A friend and I wanted to travel to China a few years ago. It was my first out of the country trip, and I was very excited. She left all the details to me and I happily booked the tickets, applied for our visas, drew up our itinerary, and most important of all, arranged our stay with various hosts. Her task was to bring her mobile phone and make sure it would work in Shanghai.Read more

A couple had two cats. They were taking a trip out of the country for about three weeks and needed someone to watch the house and care for the cats. They engaged a young man who was preparing for his tests toward his teacher’s certification. The couple thought he would be a perfect house sitter, as he was a large fellow, tall and strong. He would seem a little intimidating to passersby, even though, as a “dog person” he was not particularly comfortable with cats.Read more

In our community, there is a large pharmacy that is part of a national chain. It is always full of customers, as they carry most medicines at a cheaper price. I was in there one day to buy something for my cough, and while I was waiting in line, I couldn't help but overhear a woman who was ahead of me. She had a baby in her arms, a toddler clinging to her skirt, and two more young children playing around her.Read more

I wrote recently about a truck driver who helped me on the road. Telling a friend about it, I learned this is not a unique incident. Here’s another "road" story: Sue and Nell took a road trip to Carbondale, Illinois. They were on the way back home, but it was 3:00am and they needed to find an open gas station to fill up the car, as they had 496 miles left to travel. They found a station with lights on and an “open” sign, but just as they pulled into the drive, two things happened simultaneously. The station lights were turned out and they had a flat tire.Read more

We had a family tradition. On Christmas Eve, we gathered in the family room to drink eggnog and open just one present. Then Daddy would read the Christmas story. We would watch a holiday special on TV until it was time for the midnight Candlelight service at church. So on Christmas Eve, 1974, we poured the eggnog, selected just one gift to open and gathered in the family room. We opened our gifts, laughing and squealing with delight. My sister had received a lovely blue skirt. She left the room to go upstairs and try it on. We turned on the TV for the M*A*S*H* Holiday episode.Read more

I am one of those people who fall asleep very easily. I can sleep anywhere, anytime, especially if I am in a moving vehicle. It has caused me some inconveniences, when I wake up too late and realize that I have bypassed my stop. It hasn't put me in danger, though, until that one time when I was on my way home at 2 in the morning. If it were not for a concerned passenger, my safety would have been put at risk.Read more

I was tasked to process the registration papers of our company at the securities commission. I lived far, and I was oftentimes pressed for time given my other responsibilities. Once I had to do two more tasks before finally declaring the job finished; I had to have the papers received, and then pay for it at the cashier.Read more

From a village in France, Nanette came to the US to study international marketing and merchandising in a university cultural exchange program. She moved in with her American host family who seemed so happy to have her in their home. But the arrangement quickly fell apart. The host family liked to hold lots of parties, every other day or so, staying up until the wee hours of the morning with lots of carousing and noise making.Read more

A married couple from the USA took early retirement to have an adventure. They moved to a Central American country, and had a great time exploring and learning to live like the locals do. After about a year, however, they began to miss certain things in their lives. After 2 ½ years, the married couple determined that they needed a broader range of cultural activities, medical services and a few amenities not available in the country. They traveled to other countries, and finally found a lovely city in Mexico where they wanted to relocate.Read more

I was 19 years old and in college. I had driven my 15-year old Volkswagen “Bug” to visit my roommate’s Mom, near New Orleans. Because I had a test coming and needed to prepare, I had to return to school in Arkansas earlier than my roommate. So I filled the Bug with gasoline and headed north. I drove into the dark of the piney woods and suddenly the car started moving in jerks, coughing and clunking. I pulled to the side of the road and turned off the car to think. I wanted to get to the first available town so I turned the key to start the car. Nothing.Read more