Imagine this:You're walking down the streets in downtown San Diego with a bunch of people, clutching sleeping bags, on your way to a suitable sidewalk to sleep on. It's night. And it's winter.Some guy approaches the group, telling you his partner's seven months pregnant, and asking if some people could come sleep nearby them. They live in a parking lot.So some of your group ends up sleeping near them, and hearing about their lives. The expectant m...

Friday, we're going to experience homelessness. Or at least a tiny glimpse of it. Watch this space.

Yesterday we painted.This journal entry is mainly for the benefit of someone who was on my back about updating even though I haven't had any crazy adventures to update about lately, unlike her who has been almost endless stories of hilarious, nutty and trialling situations as she travels through that unfamiliar continent she's in at the moment, taking it a day at a time. Not looking at anyone in particular...Enough of that, back to the picture. Gave ...

Yes, that is a photo of Bron, a Korean friend and I in Times Square. And yes, Liv, you will be pleased to know we sung New Zealand's beautiful national anthem there, fulfilling clause 5 of the challenge you set me. Maybe it wasn't quite top of the lungs, but I think any listeners would agree we did a pretty darn good job, if the listener was tone deaf, and didn't realise we weren't supposed to peter out on the second half when we forgot the lyrics...

Biggest temperature change I've ever experienced in one country, in 24 hours: from yesterday's [minimum] -13 degrees C in New York, to today's min 12 degrees C in La Jolla, California, where I am now. Was a good feeling to shed the gloves / scarf / fleece / snow-jacket / beanie etc for today's jeans, t-shirt and sometimes hoody.