We Ended Up in Jail in Heidelberg, Germany and... BAM! Meet us in Vegas, Baby!

We Ended Up in Jail in Heidelberg, Germany

How did we land ourselves in the pokey in one of Germany's most charming towns? You're going to have to read on to find out... CONTINUE READING >>

BAM! Meet us in Vegas, Baby!

It's fun, it's fabulous, it's Vegas-baby! Come join us for a big time at the BAM - we're speaking this year! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE! >>

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Going Gypsy: One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All (find out more) Available from Skyhorse Publishing! Order Now - Wherever Books Are Sold! Also available as an audiobook from Audible.com

Let's Do the Charleston... and Finding the Worst Christmas Song Ever

We needed to escape the winter.

Veronica had never been to South Carolina, and we were both intrigued by the town of Charleston, so we headed for the coastal Lowcountry and discovered one of America's most interesting cities... CONTINUE READING >>

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Just what is the worst Christmas song ever?

Our most recent family holiday get-together found us gathered around the radio listening to the all-Christmas music station. Many artists lent their joyous voices to our celebration, but things took a turn when a real clunker reared its ugly head.

This prompted a wildly fun discussion. Everyone offered numerous contenders.

 See what we've come up with and be sure to put in your two cents... CONTINUE READING >>

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads - StumbleUpon - RSS Going Gypsy One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All (find out more) Coming in February 2015 from Skyhorse Publishing! Pre-Order Now - Wherever Books Are Sold!

No, We Won't Buy You a... and an Underground, Secret River in Mexico

Our main goal as parents was to end up with happy, healthy, self-sufficient adults.

We can't tell anyone how to do this -- everyone's different and Lord knows we made our share of mistakes along the way -- but we can offer an insight that we've gained through our own offspring's transitions from childhood to adulthood.

Don't give kids everything they want, just everything they need.

 A whole lot of what they want is stupid crap and... CONTINUE READING >>




Floating Down a Secret River in Mexico

So... a guy was chasing an iguana, and discovered this... 

The Yucatan Peninsula is hiding miles and miles of secret rivers.

This was revealed to us just outside the Riviera Maya town of Playa del Carmen, Mexico when we descended beneath the surface and into Rio Secreto.

By into, we really mean in to... CONTINUE READING >>

The "Cottages" of Newport, Rhode Island

It was called the Gilded Age, a time when robber barons built excessive tributes to their self-proclaimed awesomeness.

Newport was the epitome of this unbelievable excess, aptly dubbed Conspicuous Consumption.

In an effort to one-up each other with their “summer cottages” iconic American families of railroad, mining and steel fortunes, threw lavish parties for their pets, had notorious... CONTINUE READING >>



Will YOU be at Women At Woodstock?

Veronica is excited to be attending Women At Woodstock on October 13-15. Come join her!
Use this code - WAW300VIP - to get a special $300 GypsyNester discount
Click here: womenatwoodstock.com/register

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads - StumbleUpon - RSS Going Gypsy One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All (find out more) Coming in February 2015 from Skyhorse Publishing! Pre-Order Now - Wherever Books Are Sold!

Things We Wish We’d Known BEFORE We Sent Our Kids to College... and A Fairy Tale Chocolate Wedding

It's that time of year again, and many new empty nesters are sending a fledgling off to college for the first time.

Here are some DOs and DON'Ts from your seasoned GypsyNesters on how to get through that first semester without losing your mind.

1. Don’t start off on a bad note. It's hard to let our kids go. The day our babies head out on their own is a tough one for any parent. Because of her self-awareness about her emotional outbursts, Veronica ... CONTINUE READING >>

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A Fairy Tale Chocolate Wedding

Our favorite princess was set to tie the knot with one of the top ten chocolatiers in North America - the king of ultra-premium chocolates - and the nuptials were not to be missed.

Anytime a princess marries a king, it's a big deal - and when the surname is Love, it's bound to be the social event of the season!

The reception began with a champagne toast... CONTINUE READING >> 

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Am I a Snow Plow Parent? ...and Big Sur, California!

Am I a Snow Plow Parent? 7 Modern Parenting Terms

This glossary of modern parenting terms from around the world provides a cautionary tale through definitions. Could a Snow Plow Parent accidentally raise a Kidult in a perpetual state of Adultescence?

Snow Plow Parents Like the snow removal apparatus, a Snow Plow Parent will be sure to... CONTINUE READING >>




Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

Sir, Yes Sur! Driving the California Coast

The images look unbelievable, but they are real and they are spectacular. This is Big Sur. 

Waves crashing against the craggy coast, mist drifting up mountains that rise abruptly from the sea, bridges impossibly clinging to cliffs...

A perfect day trip ending with elephant seals... CONTINUE READING >> 

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The Old College Pry and Ancient Mayan Ruins in Mexico

How do we know when we've become too involved in our offspring's college education?

 Is it okay to call a professor to dispute a test score? Should we proofread papers? Should we have access to grades if we are paying tuition? Should we storm the Dean's office?

 This recovering helicopter mom got the straight dope from college professors - and you won't believe their stories... CONTINUE READING >>


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The Ancient Mayan Ruins at Tulum, Mexico

Tulum is not the kind of place that even the most wandering GypsyNesting-type will stumble upon by accident.

It's not on the way to anywhere. But since we found ourselves on the Caribbean coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, what's known as the Riviera Maya, we hopped on a bus to the ancient Mayan site.

We wanted to enjoy both a ... CONTINUE READING >>

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Grounding My Helicopter Ways & Istanbul's Breathtaking Blue Mosque

Helicopter Mom - You Are Grounded

"A mother is only as happy as her saddest child,” a close friend’s grandmother used to say.

When I first heard her say this, all three of my children were young and safely in the nest so I could totally relate. Somehow I thought once they were grown up this would change.

It didn’t.

Trouble finds its way into everyone‘s lives - and as much as we hate it - trouble finds our adult children. Whether it rears its ugly head in a... CONTINUE READING >>

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Picture This: The Breathtaking Blue Mosque of Istanbul

Built in 1609 by Sultan Ahmed I, the Blue Mosque features a main dome, eight secondary domes, and six minarets, and is considered the pinnacle of two centuries of Ottoman mosque development. 

Upon entering the mosque, Veronica was dumbstruck - unable to begin to take photos. She couldn't figure out where to start.

We saw why... CONTINUE READING >> 

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THE Talk

"I'm eighteen now, I can do what I want."

The dreaded time when the spawn are technically adults but still in high school. At that age, it would seem that "adult" means the freedom to head out and start being stupid at top speed.

The standard "Not in my house" or "As long as you live under my roof, you'll abide by my rules" replies didn't seem to sink in with our young 'uns. In fact, I could almost see the heels digging in to the floor.

One day while driving our oldest to school, I got fed up and burst out with what became known in our family as "THE Talk." No, not THAT "the talk", this one:... CONTINUE READING >>

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What if My Adult Child is Addicted to Online Gaming?

One of our readers sent me an email that really touched me:

I am not completely an empty nester unfortunately. My 20 year old son was not able to return to college this fall because of the lack of loans and grants available to him. So now he is doing nothing except for playing the computer game WoW (World of Warcraft) most of his waking hours. He did just purchase a small business that will make him a small living, but I pray he goes back to college. He is very bright and it would be such a waste if he didn't. --Hannah

Hannah, my heart... CONTINUE READING >>

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The World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade

Where in the world is the most fun in the shortest distance on St. Patrick's Day?


In a clever ploy to get us to visit, Veronica's dad dropped a little “have you ever heard of The World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade” on us early in... CONTINUE READING >>

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The Shocking Male/Female Divide of Boomerang Kids and some big news!

Men bounce back home at a rate of 40 percent, compared to just 32 percent for women. 

As our offspring have grown older and more secure in their adult lives the idea of them returning to the nest as boomerang kids has become much less of an issue for us.

But a recent article in The Tribune, "How to deal with adult children who move back home," reminded us that for many would be, no should be, empty nesters it is still an ongoing fact of life.

The first thing that struck us from the article were these statistics... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

We Won a Prestigious 2014 Viator Travel Award!

We're starting 2014 with a bang! So proud to be among all these great honorees! See them all here!

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When Hurricanes Blow

Our daughter, Decibel, spent a whopping twenty minutes at the college of her choice, Tulane University.

She never attended a single class. It has to be the shortest college career in history.

There was a storm a brewin‘. And it was a whopper... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

Picture This: The Petrified Forest
 

When we heard forest, we expected large groups of upright trees. We felt kind of dumb. The petrified trees are all laying on the ground - alive with vibrant color - left there about 225 million years ago during the Late Triassic... CONTINUE READING >>

How to Help the People of the Philippines

Our hearts are breaking for the people of the Philippines.

We felt the need to do what little we could, and also share the ways we found that can help.

 If you would like to join us, here are three suggestions... CONTINUE READING to find out how you can give moral and/or financial support >>

Indie Travel has chosen the Top Ten Travel Couples from across the web and around the globe!

Every one of these couples should be on your radar if you are a travel fan - this list truly contains the cream of the crop.

 AND, we are honored to be among them! As a matter of fact, we are flat-out shocked to see where we ranked - and why.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL LIST!

A Rip-Roarin' Rafting Ride in Newfoundland!

Click here to see our full adventure in Central Newfoundland

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Crowdsourcing College Care Packages & BIG, FUN NEWS!

When the time came for The Boy's first care package, I realized that I was stumped.

The excitement I had felt while creating fun packages for The Piglet and Decibel was gone. I really needed some help. I decided that I should hand it over to the experts. Our wise readers.

I figured they could help me create a care package so amazing... CONTINUE READING >> 

Whooo-hoooo! We WON the Motel 6 Ultimate Bucket List Contest!

Click in to see our winning entry - we're just as goofy as ever!

And we'll be going NEXT WEEK! Lots of fear conquering will be going on - a helicopter ride (gulp), putting our trust in mules as we ride on the edge down the canyon (gasp) and stepping out on to the out-of-control Skywalk (yikes)! 

Leave us a comment here - what do you want us to report on? Do you have any tips or suggestions?  Or a word of encouragement to get us ready for the mules (Veronica's pretty sure she's going to chicken out).

 Be sure you are following us everywhere to keep up with our adventure LIVE!  Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram

I Am NOT a Useless Waste!

Has it happened? Have I become a crotchety old lady? Do I abhor certain kinds of music because I'm too old to get it? Am I shocked at some of the things that "young people" wear these days?

Possibly so. But I'm dead certain of one thing - people are much more rude than they were when I was a young whippersnapper.

Because we have a website  I am painfully aware that there are those that don't treat others with civility. I've quit reading the online comments on news stories – it's horrific.

Then, out of nowhere, cyberspace-type incivility came crashing into Real Life. In a manner that I couldn't ignore or justify... CONTINUE READING >>

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Adult "Kids" Say the Darndest Things (on Twitter)

A treasury of tweets that every parent of an adult kid will love! These guys are SO funny!

On Being Replaced

... SEE MORE GREAT TWEETS! >>

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Bounce That Boomerang

The subject of Boomerang "Kids" has been in the news a lot lately, and the story we're being sold is that poor, brave youngsters with new diplomas in hand have no choice but to move back into their old bedrooms at Mom and Dad's house.

All sorts of numbers have been bandied about, some say a quarter of recent grads are unemployed or underemployed, others say half, and one completely unscientific study proclaiming the preposterous idea that 85 percent... CONTINUE READING  >>

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Creating the ULTIMATE College Care Package – A GN Guide

Let's brainstorm and come up with ideas for college care package for our newly "empty" nested friends!

Our youngest, The Boy, was entering his second year in college. He was third kid that I had gone through the away-at-school process with, so I was starting to run low on the groovy care package ideas.

I really needed some help. I decided that I should hand it over to the experts. Our scholarly readers... CONTINUE READING >>

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Get a Job!

Once again an article online got me thinking. While I don't necessarily disagree with The Wall Street Journal's premise, the headline, Why Kids Today Have it Worse Than Their Parents (Ben Casselman), sure sounds whiney.

But the meat of the article has some good infonuggets:

"Today's 20-somethings are, broadly speaking, the children of the last of the Baby Boomers, those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s. That generation, like this one, came of age in the midst of a brutal recession: The unemployment rate for 18-24 year-olds topped 17% at the end of 1982. (In 2010, it briefly crossed 18%.)"

As a twenty-something back then, yeah, I remember that time well. Things were tight, but we got through it OK.

Now, having recently sent three newly-minted adults out into the world, I have firsthand experience of how both recessions have effected young adults. Lucky me.

It's no secret that we believe... CONTINUE READING >>

The Plan is No Plans

On the same day that we officially became "empty" nesters, the very day our youngest started college, we boarded a plane headed for Zürich. We didn't really plan for the two events to happen on the same day, it just worked out that way.

What WAS planned was to... CONTINUE READING >>

I Am NOT a Useless Waste!

Has it happened? Have I become a crotchety old lady? Do I abhor certain kinds of music because I'm too old to get it? Am I shocked at some of the things that "young people" wear these days?

Possibly so. But I'm dead certain of one thing - people are much more rude than they were when I was a young whippersnapper.

Because we have a website  I am painfully aware that there are those that don't treat others with civility. I've quit reading the online comments on news stories – it's horrific.

Then, out of nowhere, cyberspace-type incivility came crashing into Real Life. In a manner that I couldn't ignore or justify... CONTINUE READING >>