Seems everyone around the world is interested in the US primary election, especially when it comes to Donald Trump. After flying from Quito, Ecuador to San Salvador on March 12 to begin a 16-day tour of Central America, I took a taxi to my hotel.
My cab driver was eager to discuss the US presidential election. He spoke no English, but by now my Spanish was pretty good. I began by stating my opposition to Trump. As if on queue, the cabbie launched into a rant about Trump's racism. He was incredulous about the level of support that Trump seemed to be getting from American voters. I explained that US politics was extremely divisive and that there were plenty of people who opposed Trump for many reasons, including his racist views. I also told him I didn't think Trump would win. He seemed somewhat relieved to hear my opinion.
Looking back on my year-long trip around the world, I realized that nobody that I met, with the exception of a few American travelers, had anything nice to say about Trump. While I have more serious concerns about Trump, I know that if he were elected, international travel would become a lot more uncomfortable and unsafe for Americans.
I flew back to the U.S.A. from Belize on Easter Sunday. Returning home to Santa Cruz, California after a year traveling around the world was at first a rush. From the air, the Santa Cruz Mountains were bright green and as I drove my rental car from San Jose to Santa Cruz, I saw that Lexington Reservoir was full. El Nino had indeed been good to us during this fifth year of drought!
You can find lots of books and blogs offering advice about how to de-clutter your house. But even after watching George Carlin’s brilliant stand-up comedy routine about "Stuff," most people still need an incentive to get started.
Incentives to off-load stuff
Until last year, I’ve always found that moving to a new space was the best incentive to unload unneeded stuff. Most of us beyond college age have to pay someone else to move our stuff, so it pays to get rid of the stuff you don’t really love or need before you move. After you book the movers, you’ve got an actual deadline. You’ve got to—“Get ‘er done.”
Last year, I decided to take a trip around the world and lease my house while I was gone. That rent money would give me a very nice, dependable travel income. My property manager advised me to put my stuff into storage, because most tenants would want to move their own stuff into the house.
