Fear Conquering & Climbing My First Mountain on My 52nd Birthday

We were going to hike up a mountain, The Boy said. Not climb, hike.

Or maybe that's what I chose to hear. Certainly, The Boy is aware of my age and the limitations thereof.

He wouldn't be trying to kill me on my birthday, would he? (photo taken right before things went terribly awry)... CONTINUE READING >>

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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

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Fear Conquering & Gliding in a Sailplane... and meet us in Nashville!

Considering that I have now jumped out of an airplane at 10,000 feet in Australia and paraglided off the sea cliffs of Lima, Peru, one would think that I would have no fear of sailplaning.

And I didn't. Until I did.

I had about three-week's notice before... CONTINUE READING >>




Hey Nashville! We're Headed Your Way!

Join us at the famous BookManBookWoman bookstore on June 6th! 

Click here for more info!

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

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Fear Conquering & Paragliding in Lima, Peru

Our day began with what (we thought) was going to be a leisurely stroll along the sea cliffs of Lima. 

We had heard about the veil that hangs over the city, we were pleasantly surprised at the beautiful blue day ahead of us.

Reaching the cliffs, the first thing we noticed was not the view, but the ... 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!

Conquering Hate Mail... and 10 Things You Don't Know About NYC

A comment on our site:

“In my opinion, anyone who would refer to children in such a disgusting and disrespectful way (adult or not) is an emotionally bankrupt shell of a person..."
BAM! My first hate mail.

 I read a lot of blogs. Any of them worth their salt raise strong emotion and spark debate on their message boards. Sometimes it can get a bit heated, but makes for a nice balance.

 We have had comments on our website that strongly disagree with our opinions and we relish them, we value every... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

Ten Things You Don't Know About New York City - Even if You Live There!

Your GypsyNesters found the wild, weird and wonderful not-so-known sights, sounds and flavors of The Big Apple!
Even if you are a New Yorker - we bet you don't know most of these!.. 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!

The GypsyNesters Get Married!... and Catalina Cart Blanche

We wanted a small wedding - and thank God it was!

Honestly, David (we'll call him The Beanpole) wouldn't have made it through otherwise.

It still strikes us strange that The Beanpole, who by that time had appeared on stage in front of hundreds of thousands of people as a musician, could be so nervous.

Just look at the body language! Have you EVER seen a more uncomfortable groom? Sheesh.

Our ideal wedding was... CONTINUE READING >>





Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

Catalina Cart Blanche

Like the early Californian explorers, we approached Catalina by boat.

Steaming out of Long Beach Harbor past The Queen Mary, we were intrepid sailors in our air-conditioned, high-speed ferry complete with snack bar, lounge and cinematic classic on the big screen.

Arrrgh, the briny deep, matey.

Upon disembarking... CONTINUE READING >> 

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Feeding Hungry Crocodiles & The Train to Machu Picchu

Is anyone really crazy enough to lure sixteen feet of teeth and muscle out of the water with a chicken leg?

Yes. We are.

Perhaps we're not as crazy or brave (stupid?) as we are making ourselves out to be since we barely had time to think about it.

But is it any less insane because... CONTINUE READING >> 



Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

Our days of hiking four days over rough terrain are probably behind us, so attempting The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was out. Luckily, there is another alternative.

Several trains a day run on the second highest railroad in the world, after the Qinghai–Tibet Railway.... CONTINUE READING >> 


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Fear Conquering & Skydiving Over Queensland

Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane has become one of those ultimate bucket list items.

Like living to 120 years-old or climbing Mount Everest. Of the three, the most feasible to me was the jump.

Which turned out to be a bit odd, because there was no... CONTINUE READING >>

Fear Conquering & the Flying Trapeze

It was my first fear conquering - as kids today say - "epic fail." Not pretty at all.

Maybe I was too jet lagged. Maybe it was too early in the morning. Maybe it was the ten extra pounds of delicious-food Europe weight. Maybe 50-ish is a bit too old to take up a new trick this physical - the reflexes ain't what they used to be! Maybe I should shut up and stop... CONTINUE READING and watch the video >>

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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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Fear Conquering & Zip Lining 300 Feet High

I have to wonder who thinks up things like zip lining? What kind of sick mind muses - "hey, lets launch folks across a gaping canyon on a wire - that'll be awesome!"

Zip lining, in my mind, falls into the bungee-jumping, rodeo-clowning, leaping-off-buildings-in-suits-with-wings category of antics. Better off left to the fearless young whippersnapper types.

Not something I'd ever... CONTINUE READING >>
  
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Fear Conquering & Eating Silkworms

I am no longer an eating-a-bug virgin.

I love sampling new food - the more authentic the better. But, from time to time we are faced with delicacies which may be too authentic.

Find out which of us tried it and who chickened out... CONTINUE READING and watch the video >> 

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Dalian, China. A City of Contrasts

Modern, yet traditional, gleaming, but with a not-so-shiny center, Dalian is a city of many facets.

Join us in old Manchuria, a place with both Russian and Japanese influences, old trolleys and new high rises...and both the best street food we've ever eaten and the worst thing we've ever put in our mouths... CONTINUE READING >> 

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So I Broke Down and Tried Botox (please don't judge me!)

I'm a squinter. Always have been. My Grandma used to caution me, "Quit doing that - your face will freeze that way!" In my twenties, David would affectionately tease me about my "worry line." He would always know when something was amiss, all he had to do was look between my eyes.

Fast forward thirty (or so) years and, still, I squint on. The squinting's worst when I'm writing - I don't even realized I'm doing it.

And Grandma was right, my face... CONTINUE READING >> 

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Fear Conquering & Roller Derby

“Mom. You are going to get owned.”

 My, how the tables have turned. I'm not going to lie, I was getting a bit of pleasure out of worrying The Spawn.

 The reason for their concern was not without merit -- I was about to attend Roller Derby Camp. Or as the Killamazoo Derby Darlins call it, a "Fresh Meat Event".

 In our never-ending quest to find quirky things to do... CONTINUE READING >>

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Smooth Sailing? Not Likely!

I'd been following the controversial Abby Sunderland story with interest. Remember Abby? She was the sixteen-year-old sailor who, while attempting to sail her vessel around the world solo, found herself stranded in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Her parents took quite a bit of flack over the situation. I'd looked at this story from many different angles - and, as usual, my feelings were mixed.

The helicopter Mommy in me shouted, "What the &#*% were her parents thinking?!" But after calm reflection I saw things a bit differently. I too have a child with "dangerous dreams." My son, The Boy, has been flying airplanes since he was thirteen.

Sure, I've heard all the arguments...... CONTINUE READING >> 

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We Had Our Heads in the Clouds in Lima, Peru

We had a BLAST in Lima!

A whirlwind tour of downtown, an amazing cooking class, a visit to the most unusual gardens, a romantic stroll along the parks of the sea cliffs.

Oh, and we sailed high above the city in a paraglider... CONTINUE READING >> 

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12 Things We Told Our NYC Girls to Prepare for Frankenstorm

We have two daughters living on Manhattan, right in the path of Frankenstorm. After years of living in the Caribbean we have some valuable tips to give them. Though being over-prepared may make them feel stupid, it can also save their lives.
Please share these with your urban loved ones in the path of the Hurricane Sandy.

1. Fill up your bathtub... CONTINUE READING >> 

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War & Peace, Volume II

A reader wrote:

"The best part is when they finally get it, and tell you sorry for being such pain in the ass during those (teenage) years. My son told me he now understands everything I was trying to convey to his logic blocked brain back then..."

Oh man, I can relate.

I was pretty certain that at least one of my envelope-pushing teens would flee the nest -- i-Pod at full... CONTINUE READING >>

Boy, Are We Everglade We Came!

Your GypsyNesters take on the Everglades - all good fun until  a very uncomfortable Veronica gets her hands on an alligator!

We encountered gator wrestling, did some (really fast!) airboat riding and visited the smallest post office in the US.

And that's just the beginning... CONTINUE READING >>

GypsyNesters on the Radio!

Get the GypsyNester story!

We joined Jill and Claudia over at Empty Nester Radio and had a BLAST.

Listen in as we answer these great questions:

How did you become known as the GypsyNesters?

What did your kids say when you told them of your plans?

Do you have... CONTINUE READING >>