I’m Dutch. Well, I’m 12th Generation American. My family first set foot in the New World in 1662 and if you’re looking for a history of the Dutch Colony of New Netherland, later referred to as New York, one of my favorite books is “Island at the Center of the World”by Russell Shorto. The Dutch influence on American culture is tremendous, but you wouldn’t know it because the victors (in this case the bloodly English) write history. I’ve long desired [...]
Our Nation’s Capital. I’ll admit to secretly desiring that in the shadow of some of America’s iconic structures that I could walk arm in arm with my wife and turn to her and say in a Forrest Gump accent, “I’m glad we were here together in our nation’s capitol.” But it didn’t happen. We were on a family trip. There were no romantic walks among the monuments. But what we did experience together as a family was just as nice. [...]
It’s called a Family Trek for a reason. The mention of trekking implies there’s adventure, a degree of uncertainty perhaps, and a malleable spirit that willingly agrees to go where the wind takes you. The wind took us to Myrtle Beach. It was not in the plan. Not when we woke up that morning. Not when our family sat down for a Cracker Barrel lunch a few hours outside of Washington, D.C. But there we were. Even as we drove [...]
I could be in my backyard in Santa Barbara, at the beach at Lake Tahoe, or sipping an umbrella drink in the Caribbean. If you’re relaxing and having a good time with friends and family is there anything better than an Adirondack Chair? I want to go where to a place that has a lounge chair named after it. The world is big, time and resources are finite, and we’re still young. Back in 2009 we almost made it to [...]
When you have money all things come easy. Take me to any of the world’s major cities and supply me with plenty of money and I’ll undoubtedly have a good time. Yet it’s money that can also shield us from truly interacting with the places we visit Dinner at the Four Seasons is dinner at the Four Seasons. It doesn’t matter if you’re in New York or Santa Barbara or Bangkok. And to me it’s very sad to think that [...]
