June 2026 Newsletter I attended the NomadMania conference in Ouro Preto, Brazil. It’s now an annual event where select NomadMania members meet in a rarely visited place to discuss important topics that pertain to organization, while exploring new destinations, catching up with old friends and meeting new travelers. Khadija couldn’t join me as she had upcoming knee surgery (which subsequently has been delayed to September). Ouro Preto (Black Gold) is Brazil’s emblematic Gold Rush capital and a...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
April 2026 Newsletter This month was one of those where we didn’t travel but spent a lot of time planning future trips. However, we are lucky to live in NYC where the whole world exists around us or makes a visit! At Lincoln Center Jazz, drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. and British Nigerian bassist Michael Olatuja with 5 saxophones, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 4 vocalists and a keyboardist performed "Big Band Afrobeat to Afrobeats". Afrobeat (singular) is a 1970s genre pioneered by Fela Kuti, blending...
4 months ago • 4 min read
February 2026 Newsletter Khadija and I were thrilled to receive our NomadMania certificates, verifying we both have traveled to 150 of the 193 UN countries. It took over 40 years of personal and work travel for both of us to get this far. Surprisingly, we had the passport stamps for almost all of the countries and only needed to show alternative documentation for a few. Our goal is to experience a country and make a concerted effort to dive into the culture, history and geography. We try to...
6 months ago • 4 min read
January 2026 Newsletter We recently spent a week in Malawi, a new country for me (#158) and Khadija (#155). By road, we explored the southern region of Malawi, surrounded on three sides by Mozambique, and the central region by Lake Malawi. Malawi has several ethnic groups including the Ngoni, who originated from the Zulu nation in South Africa and migrated northwards in the 19th century, spreading across parts of Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania. As they settled, they incorporated...
7 months ago • 4 min read
November 2025 Newsletter In last month’s newsletter, I described our exciting visit to Mali and Guinea. We also spent a few days in Senegal, as we flew to West Africa to Dakar on a nonstop, roundtrip flight from NYC. We have been to Senegal several times and always enjoy the rich culture. The Dakar Railway Station was built by the French government in 1884. It has many notable architectural features including verandas, arches and colorful ceramic decorations. Only three years ago, its colors...
9 months ago • 3 min read
October 2025 Newsletter Khadija and I plunged into new territory earlier this month by traveling to Mali and then to Guinea. West Africa has many countries and we are slowly but surely visiting them all to learn about their amazing cultures and histories. I’ve been thinking about traveling to Mali for two decades, starting back in the day when the Festival of the Desert was happening from 2001 to 2012. Finally, I made it, UN country #155 even though Khadija had been there previously while...
10 months ago • 5 min read
September 2025 Newsletter Khadija and I have done something unusual, we haven't traveled internationally in the last two and half months. However, we made it to Chicago to see our daughter Ayan. She showed us many exciting places in the "City of Big Shoulders", including “The Bean” in Millennium Park, where people, green spaces and high-rise buildings reflect off its shiny surface. We’ve been to Chicago many times but it's been a while, last in 2006, the year The Bean was unveiled and not yet...
11 months ago • 4 min read
August 2025 Newsletter Khadija and I recently made an unforgettable visit to Papua New Guinea as part of a six-week trip where we circumnavigated the globe. Tribes in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea wear cultural heritage attire for ceremonies and festivals. These elaborate costumes often featured vibrant colors, body paint, headdresses, animal parts & traditional weaponry. The Enguwal Tribe performs for various events such as marriages, funerals, wars, births, and celebrations of good...
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
July 2025 Newsletter We were traveling from the end of May to the beginning of July and circumnavigated the world. This newsletter covers the first part in Central Asia. We did and saw so many interesting things and met so many local folks, the following is just a few of many highlights. Our first stop was the infrequently visited Fergana Valley in Uzbekistan to attend the annual NomadMania conference. NM is a terrific community and website which provides information and inspiration to all...
about 1 year ago • 4 min read