Where in the World is Debra Grimes?

“Not all who wander are lost.” JRR Tolkien

  • Epilog

    “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin I’m struggling to write this final chapter as I’m not sure I have any wisdom to impart from my travels. I elected to take this trip for many reasons, first there…

  • Nashville- Come On Back

    “I love traveling all over the world; but it’s true: there’s nothing like home.” Dolly Parton You may have wondered where I get the phase that follows each country’s name in my blog titles, usually it’s the country’s official tourism slogan. On occasion, they don’t have one, so I’d find a worthy substitute. I thought…

  • Canada – For Glowing Hearts

    “The more I traveled, the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.” Shirley MacClaine 5/26-6/6/2024 There was a rotating cast of characters as I traveled across Canada, so a very different experience than traveling with a tour- seeing the same people each day or on my own-crossing paths with…

  • Alaska – Beyond Your Dreams, Within Your Reach

    “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”  Robert Frost 5/15-29, 2024 What I knew about Alaska before this adventure, was that it was big, cold, full of grizzly bears and moose, and most likely you would see an Eskimo or two. …

  • All You Need Is Ecuador

    “Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury 4/22-5/15, 2024 “Ecuadorians are rare and unique beings, they sleep peacefully in the midst of crisp volcanoes, live poor in the midst of…

  • Chile -Where the Impossible is Possible

    “I don’t want an uneventful life, I prefer an adventurous one.” Isabel Allende 4/12-23/2024 This post has been delayed somewhat due to travel glitches and limited access to the internet. In fact, three flights connected to Chile had issues of some sort or another. My flight from Sydney to Santiago was delayed by 5 hours,…

  • Welcome to China

    One learns more from traveling ten thousand li than from reading ten thousand scrolls. – Chinese Proverb 2/22-26 and 3/24-4/11, 2024 China was very interesting. On one hand, it was filled with amazing places, buzzing cites, fast trains and wonderful food. On the other, I struggled with some behaviors, the wifi, and the gray skies.…

  • Ride the Korean Wave

     “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag March 19-24, 2024 South Korea wasn’t originally on my list of places to visit, but I had almost a week between my tours in Japan and in China, so why not. I may not come this way again. I only had three days…

  • Japan: Endless Discovery.

    I have only one life, so I want to make sure it’s a good one. – Yoko Ono February 28 – January 19, 2024 What a whirlwind three weeks! I started by hiking the Kumano Kodo Trail, southeast of Osaka, then took a tour that ranged from Hiroshima to Tokyo with a side trip to…

  • Nearly Nine Months

    “You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about the width and depth.”  Evan Esar March 8, 2024 I’ve been plunged into the depths of a cold, dark, and often rainy spring, after months in the heat. I did my best to avoid it, but couldn’t figure out…