straight into unimaginable winds and icy cold rain across one of the world’s most beautiful and magical glaciers. Sure I’ve done plenty of amazing hikes around the world ranging to such far off places as Peru, Patagonia, The French Alps and Nepal. Yet nothing was quite like walking across a wide, moving sea of ice.
First steps onto the massive Myrdalsjökull Glacier. Unfortunately there was no way possible to show the enormity of it all. This is just the beginning.
The Perched Villages of Luberon: Roussillon
Perhaps my favorite perched village in Luberon is the gorgeous, red-hued Roussillon. Known mostly for her abundant natural ochre that covers the steep hillside and paints the town red, Roussillon is quite a spectacular place. Medieval serpentine streets lined with red-hued buildings and terracotta roofs, meander all the way up to the top. A leisurely afternoon in Roussillon is bound to capture your imagination and soul.
As you approach Roussillon, you are struck by the dramatic scarlet red color of the rock and buildings which are perched high above the vast green plains of Provence.
The Perched Villages of Luberon: Gordes
“Stuff your eyes with wonder; live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury
Out of all four perched villages of Luberon that we visited during our day trip through Provence, the most spectacular and majestic one of all was Gordes. Built high atop the rocky slopes of the Monts de Vaucluse, the village of Gordes is the crown jewel of Luberon and is a magnificent site to see.
First sight of the perched village of Gordes.