Wandering Puffin LLC
  • About
  • Services
  • Destinations
    • Where in the world is the Wandering Puffin?
  • Media
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Resources
  • Contact
Picture

weathering the
​storm with

​the wandering puffin


​Weathering the Storm with the WP#30

8/30/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
I was trying to think about what to write in this week’s blog, my 30th, as this week has been one of simply settling down to my time in New Hampshire. Nothing out of the ordinary beyond getting my brother and his family to the airport, unpacking things as I settle in for the next few months, picking up some fresh fruits and veggies at the local farm stands and farmer’s market, driving around the area and getting my bearings, chatting al little with the neighbors and some locals and figuring out the rest of my life. Well not really, but that was one of the things I was using this time for and while I have ideas, it is still early and as many of you know, I have someone across the sea with whom I have fallen in love. 
Then a message came across from Ticketmaster on Friday, and yes, as you may know, I love going to live concerts and I had planned to see the Eagles in their Hotel California tour last year when it was postponed due to Covid to this year, which has and continues to change our lives, both personal and professional. The concert had been postponed several times and then re-scheduled for October 1, at Saint Paul’s Excel Energy Center. 
Awesome, and so it was planned, and then the move to New England. Well, being here, and while I could have flown back to Minnesota, other plans came into play including Iceland on that same day, so I knew, I would not get to see them. The tickets are in the hands of Matt, with whom you are familiar, as he is my admin, social media guru and many other accolades, most importantly friend. ​

Read More
0 Comments

​Weathering the Storm with the WP #29

8/23/2021

0 Comments

 
The whirlwind tour of America and the Hard Rocks within that I could experience is done for now. I have met some amazing people and experienced many things along the way, arriving in New Hampshire 4 nights ago. I have also tried to have some good family time. I also starting my shopping, yes shopping for my adventure in Iceland in October, and beyond, and since there are outlets across the border in Maine, I ventured into the Columbia shop and bought some stuff, so I am prepared. I did not, due to my change in lifestyle and weight loss, have any winter type clothes as I donated most, if not all to the Goodwill before I left Minnesota some three weeks ago. 
What this all leads to is the next chapter in my life and where I will be? For the next 5 months, I will be in New Hampshire, hopefully figuring things out, and gaining some clarity as to where I will or more importantly, want to be in, not only the short term, but also the long term. If this Covid pandemic and other factors have taught me anything, it is that I want to live my life to the fullest and plan on doing so. I want to be happy and I want to enjoy life. There will always be bumps in the road, but they are only challenges to me, not obstacles. As long as I am healthy and able to function, I will continue to make my way forward. I have also learned that I am not an island, as I once felt in my younger years, but asking for help, when necessary is okay and perhaps over the next several months, I will. 

I did hit the last of the Hard Rocks in Connecticut, enjoyed my wings and conversation with the manager, but did not get my songs. Their system was down. That was alright. I still felt most of the vibe and while I have had time here in New Hampshire, some of it with the family as they gear up for their travels, I am settling into some quiet exploratory time to figure out where I will be. This is a very beautiful area to explore and hike and enjoy nature. I am also very close to Maine and the other states of New England and being here in the late summer, early fall, will allow me some very good reflective time. I will be working on client’s travel plans, doing some writing, and simply becoming a part of the experience in which I find myself until I move on from here, if I do and pick up a temporary, part time or seasonal job, if possible while I am here. Time does not sit still and neither will I!!!
As always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you read this. Thank you for your support of this small business and it is truly appreciated!!!
0 Comments

​Weathering the Storm with the WP #28

8/16/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Wow, my travels last week connected me with friends, colleagues, and family. I traveled from Birmingham to Memphis, to Knoxville, on to Cincinnati and time in Pittsburgh. Saw a friend and client there and did a quick stop in Philadelphia and you know why, and then to New Jersey where I re-connected with clients who I had met in person, both in Iceland and Buenos Aires, but never in their home, but that has now happened. And finally, yesterday, made a quick train trip to Atlantic City round – trip and the drive to New York where I did two very important things, something I always do first upon arrival and that is to visit my maternal grandparent’s gravesite, a promise I made to myself years ago and continued this time around. Finally, I re-connected with one of my best friends in the world and enjoyed a few slices of New York pizza and just catching up with the family. 


Read More
0 Comments

​Weathering the Storm with the WP #27

8/10/2021

0 Comments

 

One week down, 10 days to go...

and my experiences so far have been wonderful. After leaving Amarillo, I was headed to El Paso, a long enough drive, but one certainly worthwhile. Did I find aliens in Roswell, no, but the museum was interesting enough and then it was on to Carlsbad Caverns and what a magnificent experience. If I has gotten there earlier I would have walked down the 80 stories to the bottom, but instead, did the elevator down and that was the same as taking the elevator from the top of the Empire State Building to the ground floor. What you experience when you get down there is natural beauty with all the formations created by nature over millions of years and they do not disappoint. It is over a mile of walking on the paths and at every turn, amazing nature. For those who have never been to Carlsbad Caverns, it is a must. If that was not enough, before getting to El Paso, as I traveled back into Texas from New Mexico, there was Guadalupe National Park and then all the salt flats down to El Paso itself. When you are in the middle of nowhere, you truly appreciate what nature has to offer. ​
It is not just nature, but the people you meet and one of the reasons I was going to El Paso was to meet a colleague or is he a client. No, he is a friend and while I had never met him in person, I had mentioned that if there was a chance to get there I would and that would be the reason. I had been there in 1988, but not since, and meeting Isaac and subsequently, his family, was wonderful and so glad I made the trek. What made getting to El Paso even better is that while on my trek down there, a client called and said she was going to be in El Paso the same time as I was. We connected and so, I had two wonderful meetings that next day. Thank you, Minerva and, of course, thank you Isaac. The food in El Paso was also wonderful and it really is its own world, part of the US, but very Mexican. All good, not matter how you slice it. 

Read More
0 Comments

Weathering the Storm with the WP #26

8/2/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
​​Wow, what a week just ended. I finished up working in the schools and hit the road. It was a bit crazy and also melancholy leaving the school district I had worked at for 15 years, as much as it was to leave on Saturday, after living 30 years in Minnesota. I am sure I will be back some time, but for now, I am on the road and will end up in New England in the short term, but time to see America from a perspective different than when I was in my 20’s.
On Saturday, I started my Wandering Puffin Hard Rockin’ tour of America and first went to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I wanted to count my visit and I am not a gambler, so it was a short stay, walking around to get a feel for the place and hitting the Rock Shop for some bling. Then I hit the road to drive through the heartland and ended up in Topeka, Kansas, where there is actually an Evil Knievel Museum, for the night, about 535 miles. That is a lot considering I had not been a road warrior here in the US for over 30 years, back in my 20’s, so it was a bit of challenge, but I handled it well. I also started doing Facebook Live reports every so often, so look for them as I share interesting facts and experiences along the way.

On Sunday, I continued my journey to the next Hard Rock, this one in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the vibe between the two was very different. This once exuded Hard Rock and the songs playing which I heard from outside and inside were what I would expect and the gear inside was wonderful to see. I felt like they understood what it was about, which I did not feel when I was at the Sioux Falls location. I mention all this as I have in my travels domestically and internationally been to nearly 50 Hard Rock locations around the world and with few exceptions, the experience, be it enjoying food at the cafes or buying bling at the Rock Shops has been good or being the DJ for the day with access to the Ipad to choose the songs I wanted when I dined. I have always expected a consistency with this experience; a thumbs up for Tulsa and thumbs down for Sioux Falls. ​
Picture
In addition to those places, along the way, I saw the grave site of the Dalton gang or at least some, the birthplace of Jim Thorpe and the home of Will Rogers. This as I traveled from Kansas to Oklahoma and spent a little time on Old Route 66, or what is left in Oklahoma on my way to stopover in Amarillo, Texas, which today’s drive went even further, over 600 miles and somehow, I did it. It was fun to hit the backroads and the byways and weather was ominous at times, and it did rain a bit, I went on the interstates, but that is not my style. I only did it since it was easier to deal with and perceived safer. I enjoy seeing the country by the back roads, as Charles Kuralt did and Jack Kerouc did. But when I was within 100 miles of Amarillo, it started to rain, and a funny thing, when I did this back in the 80’s, a storm came rumbling through on the same road as I was approaching Amarillo. 
As always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you read this. Thank you for your support of this small business and it is truly appreciated!!!
0 Comments

    Wandering Puffin

    Weathering the Storm with the Wandering Puffin

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Wandering puffin logo

Wandering Puffin LLC

jamie@wanderingpuffin.com
(763) 244-0669
Wandering Puffin © 2023 |  Jamison Bachrach  |  All rights reserved  |  Site Managed by Voyager Websites and designed by MHayes Media
Wandering Puffin LLC is registered as a travel agency: Iowa Travel Agency Number 915, Washington Seller of Travel Registration # 603 435 803
​
  • About
  • Services
  • Destinations
    • Where in the world is the Wandering Puffin?
  • Media
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Resources
  • Contact