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The Road to Kedarnath — Can I Love What Is?
Even now, when I close my eyes, flashes of that pilgrimage return like scenes from a movie. It wasn't the Himalayas that first took my breath away. It was the road leading there. Inspired by The Road to Dharma documentary series, I found myself making the same pilgrimage to Kedarnath—one of India's four sacred sites, where the ancient Temple of Lord Shiva stands high in the Himalayas. Reaching it required a two-day journey from Rishikesh to Guptkashi, followed by an eight-hou
franceschau
Jul 313 min read


The Ladies of the Red Dao
Some of my most meaningful travel memories have nothing to do with famous landmarks. They begin with people. In 2018, our International Travel Lovers group traveled through Vietnam, from the misty mountains of Sapa in the north to the vibrant cities of central and southern Vietnam. We stayed at the breathtaking Topas Ecolodge in Lao Cai, where our room overlooked endless green valleys, rice terraces, and mountains disappearing into the morning mist. It felt like waking up ins
franceschau
Jul 243 min read


Laos Taught Me the Gift of Receiving
Travel doesn’t always change us through grand adventures. Sometimes it changes us in complete silence, with nothing more than a handful of rice and a heart willing to receive.
franceschau
Jul 172 min read


The Place Where Joy Found Me
Before traveling to Bolivia, I thought I knew what I was looking forward to. Like many travelers, I had a list. The Uyuni Salt Flats. The Witches’ Market. The colorful lagoons. The flamingos. The endless mirror landscapes I had admired in photographs for years.
franceschau
Jul 103 min read


The Tree That Answered: A Journey Along the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail
Some journeys test more than our legs. They test our trust. During our Kumano Kodo pilgrimage in Japan, our group of ten set out on the first day’s hike from Takijiri-oji to the small mountain village of Takahara.
franceschau
Jul 32 min read


Unfinished Memories: The Dog of the Annapurna Trail
There are some memories from travel that stay with me because they were beautiful. Others stay because they were unfinished.
franceschau
Jun 283 min read


Happy Father’s Day, A Ba.
As one of eight children, each of us probably carries a different memory of him. Perhaps each of us carries a different version of him as well. We called him A Ba.
franceschau
Jun 193 min read


I Am a Walking Rainbow
A friend said something to me recently that made me smile.
“You are a walking rainbow.”
I laughed when I heard it.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized he might be right.
franceschau
Jun 52 min read


My Grandmother Travels With Me
The morning air outside Potala Palace was cold and dry.
Prayer flags moved gently in the wind while pilgrims circled the palace grounds in quiet devotion.
franceschau
May 293 min read
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