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    • 2025 Trip to Bhutan
    • 2025 Trip to Dubai
    • 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark
    • 2024 Trip to Alabama
    • 2024 Trip to Costa Rica
    • 2024 Trip to Panama and Colombia
    • 2023 Martha?s Vineyard
    • 2023 Trip to Albania and Montenegro
    • 2023 Trip to Slovenia and Croatia
    • 2023 Trip to Paris
    • 2022 Trip to the American Midwest
    • 2022 Trip to New England USA
    • 2021 Trip to Iceland
    • 2021 Death Valley
    • 2019 Road Trip to Branson, MO and Oklahoma
    • 2019 St. Oswald?s Pilgrimage
    • 2019 Trip to Sicily
    • 2018 Trip to West Coast of Vancouver Island BC
    • 2017 Morocco
    • 2017 A Summer in the Desert
    • 2016 Trip to Italy
    • 2016 Trip to Cuba
    • 2015 El Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage
    • 2014 Baja California Trip
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Author: Neil Peterson

When Cinema Pushes the Heart: Why *La Grazia* Moved Me to Tears

November 17, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

  I recently had the privilege of seeing *La Grazia* at the Denver Film Festival, following its world premiere at…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Steroids, Gyms, and Why I’m Really There

November 15, 2025 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

I recently joined a 24-Hour Fitness gym. Not because I suddenly developed a passion for barbells or because I wake…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

McDonald’s Refused to Take My Order — Seriously.

November 2, 2025 Neil Peterson 5 Comments

Last weekend, I drove from San Francisco to Denver — 20+ hours if you go straight through without stopping. Somewhere…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

The Lost Art of the Handkerchief

October 24, 2025 Neil Peterson 7 Comments

A few days ago, something unexpected happened. I pulled my handkerchief out of my back pocket to blow my nose…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

My First Manicure (and Pedicure): A Shock to the System

October 21, 2025 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

The Setup There I was, sitting in a big, cushy chair at Nordstrom’s in downtown Seattle, my feet soaking in…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Simplify: A Mantra I Brought Home from Bhutan — But Don’t Yet Understand

October 18, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

When I left Bhutan, I brought home a simple mantra: Simplify my life. It sounded so right. So obvious. So…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

The Largest Beach Towel in the World (Or So It Seemed)

October 16, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

After weeks of writing about the deep contrasts between Bhutan and Dubai — mountains versus skyscrapers, meditation versus ambition —…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Dubai

Happiness and Success: Two Definitions of Fulfillment

October 15, 2025 Neil Peterson Leave a comment

After spending time in both Bhutan and Dubai, I found myself thinking not only about their visible differences — the…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Dubai

Heights and Depths: Geography, Architecture, and Ambition

October 13, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

Few journeys could offer a starker contrast than traveling from Bhutan to Dubai. One sits in the thin air of…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Dubai

Culture Shock: From the Himalayas to the Desert

October 12, 2025 Neil Peterson 5 Comments

  It’s hard to imagine two places on earth more different than Bhutan and Dubai. One, a Himalayan kingdom built…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Dubai

Bhutan and the Pursuit of Happiness

October 1, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

When most countries speak of progress, they point to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Bhutan, the small Himalayan kingdom tucked between…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

Kelsey’s Bhutan Diary

September 29, 2025 Neil Peterson 9 Comments

My daughter Kelsey wrote the following into her diary.  I asked her if it would be OK to share this…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

Prayer Flags in Bhutan

September 28, 2025 Neil Peterson 6 Comments

We stood together on a windswept hillside, my kids and I, staring out at a sea of fluttering colors. Hundreds…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

What Can America Learn from Bhutan?

September 27, 2025 Neil Peterson 7 Comments

  At first glance, the very question seems absurd. What could the United States of America possibly learn from Bhutan—a…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

Bhutan’s Hot Stone Baths: A Healing Tradition

September 26, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

After two strenuous days of trekking and hiking through Bhutan’s mountains, the three of us decided to reward our tired…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

The Tiger’s Nest: A Pilgrimage of Stone, Spirit, and Struggle

September 25, 2025 Neil Peterson 7 Comments

  When most of the world thinks of Bhutan, a single image comes to mind: a monastery clinging impossibly to…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

Arrows & Joy: Archery, Bhutan’s Soul Sport

September 24, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

When my son, daughter and I stepped onto the dusty field just outside the village at midday, I felt something…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

Why I Came to Bhutan

September 23, 2025 Neil Peterson 7 Comments

We just arrived in Bhutan yesterday, and I find myself wanting to put down in words why I am here.…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

Listening to Lech Wałęsa

September 9, 2025 Neil Peterson 2 Comments

A Moment to Remember Last night, I sat in an auditorium and listened to Lech Wałęsa, the former president of…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

The Day PB&J Changed My Life

September 8, 2025 Neil Peterson 7 Comments

For eighty years, I thought I had mastered the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was my old reliable. Crunchy…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Biking to Costco? Who Does That?

September 6, 2025 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

Some of the best stories in life happen when the ordinary gets turned upside down. A small twist in the…

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Thirty Minutes? You’ve Got to Be Kidding

September 4, 2025 Neil Peterson 7 Comments

In May, I called to schedule my annual check-up with my primary care doctor. The first available appointment was in…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Bug Assault

August 18, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

There are two NBAs in America. One is the National Basketball Association. The other? The National Bug-A-Salt Association. I had…

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Better Late, Still Beautiful

August 16, 2025 Neil Peterson 10 Comments

This week, I traveled with my two children, Guy and Kelsey, to Interlaken, New York—a tiny town of about 650…

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Holy Cow, DQ – We Need to Talk

August 10, 2025 Neil Peterson 1 Comment

I have a confession: I love Dairy Queen. Not a casual, “Oh sure, they’re fine” kind of love. I mean…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Pickleball: From Backyard Game to National Obsession

August 5, 2025 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

  Coming up is National Pickleball Day—celebrated each year on August 8 to honor the founding of pickleball and the…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

When the Body Whispers… and Then Shouts

July 26, 2025 Neil Peterson 12 Comments

Three weekends ago, I found myself in a place I hadn’t expected to be—flat on my back in a hospital…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

The Jar, the Loft, and a Very Human Victory

July 25, 2025 Neil Peterson 6 Comments

This may be the strangest thing I’ve ever written about. And I’ve written over 500 blogs. But here goes. This…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Can We All Get Behind Belonging?

June 30, 2025 Neil Peterson 5 Comments

There’s a lot of noise these days around DEI — Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Laws are being passed. Programs are…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

A Reunion to Remember—And Reflect Upon

June 22, 2025 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

Just got back from my 60th college reunion. That sentence alone feels like a time capsule. Sixty years? Really? But…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

“Where Everybody Knows Your Name” — My Cheers Dilemma

June 15, 2025 Neil Peterson 2 Comments

Last week, George Wendt passed away. To most of us, he was simply Norm — the man with the best…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

A Night to Remember: “Good Night, and Good Luck” on Broadway

June 9, 2025 Neil Peterson 6 Comments

  Last Friday night—June 6, 2025—I had the privilege of seeing Good Night, and Good Luck on Broadway in New…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Pickleball and the Power of Fifteen

June 4, 2025 Neil Peterson 8 Comments

Every now and then, life tosses you a little gift wrapped in unexpected joy. That’s what happened to me today…

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One Surprising Way to Boost Your Health: Turn Up the Heat

May 29, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

Something I learned recently surprised me. And maybe it’ll surprise you, too. A few weeks ago, I attended a fascinating…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

We Owe Our Children Better: A Personal Call to Reduce America’s National Debt

May 26, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

Every child born in America today enters the world with a share of the national debt exceeding $100,000. That figure…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

A Love Letter to Herring

May 10, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

I just returned from the Netherlands and Denmark, and I can’t stop thinking about herring. There’s something about the way…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

Where the Eye Becomes Art: A Hidden Gem in Copenhagen

April 28, 2025 Neil Peterson 5 Comments

While exploring the charming streets of Copenhagen, my family and I stumbled upon a unique boutique that immediately caught our…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

Pedaling Through Copenhagen — and Into a Lesson on Happiness

April 27, 2025 Neil Peterson 8 Comments

Over the last few days, I’ve spent my time in Copenhagen a little differently than I normally might in a…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

Legoland: Where Fun, Bricks, and Big Ideas Meet

April 26, 2025 Neil Peterson 1 Comment

Leaving the Netherlands and heading to Denmark, there was no real debate about where our first stop needed to be.…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

The Floating Heart of Amsterdam: A Love Letter to Houseboats

April 25, 2025 Neil Peterson 6 Comments

Discovering history, wonder, and a way of life — one canal at a time. Spend even an hour walking the…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

The Day a 3-Year-Old and a 6-Year-Old Fell in Love with a 17th-Century Master

April 22, 2025 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

How a centuries-old dollhouse — and a brilliant museum — opened the door to art for two young hearts. Most…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

Tulips, Children, and a Day to Remember

April 21, 2025 Neil Peterson 8 Comments

  In Amsterdam and beyond, tulips are everywhere — in fields, in history, and sometimes, in memories that reach across…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

In Amsterdam, Bikes Rule — and Sometimes Bloom

April 20, 2025 Neil Peterson 9 Comments

In Amsterdam, bikes outnumber people — and a few lucky ones are covered in flowers. Here’s what I discovered about…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

How the Dutch Solve Problems (One Urinal at a Time)

April 19, 2025 Neil Peterson 2 Comments

On my first evening walking through Amsterdam, I stumbled upon something that stopped me in my tracks — and, no,…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

Adjust Your Expectations (and Your Knees): Greetings from Amsterdam!

April 18, 2025 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

After spending eleven hours flying in the sky, I touched down today in Amsterdam — the first stop on my…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

Buckle Up: We’re Headed for Adventure (with a 6- and 3-Year-Old at the Wheel)

April 16, 2025 Neil Peterson 9 Comments

Tomorrow, I’m boarding a plane to Amsterdam — and I already know this trip won’t look like any other I’ve…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark

Art in the Open: A Day with Desert X

April 13, 2025 Neil Peterson 6 Comments

I’ve seen art in galleries. I’ve seen it in museums, in churches, on city streets. But today, I saw art…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Many, Many, Many: A 101-Degree Friday in the Desert

April 12, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

It was 4pm on a Friday. After a long week, the options stretched before me like a buffet of rest…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

$800,000 Worth of Beer at My Local Grocery Store

April 5, 2025 Neil Peterson 5 Comments

I went into my neighborhood Ralph’s yesterday to pick up a few basics—nothing major, just some odds and ends. But…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Down the Drain: A Sewer Story of Friendship, Infrastructure, and Sludge

March 29, 2025 Neil Peterson 13 Comments

The other day, I went down a storm drain. Literally. Eight feet down into a dark, wet, sludge-filled storm sewer.…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

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Neil’s Trips

  • 2025 Trip to Dubai
  • 2025 Trip to Bhutan
  • 2025 Trip to the Netherlands and Denmark
  • 2024 Trip to Alabama
  • 2024 Trip to Costa Rica
  • 2024 Trip to Panama and Colombia
  • Meandering Musings
  • 2023 Martha's Vineyard
  • 2023 Trip to Albania and Montenegro
  • 2023 Trip to Slovenia and Croatia
  • 2023 Trip to Paris
  • 2022 Trip to the American Midwest
  • 2022 Trip to New England USA
  • 2021 Trip to Iceland
  • 2021 Death Valley
  • 2019 Road Trip to Branson, MO and Oklahoma
  • 2019 St. Oswald's Pilgrimage
  • 2019 Trip to Sicily
  • 2018 Trip to West Coast of Vancouver Island BC
  • 2017 Morocco
  • 2017 A Summer in the Desert
  • 2016 Trip to Cuba
  • 2016 Trip to Italy
  • 2015 El Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage
  • 2014 Baja California Trip
  • Uncategorized

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