A visual journal
A record of ordinary Thursdays—where we were, what the day held, and usually a photograph.
Each year begins August 5, the anniversary of selling our last school.
August 5, 2025–August 4, 2026
Lisbon, Portugal
A sightseeing bus, a boat on the Tagus, and a stop at Belém Tower. Back to the hotel for a nap, then out for dinner.
We were getting comfortable figuring things out as we went.
Read the travel summary: Lisbon →
São Lourenço do Barrocal, Alentejo, Portugal
A beer for me. A glass of wine for Shirley. A warm breeze, birds settling in for the night, and the sun disappearing over the Alentejo.
Shirley: “I've never been this comfortable.”
Read the travel summary: Alentejo & São Lourenço do Barrocal →
Douro Valley, Portugal
The Douro outside our window. Riverboats passing by. Kayaking, paddleboarding, and a walk to a café.
We were beginning to wonder what it would be like to simply live this way for a while.
Read the travel summary: Douro Valley →
Oualidia, Morocco
A boat across the lagoon. Over the dunes to the Atlantic. For a while, we had the beach virtually to ourselves.
Then both soles fell off Shirley's sandals.
Read the travel summary: Oualidia →
Marrakech, Morocco
The Medina. Carved doors, patterned tile, rugs everywhere. We went into a gallery to look and came out having bought several.
Apparently we're decorating a home we don't have yet.
Read the travel summary: Marrakech →
Irvine, California
Shirley was visiting family, and I was home alone, making the final preparations for moving out.
Irvine, California
Two weeks until we moved out for good. Working through the remaining preparations.
Bloomfield, New Mexico
Still visiting Rachel and the grandkids after Kendra’s arrival. Time with the newest member of the family.
Bloomfield, New Mexico
Kendra's first day.
She arrived at 11:05 last night. The rest of the week would become a blur.
Read the travel summary: New Mexico →
Irvine, California
With an offer accepted, we were working to finalize everything before moving out.
Irvine, California
Yesterday we signed the offer to sell the house.
Today it was still home.
Irvine, California
Still working to sell the house.
Irvine, California
Daily house showings continued as April came to a close.
Irvine, California
Still at home, with the house being shown every day.
Irvine, California
Another week of daily house showings.
Irvine, California
The house was being shown daily. Keeping everything ready for the next prospective buyer.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Looking for a place to move to, taking another step toward making Nevada our home.
Irvine, California
Continuing with repairs to the house. Replacement window panels arrived today—another item on the list as we prepared the house for sale.
Cancún, Mexico
Turquoise water and a beautiful beach.
Also Spring Break. Pumping music all day. Too loud for me.
Read the travel summary: Cancún →
Irvine, California
Our first open house—a twilight showing. After all the preparation, it was time to open the doors to prospective buyers.
This photo, taken earlier in the month, shows part of the patio ready for showing.
Irvine, California
We staged the house today, another step toward putting it on the market. After weeks of sorting and preparing, the house was ready for prospective buyers to imagine making it their own.
Irvine, California
Years of possessions headed out the door.
We were clearing the house for staging and getting ready to sell. It was starting to feel real.
Read the travel summary: Home, But Not Quite Home Anymore →
Irvine, California
At home in Irvine, preparing the house for sale.
No photograph from this Thursday.
Irvine, California
At home in Irvine, preparing the house for sale.
No photograph from this Thursday.
Irvine, California
At home in Irvine, preparing the house for sale.
No photograph from this Thursday.
Hermanus, South Africa
A late breakfast, museums in town, appetizers and drinks, then a three-mile walk back along the coast.
I was beginning to realize that extended travel couldn't remain an endless vacation.
Read the travel summary: Hermanus →
Chobe, Botswana
A 4:30 wake-up. Giraffes, impala, jackals, a leopard, and an elephant.
Somewhere in the middle of it all, I found myself thinking about sufficiency—how little we were yearning for anything beyond what we had that day.
Read the travel summary: Botswana Safari →
Cape Town, South Africa
We stopped at Truth Coffee for what we thought would be coffee to go.
It became the beginning of a day in Langa Township that would stay with us long after the coffee was gone.
Read the travel summary: Cape Town →
At sea
Two sea days ahead before Walvis Bay, then one more before Cape Town. We were already sad that this part of the trip was coming to an end.
That day we interviewed for a sailing trip in Greenland.
Read the travel summary: Namibia to Cape Town →
At sea, off Liberia
New Year's Day. Thunder and lightning. Sailing in and out of rainstorms off the coast of Liberia.
The ocean beneath us was only about 230 feet deep.
Read the travel summary: West Africa →
At sea, off Western Sahara
Christmas Day. Somewhere off the coast of Western Sahara.
A lower-body workout, some jump rope and boxing, and otherwise pretty much nothing at all.
Read the travel summary: Barcelona to Cape Town →
Barcelona, Spain
The funicular was closed, so we walked partway up Montjuïc and took the cable car the rest of the way. The castle, another cable car down to the beach, a late lunch, Ciutadella Park, the Arc de Triomf, and the metro home.
Then we packed for the ship.
Read the travel summary: Barcelona →
Los Angeles, California
On our way to Barcelona.
In the Air France lounge at LAX, I wrote that I felt like I was “intruding on a higher class of living.” We took pictures of the food.
Apparently this still wasn't normal.
Read the travel summary: Barcelona →
Irvine, California
Home in Irvine, preparing for our trip to Spain.
No photograph from this Thursday.
Crystal Cove, California
Thanksgiving Day at Crystal Cove with Shirley and Laura.
A walk on the beach. All three of us together. More than enough to be thankful for.
Irvine, California
Home again after our trip to Maui.
Wailea Beach Resort, Maui
Neither of us took a photograph that Thursday. This view of the shoreline is from another day during the same stay.
Waiʻānapanapa State Park, Maui
Rain nearly the entire hike.
No reason to pass it up just because of the rain.
Read the travel summary: Hana & Upcountry Maui →
Irvine, California
Home, preparing for our trip to Maui.
Met with the tree trimmers and got a quote to have the trees trimmed while we’re away.
Miami to Los Angeles
Our Panama Canal cruise ended in Miami on Monday. We stayed a few more days, then flew from Miami to LAX today.
No photograph from this Thursday.
Read the travel summary: Panama Canal →
Panama Canal
Through the locks today.
Watching an enormous ship rise and fall inside a piece of engineering more than a century old was every bit as fascinating as I expected.
Read the travel summary: Panama Canal →
Off the coast of Mexico
We were supposed to be in Acapulco.
Bad weather closed the port, so we stayed at sea and continued south toward Guatemala.
Read the travel summary: Panama Canal →
San Francisco, California
We sailed into San Francisco that morning, then spent the day exploring the city from the top of a bus.
The Golden Gate Bridge disappeared into the fog.
Read the travel summary: Panama Canal →
Irvine, California
Preparing to leave for Seattle to catch the Panama Canal cruise. We left the next day.
Read the travel summary: Panama Canal →
Irvine, California
Home alone. Shirley was visiting family between trips.
Wailea, Maui
Still in Wailea. Neither of us took a photograph that Thursday, but this sunset from our patio captures something of our time there.
Read the travel summary: Wailea →
Wailea, Maui
Neither of us took a photograph that Thursday. This is the beach where we spent our days, photographed earlier in the same stay.
Read the travel summary: Wailea →
Irvine, California
Home, and apparently in the middle of moving Sharon to her new home at the retirement community. The note for tomorrow said, “Expect Movers.”
Cibola National Forest, New Mexico
Shirley's birthday. A quick stop in Cibola National Forest on our way to visit Rachel and the grandchildren.
Read the travel summary: Baltimore & New Mexico →
Baltimore, Maryland
Visiting Laura in Baltimore.
Read the travel summary: Baltimore & New Mexico →
Irvine, California
Home, two days after the sale of the school closed.