Boots, Bikes and Border Crossings
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One Religion, Two Very Different Expressions of Faith
After the relaxed, joyful women’s retreat, my Sunday morning at the German Mennonite church was quite a contrast! Everyone was polite, but the faces were very serious—even when the young band started playing. I thought, Great, some lively music! But nobody sang, clapped or even moved. Two young girls three pews ahead gave a tiny…
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The Pathway Through Closed Doors
I arrived at the Brilla Women’s Retreat with an open mind and almost no knowledge of religion or the Bible. It simply wasn’t a path I had ever wandered down. But sometimes the paths we least expect can leave the deepest impression. I couldn’t understand most of the words during the singing, but I didn’t…
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One Little Lamb and a Missing Teat
We have six adorable little lambs, but one little male gave us quite a scare this week. While Alan was feeding them Sunday night, the enthusiastic little fellow managed to swallow the large rubber teat from the bottle! By Monday afternoon, he was clearly in distress — throwing himself down, rolling and sitting, obviously very…
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The Paraguayan Boy Locked up with Animals Who Now Speaks Four Languages
Alan is a 15-year-old Paraguayan boy whose early life was marked by severe neglect. Raised by a single mother alongside his older sister (then about four years old), he was locked away from a very young age. Rescued at around 18 months old, he and his sister had been left for days or even a…
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Missing, Presumed gone … found Chomping
He disappeared for a couple of months and everyone thought he’d run away. Then I found him happily chomping on a nopal leaf like nothing had happened. Apparently, he hadn’t run away at all… No panic. No explanation. Just turtle business as usual.
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From Hunting the Chaco to Hunting for a Paycheque
Once, the Enlhet, Nivaclé, Guaraní Occidental and Ayoreo depended heavily on the land — hunting, gathering, growing food and following the seasons. Today, most live in urban or peri-urban communities and depend on wages from agriculture, construction, domestic work and other jobs. The forest was once their supermarket. Now they need money to shop in…
Visited Countries
Interactive World Map
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Route Plan (Eastern Europe)
Here’s the planned route PDF. Download below.
Route Map
About Me
Happy, grateful, and full of joy – that’s how I see my life. Growing up in the small country town of Karaka, New Zealand, I was a curious little girl who dreamed of seeing the world. At 14, I took my first trip overseas to Fiji, and since then I’ve explored 66 countries, each adventure filling me with wonder at new cultures, unexpected moments, and the thrill of discovery.
I’ve leapt from planes, dived into unseen depths of the ocean, pedaled across borders, and roared through deserts on motorbikes. From crossing the Gobi Desert on two wheels to cruising down to Antarctica, from riding through roads less traveled to moments that took my breath away, I collect memories, not possessions.
Contact Me
Have a question or want to collaborate? Drop me a line.