Atlantis. Just the name conjures up mysterious treasure, mythical stories, and mountains of adventure. The Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas offers up all of that intrigue. My husband and I visited Atlantis in October of 2008. It was a sales incentive trip through his company. It was an amazing trip, but I desperately missed our young daughters, who were just four and two years old at the time. We kept thinking, during that trip, of how lovely…
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The end of last year I was homeschooling my kids when an opportunity for our whole family to go to Kenya came up. It was a chance to find education outside of a textbook and to do something for others. It was right, so we went. This is the first time I’ve sat down to write and reflect on the trip and the impact it had on my kids. I don’t know if I will ever fully know how what they witnessed…
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Frankly, my dears, I am not made for winter. Maybe it’s the low blood pressure, but I am always cold. My nose, my toes, my fingers, and my rear, sweet cheeks, are always a bit chilly. This is why in the winter, even in Northern California, my heart sings arias for tropical climates. Hawaii is hands down, my favorite place to visit when I crave ocean breezes, fresh flavors that make my mouth water, and a laid back, relaxed attitude towards…
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Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to. With picturesque Table Mountain and the beauty of the ocean, it’s not a place that will disappoint. There are many things to do in Cape Town, but if you’re going for a visit, then there’s a few things that MUST be on your list of things to do. 1. Go to the beach! But of course, this would be on the list. Along with beach life comes…
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I grew up in small-town Texas, about 40 miles North of Dallas. Potholes were an everyday occurrence in that small town. In fact, even though I haven’t lived at my parent’s home for 19 years, I still remember the path you had to drive to dodge every pothole, dip, and crater that presented itself in my parent’s neighborhood. Suffice it to say, I viewed potholes as evil little ploys to slow me down and ruin my car. Naturally, they were…
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Wasatch Mountains, Utah Hello friends, I’m so happy you’re here today! I really am. Because I want to introduce something new I’m going to try on Petit Elefant. I’m picking up the pieces of my life, and will be for a little while, but I want to stay connected to you and yours while I do it. The best way I can think to do that is to post a photo with a little something about what you’re looking at. …
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The Thousand Islands isn’t just a salad dressing after all. It’s a real, and really lovely, place well worth a visit. For our tenth wedding anniversary, my husband and I went to a cute little bed and breakfast in Gananoque, Ontario, Canada which hosts part of the 37 km stretch of the Thousand Islands Parkway. Along the American-Canadian border is a stretch of over 1800 islands in the St. Lawrence River as it emerges from Lake Ontario. 1800 islands! We…
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I live in a small town in South Africa. All kinds of outdoor fun make the “things to do list” in my neck of the woods. One of my favorite Saturday entertainment options is Kaapsehoop, a mere thirty minute drive from Nelspruit in the Mpumulanga province. You can cruise through the whole town in about sixty seconds, but you can easily spend a day exploring everything it has to offer. This lovely town is best known for the wild horses…
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The “four” hour drive from Kampala to Gulu, Northern Uganda was more like eight due in part to dusty, potholed roads that had seen better days. The outside breeze rushing through the windows in the big, nasty, dirty bus barely offered any respite from the humid air that kept my back in a perpetual state of wet. Over the eight hour journey, my bright white top turned a new shade of earth that no amount of bleach could help. All…
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