Author: dawnhirn

Dear Dawn · Travel

Sign Language

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Dear Dawn,

“We’re planning a trip to SE Asia this fall, and I’ve talked to people who say it isn’t necessary to know the language because many people there speak English.  They say the signs are clear.  But because it’s me and my two daughters, I’m a little concerned.  What is your take on this?”

 It’s one thing to plan a trip for yourself; quite another to drag along precious cargo.  The last thing any of us need is to get lost or even worse, look like fools in the eyes of our kids.  I realize that is part of the misperception of being mom, and I get this on good authority.   But I have to say, for us it was fairly easy.

We found most signs to be self-explanatory.  We all had our favorites.  This Japanese remote control toilet was mine:   See?  Not that difficult!

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Above all remember this:  If you live long enough, you’ll be able to verify that at one point, everything old is new again.  40000 years ago, people left remnants of their existence in caves, with their sepia toned cave paintings.

In Ancient Egypt around 32 BC, someone began communicating using hieroglyphs.   Will your legacy be an emoji?  If so, here’s mine:

images.jpegSee you Friday!

Dawn

Adventure with Engagement AWE · Encouragement

The Circle of Life

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Life is full of color!   You cannot do life well standing still, or staying in one place or doing one thing.  A life in black and white was never an option for me.  I never could settle on one favorite color and the thought of walking it in one straight line was offensive to me. What we have accomplished, our sufferings, our joys cannot simply fit within that little dash that separates our birth and death dates.  Life should be a circle!

This great perception of life is sung in Zulu, a language spoken by over 10-million people including 95% of South Africa, and it opens the Broadway play The Lion King.  These are the lyrics translated:

“It’s the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle
The circle of life”

Bindon/John

The chalk hit the blackboard this week when I was asked to prepare a short three-minute synopsis of my story (as presented in our TV Series, Our BackPack) for my upcoming presentation in Washington DC this coming week.   There I stood with the chalk and eraser, putting more mileage on the eraser than the chalk.

What is my story?  Won’t fit in a dash, and I’ll bet yours won’t either.  From tragedy and loss, to blessing of two more healthy sons, back to the valley of the memory of loss.  From struggling to keep my family together after days of depression and healing from burns and skin grafts, to an adventure of a lifetime which incidentally wasn’t dropped from heaven upon us . . . we had to make the thing happen.  Can you fit it in one circle?   How big is your circle??

Each year of life my circle has increased in size as I include each of those who have become new friends, by living in their circumstances,  sharing their pain and celebrating their victories.  All for the sake of adventure, I share these experiences with you, not so you could think “wow, she’s a real go-getter,” but instead so you can add some color to your life as you say:  “I can do that!”  We call it AWE – Adventure With Engagement.  Grab some color for your circle!
hakuna Matata.jpegHave a colorful weekend!

Dawn

Family · Travel

To hostel or not to hostel . . .

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That is the question.   And the answer is:  HOSTEL!

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First let’s clarify – We chose hostels because of the three C’s: ‘clean, convenient and cheap.’ Savvy travelers have caught on and so has Airbnb. Www.hihostels.com (Hostels International) is one of the many other sites offering a full listing of amazing places that we often used.  We know, photos can sometimes stretch the size or lose focus on what is hidden beneath the sheets.  But we can attest, almost all of the hostels we stayed in were wonderful.

hostel.jpeg Perhaps you just cannot envision putting your family in a hostel.  Can you say ‘shortsighted?’ You say cramped; we say cozy.  Because on a family vacation,  privacy is overrated,  overpriced and frankly,  a dream for another day down your road of life.  And when you hit that road,  you’ll find yourself looking back at these as “the good old days,” and wondering why the kids never call.

Some of our best memories come from our nights together in the hostel, reviewing the day behind us and planning the days in front of us.  If you don’t want giggling and ghost stories, pay up for privacy.  OrBut if you want clean, safe and comfortable, family friendly memory builders, hostels are a great bet.

And cheap!  Seven Heavens Guesthouse in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina offers an 8 bed room like the one we stayed in above,  for a whopping $10.77 per night.  And that’s why I often laugh at people who say they can’t afford world travel, only to head off to The Big Apple and Broadway.

So when it comes to the question:  To hostel, or not to hostel, there is only one answer from the Hirn Family:

Hostel, baby!  Hostel!

Have a great week!

Dawn

Travel

New beginnings

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Aren’t they wonderful?  New beginnings never meant clean slates — though wouldn’t that be nice!  The world is full of so many disappointments and problems, every now and again it’s nice to take a hard look at what you are doing,  give it the old clean sweep and get ready for a nice ‘re-do’.  Thanks to Steve Jobs pioneering efforts, we now have new technology opportunities available every day.

This is my anniversary — one-hundred blogs!  I think it’s time to celebrate by treating myself to a new format.  Hopefully, I’ll  be able to share video and all sorts of quirkiness with you, answer your questions, and it will be easily read on your mobile!   It’s gonna take a couple of minutes to develop, but I think it will be worth it.  Because everything worthwhile takes a trip of sorts.  I guess that is a pretty good tag line for the blog:

Everything worthwhile takes a trip of sorts.

So hang on to your phone, iPad or laptop and I’ll be sharing with you in the next one-hundred blogs in brand new form!

From pony express, to sort wave, to radio and  telephone, to television, to computer, to social media and streaming.    Personally I cannot wait for them to develop ‘smell-o-vision’ or a form of digital transfer of smells and tastes.  Then together we can hit the streets of Shanghai again, visit the food carts and really partake in some AWE.

Stay tuned!

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Dear Dawn · Travel

Rules and Regs

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Dear Dawn,

 “You asked us to write about our concerns about traveling outside the country with our families:  I keep wondering about the laws we might be unknowingly breaking.  I heard we could be fined in Singapore for chewing gum.  Or spitting.  Thoughts?”                    J.  Gainesville

 Dear J,

The U. S. State Department will set you up beautifully on their site:

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/checklist.html

Yes!  Don’t chew or spit in Singapore.  The city is pristine!  There are some tricky rules in some of the other countries concerning women, people with disabilities and LGBT individuals, so as I’ve reminded you so many times, plan.   But overall, we easily slipped into the rules. Part of the fun of traveling with your family is that you learn to read the signs even if you can’t read the language.  And yes, there are some dumb laws.

But did you ever check the dumb laws on Alabama’s books?

Bear wrestling matches are prohibited.

You must have windshield wipers on your car.

Masks may not be worn in public.

It’s illegal to impersonate a person of clergy.

And my personal favorite:

You may not carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket. (wwwdumblaws.com)

If you are planning a trip anywhere, even in the US of A, it’s always a good idea to freshen up on the laws, driving, pedestrian rights, etc.  And by all means, if you and your donkey are driving over to Georgia, don’t let him stay the night in your hotel bathtub.  It’s illegal there!  Florida might also be a problem if you have sons.

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Have a safe weekend.  Stay warm!

Dawn

Encouragement · Travel

Fearless flying

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“I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on earth.  Then I ask myself the same question.”  I didn’t come up with that saying, but thought it was worthy of repeating.

It’s not necessary for you to cross oceans, or ride a UK Hover Bus, the China Express in Ecuador, or the Maglev Train in Shanghai – although we would recommend at least a couple of those trips.

This blog was meant to inspire you and your family to step out of the front door of your house, and wander.

Wherever I go, I get questions.  Concerns.  Curiosities.  So I decided to start a little piece in my blogs called: “Dear Dawn.” I know.  It’s been done before and at this point I am glad my name isn’t “Anne or Abby.”

And to be perfectly honest, I hope not to be challenged to help the lovelorn or those who have deeply rooted psychological problems, though I will be happy to divert you to those who can help.   But I do have a few ideas when it comes to family travel and adventures and certainly planning a large family adventure on a budget.    I also have answers as to why a mother who has lost a child would take a chance with her other three sons, in foreign territories,  with the threat of terror and disease.   Irony or insanity?

Life is about taking healthy chances.  Raising boys into men, or girls into women for that matter, is a huge risk. And when you look back you realize you had little control from the get-go.   From swaddling them, to bouncing them on your knees, to putting them on that school bus, each new experience is a deposit in their courage bank.  So send me your thoughts, your questions about family travel, safety, health, cost of living, where to stay, where to eat, how to cut corners, traveling light, schooling kids on the road and in foreign classrooms, life after loss, grief, or keeping a marriage together after tragedy. I’ll share what I’ve got.  Trust me, my advice is not vetted through Harvard or Stanford but through some rather daring experiences with my husband and our four sons.

Life is either hard or a delusion. It’s my hope to help you, to encourage you to take a step out of your comfort zone.   To run instead of walking.  To fly instead of running.  To hop on the bullet train to adventure.  Your family is the beneficiary.

Dawn

Send your questions to dawnhirn@gmail.com or hit me up on Facebook!

Adventure with Engagement AWE · Parenting

Seek the treasure!

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Our lives have become too neat.

Remember those days years ago – you were just a little kid then.  You and a friend decided life in your part of the ‘hood’ was just a little too dull, so became ‘explorers’ and set out to find new and exciting discoveries.  You cut your way through the unexplored areas beyond your backyard and ventured forward to find the treasure – whatever that was.  You didn’t know.  You didn’t care.  It was all about the experience.  And today, it’s all about the memory.

 

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Guinea pig lunch in Peru

 

You met strangers in the jungle – kids that went to schools outside your county.  But you weren’t afraid because you had your buddy with you who could validate the experience or protect you from harmful enemies. Rather quickly you learned kids are kids wherever you go.  Sure there are some bad notes:  Straight out of the movie The Christmas Story you may find a Skut Farkus who taunts you mercilessly.  But they are rare finds.  And you suddenly realize, your fears of people like that are way bigger than reality.  (BTW, this fact helps you later on in life.)   Fear not the Farkuses of the world!

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Remember those days?  That little kid still lives inside you.  Even though he or she is all grown up now, you may still have that kid in you still.  Don’t you think it’s time you share your grown-up kid with that little kid?

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Seek the treasure.  Whether it is a walk through the deep woods with your family, hanging around a campfire, jumping a creek, finding a hiking stick or simply talking about life, moments like these are vital to your health!

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And at the end of the day, as you sit together over a cup of cocoa picking burrs out of your jeans, you can talk to each other, about your experiences.  Fill your 2018 with good old-fashioned AWE – Adventure With Engagement.  It’s free for all Americans.  So wander with your family.  Seek the treasure.

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Happiest New Year!

Dawn

Family · Parenting · Perfecting Dysfunction · Travel

Too much stuff

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I have 5 potato peelers in my drawer.  Five!  Not that I cook potatoes every night like my grandmother did, but should we decide to have potatoes, I can find five different ways to peel ‘em!

I’m not alone.  The Wall Street Journal writes, “Americans spend $1.2 trillion annually on nonessential goods—in other words, items they do not need.”  Like five potato peelers!  Psychology Today reports Americans spend more on shoes, jewelry, and watches ($100 billion) than on higher education.

And even with five potato peelers, four can openers, three scented candles, two pair of UGGS, we still can’t fit everything into our homes without at least one storage facility!  Does this make us happy? Ask Psychology Today that one.  Depression is on the rise.

Who can we blame?  You can try to pin the thing on Steve Jobs, but we have abused the technological opportunities he provided.  We must blame ourselves. We are so busy providing stuff for our families, we overlook the importance of spending time together – away from the normal structure of things.  And psychologists say spending time with your family is itself a huge gift!!   Ron and I have been trying to sell you on the idea of family travel because the experience was so incredible for us.  World travel costs far less than you would imagine, if you plan ahead.  We did, and still love looking back on our adventure:  The voyages of the Starship Hirn – to boldly go where we hadn’t been, to  explore and seek out strange new (and very very old) civilizations.  

In the weeks ahead I will be giving you some tips on how Ron and I were able to take this trip.  Your family deserves the trip of a lifetime.  You can dig up memories year after year — no storage required!   And seeing places up close and personal beats the socks off a two dimensional photo on a web page.  Yes, you can afford it if you cut corners and plan, plan, plan.   Ron, Tyler, Trenton, Colton and I all did so much homework.  Then, we lived it!

Or, you can stay home and complain that you just can’t afford to travel,  while you stockpile newer technology, another car, boat or hover board.  Your choice.  But remember, the stuff you cherish cannot hug you back.

Anyone need a potato peeler?

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Dawn

Perfecting Dysfunction

The Magi-ettes

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You know the story of the gift of the Magi found in the Bible?  We’ve heard it again and again, and still I am in awe as I picture the kings from foreign lands coming to pay homage to the little baby born in the little town of Bethlehem.   Located just outside Jerusalem, Bethlehem is under Palestinian authority today.   Land over there has a way of switching hands, but for Israel “day ain’t over yet.”

The Bible doesn’t support the story of the Three Wise Women.  But I read something someone had written which caused me to wonder how the story would have been altered had a woman produced this Journey from the East:

“Do you know what would have happened if there had been Three Wise WOMEN instead of Three Wise MEN?

The WOMEN would have:

– Asked directions, – Arrived on time,

– Helped deliver the baby,

– Cleaned the stable,

– Made a casserole, and

– Brought practical gifts (like diapers!)

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Though women didn’t have much of a Biblical role, Mary takes the top position for female adoration.   I imagine she had a tough time balancing her very pregnant body on top of a donkey, while she and her husband road-tripped  to Bethlehem.  There was no water to boil, no sanitary standards at all in the barn, and the epidural wouldn’t be invented for another 2,000 years.  But I’m certain she suffered through it all with a great attitude.   Makes me so proud to be a woman.

Whether you’re a Magi or a Magi-ette, or a shepherd or a spectator, take this time to celebrate Christmas with your family, or with the homeless, or sick, or friendless.  You don’t have to have a title to be ‘the giver of good gifts.’  A word of encouragement can work Magi-cally!

Merry Christmas from Dawn, Ron, Tyler, Trenton and Colton, with sweet memories of Ryan, our first born.

Dawn

Encouragement

No place like home . . .

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“Oh there’s no place like home for the Holidays . . . . ”

Unless, you want to carry your Christmas celebration to Israel and help the Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, there is no more brilliant celebration anywhere!  Eight gifts for kids – spread out over eight days in as they light the Menorah. Personally, I think this is far more effective than heaping all the gifts under the tree on kids at once.   Because no matter how much they have, their next question seems to be:  “Is there anything else?”

No place like home for the holidays . . .  unless you want to find a Kwanzaa Celebration honoring the African-American culture.  Once again, those who understand the heart and soul of singing and drumming outshine their white brothers.    Their recitation of the African pledge, or their recap of African History, is stirring!

No place like home for the holidays . . . unless you land in Japan on New Year’s Eve, for Omisoka, the New Year’s Eve celebration.  Japanese families share dinner just before midnight, and when the clock strikes midnight, they visit shrines or temples.  Many of the homes have a cast iron bell which is ceremoniously struck 108 times to relieve or prevent human suffering.  Oh, that it were that simple!

No place like home for the holidays . . . unless you’re in France, where Christmas is known as Noel. Father Christmas Pere Noel, visits each home filling the childrens’ shoes with toys and trinkets.   And the focal point of Christmas is the Nativity Scene, which is just as it should be!

No place like home for the holidays . . .unless you are a traditionalist from Alaska. Children go caroling in the streets carrying a long pole topped by a colored star.   They carry other traditions beyond mainland, caroling with a long pole topped by a colored star. Songs sung in Aleut (the Eskimo voice) include familiar greetings:  “Gristuusaaq suu’uq,” which means “Christ is born.” The closing words, “Mnogaya leta,” means, “God grant you many years.”   Try saying those fast three times!   And bad weather or not, Alaskans’ still know how to party, with cookies, cakes, doughnuts, and good old fashioned fish pie!  At that point you may WISH you were home!

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Celebrate!

Dawn