How It Feels to Volunteer at a School in Africa

How It Feels to Volunteer at a School in Africa

An experience that will live in our hearts forever.

In Tanzania, we spent mornings teaching English and afternoons refurbishing a classroom.

Each of these tasks offered unexpected rewards and challenges and resulted in emotions and memories that will last our lifetimes.... CONTINUE READING >>

Follow us on Social Media!

Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads

The GypsyNesters Get Married! The Story of Our Goofy Wedding!

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.

<--j strong="">ust look at the body language! Have you EVER seen a more uncomfortable groom? Sheesh.

 Our ideal wedding was... CONTINUE READING >>

See our full schedule of events, where you can meet up with us, and where we'll be taking you next! 

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

Charms of the Chagga People of Tanzania...and Staying in Touch with Loved Ones when Traveling

Charms of the Chagga People of Tanzania

The Chagga family philosophy extends beyond their borders; they believe that all of humankind is family.

Our stay in the tiny village of Rau, near the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, immersed us in a culture that welcomed us as next of kin.

Follow your GypsyNesters as we travel deep into Tanzania, learning from the Chagga about dance and music, farming and playing, family and friendship... 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 >>

Follow us on Social Media!

Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads

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

Only by Air: Alaska's Extremely Remote Tundra Villages

Ever since our youngest, The Boy, took a job as a pilot in Alaska we have been intrigued by the unique corner of Alaska that his small airline serves.

He flies to about two dozen little native villages that are only accessible by air - there are no roads in or out of the harsh tundra.

These are some of the most remote settlements anywhere in the United States... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

We've Been Accepted into the Southern Festival of Books! Come see us in Nashville!

Big, big news! 

We (and our book, Going Gypsy) have been accepted into one of our favorite book events - The Southern Festival of Books in Nashville!

Humanities Tennessee has been throwing this great event for twenty-seven years, and its popularity has inspired hundreds of similar book festivals.

Because of their dedication to the written word, the festival is free to all who want to celebrate the joy of reading!

Join us and two hundred of the nation's most prominent authors for three days of fun, interaction, and - because it's in Nashville, music!... SEE MORE ABOUT THE SOUTHERN FESTIVAL OF BOOKS AND HOW YOU CAN MEET US THERE >>

Ever wonder what's up next in GypsyNesterLand? Want to find out where you can meet us or where we'll be bringing you next? Click here to find out!

New dates!

October

9-11
Nashville, Tennessee, Southern Festival of Books, featured speakers and book signing - Saturday, October 10th, 12:00 pm, Legislative Plaza Room 12 (Corner of 6th and Union) "Ditching the Daily: Chronicles of Simple Living, Finding Joy, and Letting Go" with Scott Dannemiller and Alex Sheshunoff

Book signing 1:30 at the Signing Colonnade

13
Nashville, Tennessee, Discover Nashville with Viator

23 - November 1
Italy, Biking the Southern Coastal Villages of Sicily with VBT 

November

6-8
Woodstock, NY, Women at Woodstock, featured speaker and workshop, see why Veronica loves Women of Woodstock so much!

8-18
Passports with Purpose fundraiser for schoolchildren in Kenya

See all of our events!

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

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads - StumbleUpon - RSS

What My Special Needs Niece has Taught Me... Cuddling Koalas... and Thank You St. Louis!

What My Special Needs Niece Has Taught Me about Life and Laughter

My niece is a totally unique individual. 

Not in that “everyone’s a snowflake” kind of way. She’s truly unique.

Because of a wonky chromosome, each cell in in Anna’s little body is different from every other cell in the world. There is no one else like her.

At birth... CONTINUE READING >>

Keeping Koalas Safe, Sound, & Cuddly

Some of the most readily recognizable Australian icons are animals, and we found more than a double dose of them in Queensland at The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary outside Brisbane.
As the name suggests, we got up close and personal with koalas, but we also got to feed kangaroos right from our hands... CONTINUE READING >>

Thank you St. Louis!

The Going Gypsy Book Party was a blast (see pics here!), we had radio and TV appearances - and in the midst of it all our book hit #1 on Amazon!

It was an honor to appear on the Charlie Brennan Show at CBS's KMOX!

Still pinching ourselves! Listen Now

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

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads - StumbleUpon - RSS

Rebuilding Together: How to Help the Seniors in Your Community... and Meet us in St. Louis

There is strength in numbers, so by banding together we can accomplish much more than as separate individuals.

Together our team of volunteers completely repainted the home of a retired nurse in need - in one day!

We weren't the youngest chicks in the coop - but we were enthusiastic, and relentless.... CONTINUE READING >>  

And... 

Hey St. Louis - we're headed your way!
 Meet us at the fab Subterranean Books on July 9th!
  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

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads - StumbleUpon - RSS

Delivering Supplies to a Little School in the Jungle

We will carry this in our hearts forever...

The Anita School was built specifically for the children of immigrant workers on one of the sprawling palm plantations in the Quepos area of Costa Rica.

Driving several miles down a dusty dirt road through the dense rows of palms, we reached a one-room schoolhouse... CONTINUE READING >>

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - StumbleUpon - RSS

For Valentine's Day - Travel Pick-up Lines!

When Lonely Planet put out the word that they wanted submissions for clever "Travel Pick-up Lines," we were all in. We love us some puns. The more corny the better.

You'd think after thirty years of marriage we'd be a little rusty, but they were flowing out of us so fast it was hard to get them written down. Frankly, it was a bit disturbing how un-rusty we were.

Here are our winning submissions:


... SEE MORE > >

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

60 Years of Marriage: A Gift My Parents Gave Me

Next week our family will be celebrating a remarkable event, my parent's sixtieth wedding anniversary. Only an extraordinary mixture of love, trust, faith, hard work, and -- yes -- luck could have made this event possible.

I'm not going to attempt to analyze the inner workings of how a union can not only survive, but thrive over six decades, I am simply going to offer thanks.

More than gratitude for the care and security that I received, although that too often goes unspoken, I want to particularly express how grateful I am for... CONTINUE READING >> 

 Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

2012. A Year for Smiles

My New Year resolution is to make everyone I come in contact with smile. You are forewarned. I WILL crack you.

Sharing smiles with strangers has long been a personal philosophy of mine, at times to the occasional chagrin of David and the embarrassment of my former teenaged kids, but this year I want to... CONTINUE READING >>