Camp Champions Blog

We are leaving the glorious beach resort at Koh Phi Phi.

[Disclaimer:  After two fluffy blogs, I feel a need for some thoughtfulness.  Most of my blogs are meant to share the adventures and experiences of Team Baskin on our travels.  Occasionally, I will pursue a philosophical tangent, but I generally stay with travel reporting.  This blog is one long philosophical tangent.]

I have been struggling a great deal lately with the balance of culture and progress, tradition and technology.

In Europe, we often said  that "this is travel, not vacation."

In Asia, we said "this is adventure, not travel or vacation."

After 5 weeks of hard travel in China and Nepal, we are at the beaches of Thailand.  It is beautiful and remote and fun.

But you need not take my word for it.  Instead, let Regina show you.

Ours was an outdoor wedding.  We held it at the camp we had co-founded under a huge stone arch.  Our loved ones sat in white wooden chairs in ideal weather – warm with high blue skies.  Two dear family friends were our officiates.  12 friends and families stood with us as we said our vows.  Susie was radiant.

It was perfect . . . until it wasn’t.

We have passed through a fantastic portal.

We are en route to Thailand, but this seems like a great time to share some final snippets from Nepal.

[I wrote this blog initially for Psychology Today, but had a few people suggest that you might enjoy it as well,  I hope you do.  It is about covering tough topics with my boys, specifically drugs and pornography.  I detest both, but know from experience that simply saying "don't do it because I know better" is rarely effective.  Here is my effort to share advice with two young men that I love in a way that they might hear me.]

Today was another 6-hour hike, but it was also different.  I had a long talk with the boys about all sorts of issues.  We talked about some of the uncomfortable topics for parents and teens, including drugs and pornography.

We are in the Pokhara airport waiting for our flight to Kathmandu on a dual prop plane.

[This is the second catch-up blog.  I plan to share two today and then the rest over the next couple of days (along with the photos.]

I am beginning to suspect that Cool Sir is conducting an experiment on our family in which he is trying to determine how quickly can you adjust the housing expectations of a American family.