jimboyce44

Chewing Qat in Ethiopia and Coffee Celebration

I had the good fortune of traveling to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia several years ago for four days. Talk about exciting. For this entry I will mainly discuss the chewing of qat, which I experienced and the coffee celebration which I only observed. Both are very social activities in the Ethiopian culture. Both provide stimulants,Continue reading “Chewing Qat in Ethiopia and Coffee Celebration”

The “Makito,” and phone theft protection strategy in the Dominican Republic

As some of you may recall I was robbed of my cellphone in broad daylight waiting to board a bus in Santo Domingo a couple of weeks ago. It created more than a few problems for me. I had so much data and documents on there that are simply gone. By good fortune, I hadContinue reading “The “Makito,” and phone theft protection strategy in the Dominican Republic”

Second and Third Marathons

After my first marathon, I didn’t have any major goals but knew that it couldn’t be any more unpleasant than running on a cold day in Seattle. I chose to run a marathon in Olympia, Washington called the Capital City Marathon because it is in the capital of the State of Washington. It was inContinue reading “Second and Third Marathons”

First Marathon – Seattle

I can’t believe how little I knew before I ran my first marathon. I had been training all alone and somehow thought that if I ran some long runs on the weekends, I would be able to make the 26.2 miles on race day. I ran a fair amount in training, but didn’t really haveContinue reading “First Marathon – Seattle”

My Daughter Saved My Life

I have been through a few dark periods in my life. I literally did not think I would make it through them. There have been at least three that I can count off the top of my head in which I felt suffering outweighed living and I didn’t know how long I could continue. TheContinue reading “My Daughter Saved My Life”

Managing a 35 Acre Private Island in the State of Washington

I remember the day they asked me if I wanted the job as the caretaker of this island. As I walked back across the island so that I could phone my wife and tell her, I looked up in one of the beautiful fir trees and there sat a huge bald eagle. They are big,Continue reading “Managing a 35 Acre Private Island in the State of Washington”

An Impulsive Decision

So the ski season had come to a close and we had to decide what to do next. It had been an exciting year building trails, skiing and living out of a van for a while. I was so content even though we had little money. I had the option of the Safeway job thatContinue reading “An Impulsive Decision”

Greece March 2014 with my Daughter Sierra Danielle

It was 2013 and I had been in the Middle East for two years. My son and daughter had come and visited us in Abu Dhabi in the Spring. For 2014, I asked them both where they would like to travel. Fun concept. My son chose Panama, which had fascinated him for some time. GreatContinue reading “Greece March 2014 with my Daughter Sierra Danielle”

Working at Squaw Valley Ski Resort, California

I was quickly offered a position selling tickets for ski school lessons at Squaw Valley and my wife got a job at a ski and clothing shop near Alpine Meadows. I also started working at a 7-11 convenience store near Squaw Valley. We both got Season tickets for skiing at Squaw Valley so we wereContinue reading “Working at Squaw Valley Ski Resort, California”

Living out of a van in Southwest America

During the work on the Pacific Crest Trail, we had learned that the team had won a bid for a 50 mile stretch of trail near Big Sur in California. It was in the La Ventana Wilderness Area. It was to be a 6 month job paying 25 dollars an hour, which seemed like aContinue reading “Living out of a van in Southwest America”