Skip to content

Taking the Big Break

  • About
  • Trip Map
  • The Lo Down
  • Press
  • Good Eats
  • Home
The Perfect Picnic, France
The Perfect Picnic, France
Today was one of those magical fill-me-up types of days.  Waking up under my fluffy down comforter to the sound of the local church bells ringing 7 o’clock, I turned over and went back to sleep for a bit before…
My Adventure in Funchal, Madeira
My Adventure in Funchal, Madeira
Our adventure on this Portuguese island began as we got off of our cruise ship and started to walk into town. The first thing we did was take a tour. We learned that Madeira Island has some wonderful wine that…
Apartheid is exactly where it belongs – in a museum.
Apartheid is exactly where it belongs – in a museum.
South Africa has a good museum teaching us about the ugly history that is apartheid.   The Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg is a moving and thorough lesson in the history of South Africa, the apartheid movement, and the journey back to…
Interview with my brother, age 6
Interview with my brother, age 6
This week, I decided to ask Elio a few questions about this trip. After all, how often do you get to see the world through a 6-year-old’s eyes? Some answers may be short, but that’s a six-year-old for you. Question:…
African Safari
African Safari
Going on a safari is a fantastic experience, from the bumps, bangs, and bonks and the broken tree limbs in your wake, to the majestically amazing yet scary lion 20 feet (6.5 meters) from you. Safaris are a wonderful way…
Bruises, Scratches, and Fevers, Oh My!
Bruises, Scratches, and Fevers, Oh My!

Bruises, Scratches, and Fevers, Oh My!

What a day of highs and lows on lovely Koh Phangan!   Because it costs quite a bit to hire a taxi on the island, we decide to rent a car and spend a long day exploring on our own.  At…

KathrinDecember 14, 2013 Family Travel, Thailand 1 Comment
Bruises, Scratches, and Fevers, Oh My!Read more
Our Magnificient Thanksgiving Day in Thailand
Our Magnificient Thanksgiving Day in Thailand

Our Magnificient Thanksgiving Day in Thailand

Have you ever zoomed on a zip line through a jungle in Thailand? Oh, or seen gibbons (a type of primate) in their natural habitat? Or both together in one breathtaking, ziplining-high experience? Or even all that on Thanksgiving with…

LorenzoDecember 10, 2013December 14, 2013 Thailand, The Lo Down No Comments
Our Magnificient Thanksgiving Day in ThailandRead more
My story as a conflicted tourist in Koh Samui
My story as a conflicted tourist in Koh Samui

My story as a conflicted tourist in Koh Samui

For the past three days, I have been a tourist.  Not just any tourist.  One of THOSE tourists.  The kind who go to exotic places and spend a whole week lounging by the pool with their beer belly for company…

KathrinDecember 8, 2013 RTW Travel, Thailand, Travel 4 Comments
My story as a conflicted tourist in Koh SamuiRead more
A fill-up-my-heart day at Children’s Shelter Foundation
A fill-up-my-heart day at Children’s Shelter Foundation

A fill-up-my-heart day at Children’s Shelter Foundation

Today was one of those fill-up-your-heart kind of days.  We had the opportunity to visit the Children’s Foundation Shelter run by Joy’s House about 40 minutes north of Chiang Mai.  It is a haven and home for children in need. …

KathrinNovember 30, 2013December 1, 2013 Family Travel, Thailand 1 Comment
A fill-up-my-heart day at Children’s Shelter FoundationRead more
How this crazy family celebrated Thanksgiving in Thailand
How this crazy family celebrated Thanksgiving in Thailand

How this crazy family celebrated Thanksgiving in Thailand

Today, I let my two boys climb several hundred feet in the air above Thailand’s jungle canopy and told them they could jump.   As a matter of fact, Nathan and I followed them off.    What a rush! No, it wasn’t…

KathrinNovember 28, 2013December 14, 2013 Family Travel, Thailand, Travel 9 Comments
How this crazy family celebrated Thanksgiving in ThailandRead more
My first full day at Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai
My first full day at Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai

My first full day at Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai

The elephant is the symbol of Thailand. 100 years ago, there were an estimate 100,000 elephants in the wild. Now there are only about 8,000 elephants. Most of their lives were taken for ivory. How sad! But luckily, we are…

LorenzoNovember 26, 2013November 26, 2013 Thailand, The Lo Down 6 Comments
My first full day at Elephant Camp in Chiang MaiRead more
My Visit to the Majestic Kuang Si Waterfalls of Luang Prabang
My Visit to the Majestic Kuang Si Waterfalls of Luang Prabang

My Visit to the Majestic Kuang Si Waterfalls of Luang Prabang

    Have you ever visited a five-level waterfall in a small city in the center of Laos? I don’t think so! But I have. It was the most amazing experience.     So first you hike in past a big bear…

LorenzoNovember 17, 2013 Laos, The Lo Down 3 Comments
My Visit to the Majestic Kuang Si Waterfalls of Luang PrabangRead more
Lunch in Cat Ba Town
Lunch in Cat Ba Town

Lunch in Cat Ba Town

Dear Babbo,     I want to tell you about a funny experience that we had on Cat Ba Island the other day. Our family was searching for a decent place to grab lunch. We headed into a restaurant that looked…

LorenzoNovember 14, 2013 The Lo Down, Vietnam 1 Comment
Lunch in Cat Ba TownRead more
Feeding the Monks in Luang Prabang
Feeding the Monks in Luang Prabang

Feeding the Monks in Luang Prabang

This morning, Lorenzo and I set our alarm at 5:30am to get up and feed the monks.  The roosters were just starting to crow when we left our inn and headed out to the main street. Every morning in Luang…

KathrinNovember 12, 2013November 12, 2013 Family Travel, Laos, SE Asia 2 Comments
Feeding the Monks in Luang PrabangRead more
The Adventures of Me and My Toe in a Vietnamese Hospital
The Adventures of Me and My Toe in a Vietnamese Hospital

The Adventures of Me and My Toe in a Vietnamese Hospital

    I’d like to say a coconut fell on my toe, or even that it got run over by a rickshaw, but sadly I just stubbed it really, really hard. I was falling down some stairs and I landed on…

LorenzoNovember 11, 2013November 11, 2013 The Lo Down, Vietnam 10 Comments
The Adventures of Me and My Toe in a Vietnamese HospitalRead more
  • « Previous
  • Next »

Recent Posts

  • “Remember That Time When They Almost Didn’t Let us on the Plane…”
  • Why It’s Important to Be Thankful
  • Gabriola Island, Canada
  • The Mississippi River
  • My Last Day on the Trip

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2026 Taking the Big Break. Theme by Colorlib Powered by WordPress