Happy Thanksgiving from 2020!
This year did not work out the way that any of us planned. I’m very grateful that my family has not been dealt horrible blows from COVID-19. We’ve had family members who caught it but so far, we’ve been really blessed. Our hearts go out to those who were not so fortunate.
I’m very grateful that my travel plans in 2020 worked out before the pandemic hit. I’d always dreamed of visiting Australia and Tasmania and while the pandemic had started – it wasn’t yet full blown. We did cancel some other trips but for themes part – we were pretty content with staying in Hawaii. Again, I am aware of how fortunate we are.
We took two trips to the Big Island of Hawaii when tourism reopened between the islands in July. We swam with dolphins, zip lined, and enjoyed visiting with a friend who has relocated to a farm there. But, for most of this year – we’ve been on lockdown. I’ve become homeschool teacher to our daughter, which we both love (again, I am so thankful to be able to do this)and I’ve been writing writing writing. I’ve almost completed another novel after writing one at the beginning and re-editing two others.
I took one short trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to sell my beloved VW Vanagon – with tourism closed, this was what it took to be able to pay the rent. I’m grateful I was able to sell it and that we’ve been able to pay our rent. I flew to SF before limited tourism was reopened to Hawaii and I’m grateful I was on empty planes and in empty airports.
We made KIVA micro loans to a coffee growing collective in Vietnam, a general store in Cambodia, a baby food maker in Hawaii, and a seamstress in Palestine. Today we’re making a new micro loan to a Palestinian woman who is opening a beauty salon – she share’s my wife’s name.
Why not join our lending team?
It feels really good to be helping others – even if it is only in a small way.
We wish you a joyous holiday season and a wonderful 2021 for all the world.
Aloha nui loa,
Vago
Happy Thanksgiving! It’s 2019 – I first wrote this back in 2011 and I’ll just keep adding to it every year.
I hope that you are enjoying all the food posts that I’ve put up in the past month. Thanksgiving and travel are both all about gratitude and food. Here’s a post that gives me a taste of both and fits the holiday spirit.
Turkey and All the Trimmings from Vagobond.
Since coming back to the USA – so much of my energy has been focused on being a father, finding a way to pay for the right to live (the American way), and building businesses that might make things better – that I haven’t done much in the way of travel. In 2019, I only took a few flights – I took my family on a short island hop to experience the Hawaiian Island of Maui and I took a short trip to San Francisco for a tech conference. Other than that, I’ve been here on Oahu – not the worst place to be stranded, but I have to admit to a bit of island fever.
I’m grateful for my wife and daughter, for the fact that we live in Hawaii, and today, I’m grateful because I just finished the first draft of a new novel. This is the first novel I’ve written since 2012 – I’d forgotten what a huge joy it is to create a new story, new people, and to some extent a new world and be able to shape them into a story. Here’s our 2019 Thanksgiving dinner…not a big production, but a fun and easy way to do Thanksgiving dinner for the three of us.
In terms of the KIVA loan below – I’ve loaned it out several times now with only one time that it wasn’t repaid – in general I’ve focused on loaning to women who produce food – the one time I loaned to a man, the loan has not been repaid. I’m grateful that women are so awesome and I’ve just re-funded the loan so that it can help more women producing food in an sustainable way. We can help make the world a better place together…..
My most recent loan is to a group of women growing coffee in Vietnam. I know it’s not a huge thing – but if we all take little steps like this – the world really will be a better place.
I’m excited about the year 2020. I’ve already got a new trip planned in spring. For the first time, I’ll be heading to Australia – my wife gave me the go ahead so I’ve got an ultra budget trip down under in my near future. Who knows what the future holds?
I hope you are all having a great Thanksgiving. Over the next month, I’ll be sharing our many Christmas and holiday season stories.
Aloha nui loa!
~Vago
Thanksgiving 2018
November 24, 2011, Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m writing this from Paris. It’s been one hell of a wonderful year for me and I can’t tell you how thankful I am. Especially for this little wonder:
At four months, our daughter is already bringing us so much joy. I’m no less thankful for her sweet and wonderful mama, who, even though she wasn’t able to get a visa in time for this trip, understood, that I sometimes need a break from Morocco and insisted that I go since we couldn’t change or get a refund for our flights and hotels.
I am also very thankful for the many friends we have around the world, for both of our wonderful families, and for the many opportunities we have been blessed with.
I’m not sure how a too independent for his own good vagabond like me ended up with a beautiful family, a warm (well, mostly) and comfortable home, and the chance to travel the world, see new people and places and have wonderful experiences. But, I’m certainly thankful for it and I think that, ultimately, that is what this day is all about. Being thankful – it’s not about the turkey, the football, or even the United States. It’s about gratitude pure and simple.
As a small way of giving back, I am making a micro-loan through Kiva.org – It’s not much, just $25 but it makes a difference. I ask you to do the same…to join Team Vagobond, just follow this link:
http://www.kiva.org/team/vagobond
Here is the woman who my loan went to in the Philippines. As you can see, she is a farmer – which for a Thanksgiving loan seems quite appropriate. She earns approximately $4142 per year, so as you can see, $25 makes quite a difference. Her requested loan amount is just $475 and she still has $400 to go. Let’s make her loan happen!
http://www.kiva.org/lend/359963
Glane owns and operates farmland, planting & harvesting corn for sale to earn a living and she’s been two years in this business. Each month, she earns 15,000 doing this type of work.
She requested a loan of 20,000 PHP to purchase additional seeds, seedlings & young crops to raise. Glane is been a member of GDMPC for almost a year. In the future, Glane wants to make improvements to her house and to have her children finish their studies.