Prisoner of Hopes

Tag: perseverance

  • Expect The Unexpected: Travel Day Zen

    My motto when traveling is to expect the unexpected. Perhaps I am over sensitive to things that may go wrong. Over the years, I have taken a lot of flights (solo, family, and as a group leader). I have seen a lot of mishaps. It is rare to fly without at least one delay. Most…

  • Leaving in a Jet Plane: Travel Goals

    I used to love air travel. It seemed glamorous and uncomplicated. Over the last two decades, while prices have gone up, the experience has definitely lost its luster. Perhaps I am jaded or turning into an old curmudgeon. Or perhaps profit motive and misguided security measures have ruined the experience. I used to call a…

  • Remembrance: Travel Goals

    The Holocaust Center in Oslo is located in the former home of the Norwegian Nazi party leader, Vidkun Quisling. His mansion seems in gross excess compared to most Oslo city dwellings. It is now a center that commemorates the forced removal of over 700 Jewish citizens during World War II. Many of the deportees, especially…

  • Seeking Peace: Travel Goals

    Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 Peace is an illusive goal. I question whether it is even possible in a broken world. Freedom from disturbance. Tranquility. A time of no war. “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart…..” As we wander through the Nobel…

  • Military History: Travel Goals

    We aren’t sure what to expect at the Akershus Festning (Fortress). We walked by the large park/military complex when we first arrived in Oslo (two weeks ago). But it is much bigger than it appeared from our walk along the harbor. The walled fortress houses a castle, a resistance museum, a military museum, outdoor amphitheaters,…

  • Tromso Love Is True, But I Hate Their Airport: Travel Goals

    I mention in each travel day post that I dislike air travel. It feels chaotic and uncivil in ways other forms of transport avoid. Each airport and airline has its own system that you can’t know if you have not been there before. Sometimes your experience is different due to the people you encounter. Add…

  • Travel Goals: Watching the World Go By

    I love to be at sea. Early in the morning, I am often the only one on deck. As morning breaks over the water, at first only shadows appear. Slowly the landscape takes shape amid an orange glow. The waves are shadowy and alive. The air smells clean and the wind is brisk. It is…

  • Travel Goals: Arrival

    Travel day is stressful, at least if you are me. Unable to control even a little bit of the day’s schedule, we arrive at the airport earlier than expected. Yay! Our flight is delayed… sigh. The crew shows up. Yay! The leave to sit out the delay elsewhere… sigh. Once aboard, we settle in for…

  • Educating for Sanity: Civility

    Civility: a concept that seems to be waning in the United States. From the Latin, the literal meaning is “as befitting a good citizen”. It carries connotations of professional, ethical, respectful and courteous behavior. Incivility, thus translates as behavior unbecoming of a citizen. It is behavior of the barbarians. Incivility runs the gamut of behaviors…

  • Educating for Sanity: Press For Freedom

    I have to admit that I am a compulsive reader. Each morning I try to consume articles from several newspapers on a variety of topics. I vary my sources both nationally and internationally. So I was surprised again and again, over the last seven or eight years, when many of my friends developed very strong…