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

Our Most Stupid/Funny Mistake & How Did We Not Know About the Gullah People?

Our Most Stupid/Funny Mistake: What Made Us Think We Could EverLive in an RV?

We had just purchased our first motorhome, a beat-up old guy we named BAMF (as in Bad Ass MoFo), on eBay for $3,000. What could possibly go wrong?

We found out on day one when David got into an uncomfortably sticky situation... CONTINUE READING >>

How Did We Not Know About the Gullah People of Georgia and South Carolina?

Your GypsyNesters hit the Lowcountry!

 Join us as we learn about the colorful culture and delicious cuisine of the wonderful Gullah people.

 Stranded on the Sea Islands after slavery ended, the Gullah founded their own language and made their own way under harsh circumstances... CONTINUE READING >>

Want to Win A Copy of our Book Going Gypsy?

Our friends over at GoodReads are giving away a personalized, autographed of Going Gypsy: One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All! ... CLICK IN TO ENTER TO WIN! >>

 Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

How We Stay in Touch with Loved Ones as We Travel

We're often asked how we stay in touch with our adult kids as we travel.

 Yes, our phone conversations with family and friends almost always begin with the question, Where are you guys?
Honestly, in the days before cell phones and the internet, we're not sure how anyone would have been able to stay connected while leading the lifestyle we've chosen... CONTINUE READING >>

Hey Boomers! How Important is Travel to You?

We are passionate about travel for so many reasons, but had no idea how many of our fellow Baby Boomers and empty nesters were on the same page.

It's crazy!

99% of Boomers are going to travel this year... ninety-nine percent!

We almost spit-took coffee on our keyboard when we saw that number.

Click in and look what your fellow Boomers are up to - and our thoughts about the many surprises we found - and let us know about your upcoming travel adventures... CLICK IN HERE >>

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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

That Time I was Called an Ugly American

I met the meanest woman in the world on cruise ship.

David & I were sitting in a near-empty onboard restaurant after an afternoon cooking class, and had a jovial group of fellow classmates seated with us – new friends from all over the world. 

Yes, we were a bit loud.

 Yes, we were critiquing the food – we had prepared it, after all – and, I was being exceptionally... CONTINUE READING >>



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There was so much we didn't know about the tower until we visited!

Did you know it's been painted a bunch of different colors?

Did you know that you could have lunch there?

 Find out what was creator Gustave Eiffel's real name was - and how different the tower's name would be if he had kept it, why there is a mannequin on the outside of the elevator, and what it looks like to step out on the glass... 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!

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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Oh My Aching Feet! Cobblestones, Comfort & Flight-induced Cankles... and the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul

Yup, it's time for another women "of a certain age" post from me. So far I've overshared about stray hairs, arm flaps, botox, and mammograms - so why stop now, right?

This time it's about my feet and cankles - yuck, I know, but it's life and if I don't overshare, who's going to?

So here goes - some frank talk (but no gross pictures, promise), a little bit of whining and a solution or two... CONTINUE READING >>

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A Romp Through the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul

The Grand Bazaar of Istanbul is the granddaddy of all malls - one of the oldest and certainly largest covered markets in the world. 

It seemed as though most of the 400,000 visitors who come each day were inside with us. 

With over three thousand shops packed in along sixty-one covered streets, we felt like lab rats looking for... CONTINUE READING >> 

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War & Peace, Volume II... and How We Became Travel Bloggers

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 volume and a certain finger in the air -- never looking back or speaking to me... CONTINUE READING >>


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By Popular Demand - How We Became Travel Bloggers

We've never formally talked about being travel bloggers on our website. But we're being asked about it more and more, so we thought we'd open a dialogue.

In truth, we've always felt like we kind of stumbled blindly into our recreated lives - and by no means consider ourselves experts (in travel or blogging).

And, seriously, we thought, who wants to hear us talk about what goes on behind the curtain?

When we hit the road ... CONTINUE READING >>

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How to Plan a Family Vacation With Adult Kids and Biking the Monuments of DC

We've had this fantasy about whisking our entire family off to an exotic location for some time now. Imagine the five of us blissfully getting away from it all, laughing and sharing our experiences as we sip umbrella drinks while the sun sets into a tropical ocean.

Putting together a family vacation after the kids are grown and living on their own seems like it should be a snap compared to traveling with toddlers, or worse yet, teenagers.

So why is it so hard? 

With no roadside diaper changes, exploding sippy cup disasters... CONTINUE READING >>

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A Patriotic Journey: Biking Washington DC's National Mall
We were in a city like no other in America.

Or anywhere else for that matter.

We mounted our trusty wheeled steeds and headed out for a day of awe inspiring monuments and memorials. And we got to bust a few myths as well... 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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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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A Little Talked About Sign of Aging & Mysterious Peruvian Ruins

Here's the thing.

My best features come from my Romanian roots. I've always enjoyed having dark hair and blue eyes. I am psyched that my "gray" hair is silver, some people pay big bucks for that. Dracula was Romanian, and by most accounts was a particularly handsome man-thing.

That being said, we Romanians are a very hairy people.

My beloved Grandpa not only had follicles growing out of his ears, but in his later years his lobes looked like small woodland creatures. My stunningly gorgeous mother had quite the collection of... CONTINUE READING >>

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Exploring Mysterious Ollantaytambo, Peru

Gawking up at the stonework that covers the entire side of a mountain in The Sacred Valley, we were truly in awe.

No one knows how the stones were cut, because a metal hard enough to cut granite was not available at the time of its construction and an explanation of how the rocks were moved up the mountain has never been... CONTINUE READING >> 

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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 >>

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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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What Do the Experts Say About Boomerang Kids? It's NOT what you think

Full-grown, twenty-something college graduates are returning home to have their parents continue supporting them due to "immaturity" or because "they just prefer the comforts of home?" And the expert's take is that there is nothing wrong with that picture?

Jaw, meet floor. Maybe there was some mistake. Maybe the expert, wasn't clear on her meaning. We should give her the benefit of the doubt and look at the answers she and her fellow expert gave to some other pertinent questions. After all, they are on the staff at... CONTINUE READING >> 

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Jousting with Middle Age

What is middle aged? I suppose we are implying the middle of our lifespan. So let's say eighty years. That makes forty, give or take a few years, middle aged.

Ninety is certainly a possibility, so, forty-five. Some of us might even live to be 100, so I can even go as high as fifty.

After that it gets a little curious. Fifty-five? Well, people have lived to 110, so let's call the late fifties the absolute top side of middle age. If someone sixty-plus is going around claiming to be middle aged, basically they are declaring... CONTINUE READING >>

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Post-Parting Depression: Saying Good-bye to My Adult Kids

I've got an issue and I need help! I'm hoping I'll get a lot of suggestions on this post from our amazingly insightful readers.

This past holiday season, we had a lot to celebrate. In addition to our typical yuletide festivities, we were blessed to celebrate my in-law's 60th wedding anniversary two days after Christmas and our own 30th a week after the new year started.

As wonderful as it was to have such momentous events smack-in-the-middle of the holidays, it led to more good-byes to our adult kids than I'm normally used to.

Having The Spawn come and go in such short and hectic celebratory spurts gave me some interesting insight into how I deal with my empty nest good-byes.

Not well, it seems... CONTINUE READING >> 

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If It Can Kill Me, It MUST Be Good

I like to flip through the channels when watching the evening news. The other night while practicing my thumb aerobics, I noticed that the exact same commercial was on two of the networks at the exact same time. That surprised me a bit.

What didn't shock me was that it was an ad for a prescription drug.

 So I decided to start paying attention. It seemed that at least half of the advertisements were for pharmaceuticals.

 I also noticed that I must have at least half a dozen things seriously wrong with me and should be... CONTINUE READING >>


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The Long and the Shorts of it All

When women get to be “of a certain age” questions of appropriateness inevitably rear their ugly heads. I think I have squarely hit that certain age. With a vengeance.

My questions of appropriateness have actually turned into a LIST of questions of appropriateness:

Should I stop wearing shorts?

What about sleeveless blouses?

Is my hair too long?

When should I stop dying it?

Should I do something about my wrinkles?

The shorts quandary is a tough one for me. It’s on the top... CONTINUE READING >>

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Mom, Stop Coddling Me and Let Me Grow!

We have discussions about the parent / adult "kid" relationship quite frequently here at GypsyNester.com, but it's quite rare that we get to hear the young adult point of view on our site, other than a few cherished comments in our discussion section.

We don't kid ourselves, we are aware that there aren't a lot a twenty-something people who get up in the morning and think, hey, let's see what the geezer set is up to this days. 

So we felt pretty good when we came across "The Drawbacks of Being A Boomerang Kid" at YPULSE. In this story a recent college graduate  affirms our position on adult offspring returning to the nest.

"Could it be that some ... CONTINUE READING >> 

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You Brought Your MOM to Your Job Interview?

Okay, it’s rave time. Just a warning.

I sympathize with helicopter parents, I really do. I was one. I reluctantly stopped hovering once my kids left the nest. I knew that the sovereignty of the Spawns was more important than my own desire to continue colonial rule. Trust me, we’ve ALL benefited from my abdication.

Did I hound my offspring to do their homework when they were kids? You Betcha. Did I have meetings with their high school guidance counselors to voice concerns without the Spawn present? Guilty... CONTINUE READING >>

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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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