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    • 2026 Return to the Moon
    • 2025 Road Trip on the Highway to Nowhere
    • 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

I Didn’t Want to Do This. Then I Wrote My Obituary.

April 18, 2026 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

This is not something I ever expected to be doing. Last Sunday, after church, I found myself in a discussion…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

My Brief Career as an Illegal Uber Driver

April 12, 2026 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

There are apparently still new careers available to me at my age. On Friday evening in Indio, California I discovered…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings Filed under: funny story, neil peterson, rideshare adventure, travel mishap, uber

Apollo’s Twin Sister

April 9, 2026 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

One of the unexpected pleasures of my few days at Cape Kennedy was being reminded of something I loved in…

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Posted in: 2026 Return to the Moon

Why Space Matters More to Me Now

April 8, 2026 Neil Peterson 1 Comment

I did not come to Cape Kennedy as a space enthusiast. Quite the opposite. I came as a curious outsider,…

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Posted in: 2026 Return to the Moon

Thinking in Artemis-Sized Numbers

April 7, 2026 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

Some numbers are simply too big to mean much at first. That is one of the problems with a mission…

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Posted in: 2026 Return to the Moon

The Sound Arrives Late

April 6, 2026 Neil Peterson Leave a comment

There is something odd about a rocket launch. You see it before you hear it. That was one of the…

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Posted in: 2026 Return to the Moon

The Rookie at the Table

April 5, 2026 Neil Peterson 8 Comments

I know almost nothing about space. That is not false modesty. It is simply true. I have spent very little…

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Posted in: 2026 Return to the Moon

A Tale of Two DMVs

March 26, 2026 Neil Peterson 11 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO The other day I had one of those classic American experiences that has become almost a cliché:…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Women’s Roller Derby — More Than a Comeback

March 21, 2026 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

A week ago Friday I went to a women’s roller derby bout in Palm Springs, and I have been thinking…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Eighty-Two Years Before My First Pawn Shop

March 13, 2026 Neil Peterson 2 Comments

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Yesterday I had a new experience. At age 82, that does not happen very often. I…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Why Are Redheads Different?

March 7, 2026 Neil Peterson Leave a comment

I Decided to Find Out I have a confession to make. I have always had a weakness for redheads. I’m…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Stay in Motion

March 3, 2026 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

Last Sunday I arrived at the Martha’s Vineyard airport at 6:00 a.m. And I was the only person there. I…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Three Ways to Tell Your Age

February 11, 2026 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Every now and then someone asks me the question. “So, Neil, how old…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Late to the Chamber

February 7, 2026 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST I’m almost embarrassed to write this. In eight decades of living, I had…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Number 14,542

February 3, 2026 Neil Peterson 9 Comments

An Exercise in Patience Patience has never been one of my strong suits.Not even close. And today, of all days,…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Relationships Matter More Than Ever

January 30, 2026 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

I was reminded this week—forcefully and unexpectedly—just how central relationships are to our lives. I had just attended a webinar…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

My First Time at the Denver Stock Show: A City Slicker in Cowboyland

January 27, 2026 Neil Peterson 5 Comments

Let’s get one thing straight: I had no idea what I was walking into. Sure, I knew the Denver Stock…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

From 80 Degrees to 8: A Survival Guide (of Sorts)

January 26, 2026 Neil Peterson 5 Comments

The day before yesterday, I boarded a plane in the Coachella Valley in the Southern California desert where the temperature…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

The Day I Became “Elderly” (Without Being Asked)

January 19, 2026 Neil Peterson 9 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Something happened to me a few days ago that I cannot shake. It…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

The Day I Got Number 97

January 18, 2026 Neil Peterson 6 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST I had one of those small, unexpected moments the other day—the kind that…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

A Small Moment in the Underwear Aisle

December 23, 2025 Neil Peterson 5 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST This may sound crazy. It may sound trivial. It may sound like far…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

GEOLOGY FOR THE REST OF US

December 13, 2025 Neil Peterson 5 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO Curiosity, Humility, and a Crash Course at 81 I HAVE A CONFESSION: I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT…

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Posted in: 2025 Road Trip on the Highway to Nowhere

WHERE FORREST STOPPED RUNNING

December 10, 2025 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO The Shock of Finding a Movie Moment in the Middle of Nowhere WE WEREN’T LOOKING FOR FORREST…

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Posted in: 2025 Road Trip on the Highway to Nowhere

EVERYONE SHOULD SEE THIS LAND ONCE IN THEIR LIFE

December 8, 2025 Neil Peterson 4 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO THE ROAD THAT REARRANGES YOU This past November, just three weeks ago, my significant other and I…

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Posted in: 2025 Road Trip on the Highway to Nowhere

When Did We Start Padlocking Ice Cream?

December 5, 2025 Neil Peterson 5 Comments

There are moments in life when the world taps you on the shoulder and whispers, “Pay attention.” My moment came…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

The Power of a Simple Thread (That I Refuse to Call a Bracelet)  

November 26, 2025 Neil Peterson 6 Comments

I Don’t Wear Jewelry I don’t wear jewelry. Never have. No watch. No chain. No charm bracelet, ankle bracelet, or…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

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

November 17, 2025 Neil Peterson 4 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 5 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST I recently joined a 24-Hour Fitness gym. Not because I suddenly developed a…

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Posted in: Meandering Musings

McDonald’s Refused to Take My Order — Seriously.

November 2, 2025 Neil Peterson 6 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Last weekend, I drove from San Francisco to Denver — 20+ hours if…

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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 4 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 4 Comments

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

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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

WATCH THE VIDEO After spending time in both Bhutan and Dubai, I found myself thinking not only about their visible…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Dubai

Heights and Depths: Geography, Architecture, and Ambition

October 13, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO Few journeys could offer a starker contrast than traveling from Bhutan to Dubai. One sits in the…

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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

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

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Dubai

Bhutan and the Pursuit of Happiness

October 1, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO When most countries speak of progress, they point to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Bhutan, the small Himalayan…

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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

WATCH THE VIDEO We stood together on a windswept hillside, my kids and I, staring out at a sea of…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

What Can America Learn from Bhutan?

September 27, 2025 Neil Peterson 7 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO At first glance, the very question seems absurd. What could the United States of America possibly learn…

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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

WATCH THE VIDEO After two strenuous days of trekking and hiking through Bhutan’s mountains, the three of us decided to…

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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

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

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

Arrows & Joy: Archery, Bhutan’s Soul Sport

September 24, 2025 Neil Peterson 3 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO When my son, daughter and I stepped onto the dusty field just outside the village at midday,…

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Posted in: 2025 Trip to Bhutan

Why I Came to Bhutan

September 23, 2025 Neil Peterson 7 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO We just arrived in Bhutan yesterday, and I find myself wanting to put down in words why…

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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

WATCH THE VIDEO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST For eighty years, I thought I had mastered the peanut butter and jelly…

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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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Posted in: Meandering Musings

Thirty Minutes? You’ve Got to Be Kidding

September 4, 2025 Neil Peterson 7 Comments

WATCH THE VIDEO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST In May, I called to schedule my annual check-up with my primary care…

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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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Posted in: Meandering Musings

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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Posted in: Meandering Musings

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Neil’s Trips

  • 2026 Return to the Moon
  • 2025 Road Trip on the Highway to Nowhere
  • 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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