Transitional Parenting

5 Truths and 1 Lie: TheTravel Edition

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truth or lieOne of the fun things about NaBloPoMo is the camaraderie that builds as the month progresses. Last year, I was (gratefully) welcomed into the fold of some amazing bloggers who had stepped up to the NaBloPoMo challenge. Together, we created our own cheer squad, celebrating our victories (like the post that went up at 11:59 PM) and commiserating over the 17, 15, 10 days that remain stretched before us. (Y’all are with me on that, right?)

This year, Elin, of one of my favorite blogs, Beyond the Backyard Blues, suggested a repeat of a blog-hop she and Lois, over at Midlife at the Oasis (if you don’t know Lois yet, you should!) and others participated in last year. Today, I’m joining in and playing the 5 Truths and 1 Lie Game. Since I feel like I’m already an open book, I’m narrowing the lens of my game and subtitling it, “The Travel Edition.”

But before I open my book further, I want to share the links of some others that are playing along today. Seriously, you’ll want to visit these links. These bloggers are adventurous and colorful, and you’ll be amazed by their abilities to  lie  live out loud.

1. Doreen McGettigan looks demure, but don’t let that sweet smile and soft red hair fool you, she’s hiding something.

2. Cathy Chester, a truly Empowered Spirit, shines her light far and wide, casting rays of hope and love across friends and strangers alike. Who knew she could be so clandestine?

3. Lois…Ah, my dear Lois, who has lived a life more colorful than most, any and all of these could be true, yet one is a lie. Hmmmm….

4. Ruth, who always challenges my brain with her terrific Cranium Crunches mind-benders and jumped into my heart with her fabulous big smile, yet somehow I believe every word she wrote in this post, but one is a lie?

5. Elin, lovable Elin, with the strong and playful spirit…if it involves anything other than sugar and spice and everything nice, it must be a lie, right?

6. There are others that will be posting and I will link to them tomorrow, (I’m not lying) because it really is fun to peek in the window of others and discover everyone has lived a life with color. 🙂

Now, on to my lies 5 Truths and 1 Lie, The Travel Edition:

1. I have a scar on my knee from a cut I got while getting off a bus in Haiti. I looked at the driver, and he looked back at me. We both saw the damage as he shooed me off the step. The metal was rusty, but I was deathly afraid of a tetanus shot. I said nothing to my parents. I prayed for a week I wouldn’t die, and then I got over it and figured the scar would tell a good tale some day.

2. I savored the calamari an old weathered fisherman shared with me. We sat at a small café directly on the beach in Greece. He woke the owner (perhaps his wife or a cousin), who slept on the bench of the small booth when he brought in his catch. Since neither spoke English, I pointed to what I wanted in the kitchen. Best beer, calamari, cheese, and olives of my life!

3. My husband and I sat across from a man on the train to Florence who told me all about his son he was travelling to visit. His son was in the service and the man had always wanted to visit the States. He arranged for a cab when we got to Florence, to ensure the cabbie didn’t cheat. He told me he hoped his son would find a daughter like me someday. Most of our dialog was in French as he spoke no English and I no Italian. His kissed me on the cheek before he shut the door to the cab.

4. The weather was warm, the night clear, and the drinks strong. My skin was sticky. I hadn’t changed after zip lining across the jungle that day. We went straight to dinner, and the balmy night sky had the mosquitos out in force, as they always are in Costa Rica. As I lifted my drink to my lips, I watched a mosquito land on my arm. It was the size of a 747 and before I could swat it, it dropped dead, right off my arm, a drop of my blood still on its needle-like proboscis. I joke that he dined on bad blood that last meal.

5. Before ascending to the top of Mt. Roberts in Alaska, I forgot to pack any water. The day was misty. Wrapped up in cold weather wear and wearing my Tilley hat, I hiked the mountain with my daughters and husband. I collected the drops of moisture on the rim of my hat to offer sips of water to my girls, still young at the time. Undaunted by the lack of water, we discovered a new survival skill.

6. While swimming off the coast of the Bahamas (or was it Jamaica?) with my younger sister, she brushed her hand across a sea urchin. The sting was excruciating, but we had no meat tenderizer (a known treatment) to help alleviate the pain. Being resourceful (see # 5)I peed in a glass and dunked her fingers straight in. She was horrified, but the pain was relieved. To this day, she hasn’t thanked my for my selflessness.

Let the guessing begin.

39 thoughts on “5 Truths and 1 Lie: TheTravel Edition”

  4. Pingback: Did You Spy the Lie? | Cranium Crunches Blog

    1. I’m quite the thirsty camel, too, so it was sooooo unusual for me not to have water with me. In fact, on this particular trip, I even packed collapsible water bottles, and I still forgot water that day!

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  10. Ok, only because it totally made me laugh and totally grossed me out at the same time, I’m going with #6. But, aside from that, this was so much fun! I want to travel with you so I can have some of these crrrrrrazy adventures! XOXO-Kasey

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  17. Okay, first of all, I don’t care whether any of these are true or false. I want to hear more! Your storytelling is magical and totally took me into all these different worlds. You are such a beautiful writer – and person. I’m going with #2 for no particular reason. Thanks for the shout out, my friend, and I’m going to make you do another NaBloPoMo in December so I can keep reading your writing every day. xo

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  18. This. Is. Fabulous. All of it. And I want everyone of these things to be true… Hmmm. Gotta go with #5. And IF I am right, I will say why I chose it….tomorrow. xo

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    1. PS: The photo you created for this blog post, the story telling cubes. We (Lois, Barbara and I, led by our fearless game maven, Ruth) played it yesterday! It was quite fun!

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        1. Oh, and I love Story Cubes! They were a staple in my classroom and now I use them with the kids I tutor to prompt writing and imagination. How do you ladies play with them? (Oh and just so ya know, I’ve decided I’m going to send out a “Flat Mary” so you can prop me up at the table and I can pretend I’m playing with you.)

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  19. Um, the rings of water on your hat? Hmmm. But my instinct tells me #6 is the lie. Although how could sweet, generous and compassionate Mary tell a lie?

    Thank you for your generous spirit in your nod to the other bloggers, including myself, who are taking part in this fun. NaBloPoMo has brought me closer to all of you, and I am so glad of it. Getting to know you better has made me love you even more my friend. xo

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