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Searching For Stella

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  • Stars of Nature
    • Linville Gorge, NC
    • Discovering Glenmore Forest, Scotland
    • A Walk by Loch Ness
    • Two Walks on the Isle of Skye
    • Into the Black Forest
    • Experiencing the Austrian Alps
    • Road Trip to Vienna
    • Nara Park: Where Deer Abound
    • Mt. Fuji: A Sea of Trees Beneath the Mountain
  • Stars of Mankind
    • Discovering Kindness Over the Atlantic
    • Feeling Hostel
    • “So, What Do You Think of Mr. Trump?”
    • Kindness in Culloden
    • The Road to and from Loch Ness
    • The Commerce of Kindness
    • Finding Warmth on ICE
    • American Family in Germany
    • A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Kindness
    • The Wonder Beyond the Wonder
    • A Hop, Skip, and a Jump
  • Stars of Cities and Towns
    • A Love Letter to Charleston
    • Edinburgh, Scotland
    • Inverness, Scotland
    • Kirkwall, The Orkney Islands
    • The Shetland Islands: Lerwick and Scalloway
    • Aberdeen, Scotland: Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning
    • Skye: Out of the Woods and Into the School House
    • Ft. William: The Heart Beneath Ben Nevis
    • Glasgow, Scotland: A Tale of Two Pauls
    • Amsterdam: Why Going Dutch is Cool
    • Germany: Winter in the Black Forest
    • A Sunday Walk through Salzburg, Austria
    • Vienna, Austria: Searching for Garp
    • Prague: A City of Familes
    • Baptism in Dresden
    • Goodbye Berlin
    • Osaka, Japan: The Small Town That Goes on Forever
    • Koysan, Japan: A Town Built on Enlightenment
    • Kyoto, Japan: Seeking in Silence
    • The Izu Peninsula: Matsuzaki to Kawazu
    • Tokyo, Japan: Hello Edo
  • Poems and Musings
    • Sky Dancer in Sumter
    • Kiwi
    • Janus
    • Stella at Tyvoan Bothy
    • Beyond Culloden
    • Train-Bus-Boat-Bus: Robert Burns’ Day
    • In Aberdeen
    • A Haiku in Izu
    • The Long and Winding Road
  • Audio Journal
    • On Leaving Sumter High
    • Exploring Scotland
    • Looking Forward
  • Contact Me
Searching for Stella: The Quest
Searching for Stella: The Quest
Stella Barnett was the epitome of the first grade teacher. Of course, she challenged her students and helped them grow academically, but mom's special gift was her unwavering love and acceptance of others.
Kyoto, Japan: Seeking in Silence
Kyoto, Japan: Seeking in Silence
I must admit that I failed Kyoto in many ways. When I arrived, I was suffering from a cold and had grown weary.  After dropping my luggage at the hotel (I chose to splurge), I headed for the ancient city…
Koyasan, Japan: A Town Built on Enlightenment
Koyasan, Japan: A Town Built on Enlightenment
What is peace?  What is tranquility? Is it a path through a forest?  Is it a moment of shared love?  Is it a kind deed? I think every person longs to experience peace and tranquility in his or her life.  Many…
Osaka, Japan: The Small Town That Goes Forever
Osaka, Japan: The Small Town That Goes Forever
When I finally got on the train at the airport and started into Osaka to the stop near my hostel, I was really excited to see the ocean again.  What I didn’t know was that that would be the only…
Nara Park, Japan: Where Deer Abound
Nara Park, Japan: Where Deer Abound
I must admit that when I first got to Nara that I was a bit disappointed.  I really wanted to camp on the edge of the park and soon discovered that I wouldn’t be able to do so.  But with…
Tokyo, Japan: Hello Edo
Tokyo, Japan: Hello Edo
I remember when I first arrived in Osaka and got onto the train and felt like the town went on forever.  Tokyo makes Osaka look like a dwarf. I took a bus from Fuji to Tokyo, and it took us…
Winter in the Black Forest
Winter in the Black Forest

Winter in the Black Forest

So, when I left Kaiserslautern, it was my full intention to drive into the alps. I had spoken with Franz, the owner of Rucksack-Kaiserslautern.  I had gone to get some more gas for my stove, and he gave me some…

SearchingForStellaFebruary 11, 2017February 11, 2017 Stars of Cities and Towns: A Picture Gallery
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American Family in Germany
American Family in Germany

American Family in Germany

So, when I taught Aidan O’Connor, I didn’t know that I would be staying with his family in Germany this week. I feel like I should tell you a little about Aidan.  He was a free spirit.  He would come…

SearchingForStellaFebruary 10, 2017February 10, 2017 Stars of the Week: Stories of Acts of Kindness
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Finding Warmth on ICE
Finding Warmth on ICE

Finding Warmth on ICE

When I left Amsterdam, I did so on ICE, the Inter-City-Express train.  For those of you who don’t know, these trains are incredibly fast.  We were traveling at around 270 km an hour. The other cool thing about this form…

SearchingForStellaFebruary 7, 2017February 7, 2017 Stars of the Week: Stories of Acts of Kindness
Finding Warmth on ICERead more
Amsterdam: Why Going Dutch is Cool
Amsterdam: Why Going Dutch is Cool

Amsterdam: Why Going Dutch is Cool

The canals at night are simply glorious. With the street lights along the edges and the occasional Christmas lights that are strung across, the black water shimmers with a romantic glow. I saw a lot of couples wandering along the canals, holding hands, high on each other.

SearchingForStellaFebruary 4, 2017February 4, 2017 Stars of Cities and Towns: A Picture Gallery
Amsterdam: Why Going Dutch is CoolRead more
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Recent Posts

  • Finding Stella Within and Without
  • Tokyo, Japan: Hello Edo
  • Mt. Fuji: A Sea of Trees Beneath the Mountain
  • The Long and Winding Road
  • A Haiku in Izu

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  • Finding Stella Within and Without
  • Tokyo, Japan: Hello Edo
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  • The Long and Winding Road
  • A Haiku in Izu
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