travel

Day 5003: Encouraging

Posted on September 13, 2026 by Ann Koplow

While the human brain can often focus on what is discouraging, I am choosing, here and now, to focus on what is encouraging.

What’s encouraging to me is that I seem to be past my jet lag in time to return to the work I love facilitating therapy groups.

It was encouraging to me last night that a server at my favorite restaurant asked to see photos from my solo trip to Switzerland and I had these to show him.

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It’s encouraging to me that I get to see the amazing baritone Thomas Hampson starring in the opera Nixon in China in Washington D.C. this November with my bff Jeanette.

It’s encouraging that there may be encouraging changes in Washington D.C. before I get there in November.

Let’s see if there is anything encouraging in my other images for today.

It’s encouraging that the plumbers were able to replace the leaking fixture in the bathtub.
It’s encouraging that I can travel in different countries and maintain a healthy INR.
It’s encouraging that both Joan and I are back to our usual routines.
It’s encouraging that Joan has so much to say.

It’s encouraging that my Twitter friend Eric responded to my posting a video about Joan with his video about Joan:

https://x.com/yakeeric/status/2098824373989990423?s=46

It’s encouraging that you may be able to see Eric’s video by clicking on the above link.

It’s encouraging that my favorite local restaurant, Brassica Kitchen, has so many great dishes.
It’s encouraging that the tomatoes Michael planted this year are doing so well!
It’s encouraging that his other vegetables are doing well too.

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Here’s an encouraging song I wrote a few years ago.

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Thanks to all who stayed to the end of this encouraging post, including YOU!

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Day 5001: Ideal Vacations

Posted on September 11, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Now that I’m back in my ideal home in Massachusetts, I can safely say that my recent solo adventure in Switzerland was one of my ideal vacations.

For me, what makes an ideal vacation?

  • Quality time with someone I love (in this case, me!).
  • Non-stop flights.
  • Traveling the country side.
  • Great views.
  • Beautiful sounds, including music.
  • Local animals.
  • Interesting architecture.
  • Art.
  • Quiet moments.
  • Yummy food.
  • Challenging old fears (like my fears of heights, getting lost, and shame).
  • Engaging with kind strangers.
  • No pressure.
  • Gaining new perspectives.
  • The freedom to come and go as I please.
  • Maintaining connections and routines that are important to me (like blogging).
  • An escape from non-stop news about despicable world leaders.
  • Not a lot of painful inclines or bugs!
  • Approaching new experiences with beginner’s mind.

Here is a brief video from my ideal vacation which I may not have shared here before.

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Do you see ideal vacations in my other images for today?

The food I have on my ideal vacations can’t beat my husband’s home-made masterpieces.

No matter what my ideal vacation, I always take the Daily Bitch along.

What is your ideal vacation?

Thanks to all who joined me for this ideal-vacations post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Day 4999: The Best Teachers

Posted on September 9, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, in Lugano, Switzerland, I had the good fortune to witness one of the best teachers and performers of opera, Thomas Hampson, give Master Classes to aspiring stars.

Here are some of the notes I jotted down while listening to one of the best teachers.

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I met Mo and Frank from Germany at the afternoon Master Class with Thomas Hampson …

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… and the three of us decided to come back for the evening Master Class, too.

I took a lot of video of the best teacher teaching, including this,

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… this,

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… this,

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… this,

… and this.

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As the best teacher Thomas Hampson says there, you have to be prepared for anything. Are you prepared for these responses I got on Twitter last night when I asked a question about best teachers?

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Experience is one of the best teachers and here are more of my experiences from yesterday.

I look for the best teachers wherever I go. This sign says “People with light luggage travel better through life.”

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On Wonderful Weirdoes Day, I’m remembering the birthday of my late father, who was a great teacher and a wonderful weirdo like me.

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Thanks to all who are here for this best teachers post, including YOU!

Categories: Music, personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Day 4998: A Bad Day

Posted on September 8, 2026 by Ann Koplow

With all the great days I’ve been having on my solo tour in Switzerland, I guess it was inevitable that I would have a bad day.

In Lugano yesterday, I had a bad day. It was very hot and humid, ChatGPT kept sending me places that had lots of stairs and biting bugs, systems and machines were broken, I thought I had lost a phone charger, I got into an increasingly bad mood, I felt homesick and ashamed, and some old part of me thought I was being punished for having so many great days.

However, the bad day had some great moments and now it’s another day!

Also, even though I don’t speak the language, I intuitively took a picture of this during my bad day.

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Here are the rest of the images I captured during my bad day.

It looks like some people at Costco are having a bad day.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “a bad day.”.

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Thanks to all those who improve my bad days, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Day 4997: Who Knew?

Posted on September 7, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Who knew that I would

  • love solo travel so much,
  • learn to tolerate not knowing so well, and
  • still be writing these daily blog posts for me (and you!) with images like these:
Who knew that I would meet wonderful people like Robert and Tara who would delightfully distract me from the scenery on the train?
Who knew that they would have an adorable dog like Koda?
Who knew I’d be on the wrong car, almost miss one of my four connections yesterday, and figure it out before it was too late?
Who knew that I would have such spectacular views from every hotel room on this trip?
Who knew I’d be getting so many amuse bouches that would amuse my bouche so much?
Who knew there were so many different types of pasta?
Who knew this would be the weather in Lugano during my stay here?

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Who knew I’d be having conversations like these with ChatGPT, especially after writing a song like “Artificial Intelligence”?

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Who knew there were so many great things to do in Lugano?

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Who knew I would have so many wonderful readers like YOU?

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Day 4996: On Top of the World

Posted on September 6, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I was on top of the world as I travelled in an empty gondola to the top of the world near the Matterhorn.

Here’s a video I made as I was on top of the world.

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Actually, I have been on top of the world throughout this entire wonderful solo trip in Switzerland.

Yesterday was such a peak experience on top of the world that I expect I will hold it in my head, heart, and soul for the rest of my life. If I am feeling despair, I expect I will use this memory of being on top of the world for peace and relief. It also helps me to realize that I can physically return to this top of the world as I am aging in the years ahead. Indeed, something I noticed yesterday was that there were many older and debilitated people on top of the world getting around okay despite the thinness of the air and other obstacles.

Can you tell that I’m on top of the world through my other images for today?

I’m aware that I was on top of the world on International Vulture Awareness Day!
I did this icy adventure by myself when I was on top of the world!
I love that Zermatt, which is on top of the world, has almost no gas-powered vehicles.
A memorial to those who died trying to reach the top of the world.
On top of the world, I found chicken soup at a French restaurant called Marie’s Deli!

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I’m on top of the world that my next stop is Lugano.

Thanks to all who are joining my adventures on top of the world, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Day 4995: Different Views

Posted on September 5, 2026 by Ann Koplow

I love having different views of spectacular vistas during my solo train tour of Switzerland.

I have recognized that there will be different views depending on where I am sitting in each train. During this trip I am developing different views about my wish to figure out in advance which seats will have the best views.

Because there is no way of my knowing which of all the possible views are the best, I am practicing different views of ways to experience the views. For example, if I realize that different vantage points have new views I would like to experience in the moment, I may change my position to see those different views. If that change is difficult, I can just accept that the different views I’m seeing are enough.

Practicing this different view of experiencing views is making this trip even better.

Are you ready for the different views in this post?

I love having different views of the Matterhorn, including this one from the balcony of my tiny room in Zermatt!
I can have different views of the glacial stream that runs by the hotel, which I can hear as I’m writing this Different Views blog!
There are so many ways get different views of the Matterhorn in Zermatt.
Readers of this blog know that I enjoy different views of cats.
There are so many different views from the Gornergrat Railway.
I’m sure the different views from this Gronergrat hotel are amazing.
I sat on this bench and took in the different views.
I have different views about religion but I decided to light a candle, as invited.
I knew that at this exact moment people in my groups would be sharing different views, and I prayed they all find peace.
I love having all these different views of the Matterhorn.
Now for some different views of Zermatt.
There are different views on how to prepare Spaetzle; this had freshly-picked mushrooms.

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I love eliciting different views with my last question of the day.

I always enjoy the different views of the Daily Bitch.

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On Be Late for Something Day, I am trying to embrace different views of my usual urge to never, ever be late for anything.

Thanks to all who are here for the different views in this post!

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Day 4994: Ice breakers

Posted on September 4, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Because I have been traveling around Switzerland on my own, I’ve been noticing ice breakers.

Ice breakers on this particular trip have included:

  • Have you been here before?
  • Where are you from?
  • What do you think of American politics?
  • Do you like music?
  • Do you have pets?
  • Do you like cats?
  • Is this the right train to _____?
  • Isn’t this beautiful?
  • Does this seem real?
  • What does this mean?
  • Are you afraid of heights?
  • Can you safely walk on all this ice at The Top of Europe with regular shoes?

Can you see ice breakers in my images for today?

Jimmy the cat has shown up at my hotel!
I like bread declarations.
I finally found spinach in Switzerland! Ice breaker: Do you know how much vitamin K is in this?
A stranger grabbed my phone and said, “Let me take your picture!” She turned out to be a trauma therapist from India!
I sent this to my husband Michael and said, “Here’s your snow globe from Switzerland.”
From the Sphinx Observatory Terrace I could see where I had been standing a few minutes before!
The butter at Glacier Restaurant was in the shape of The Eiger!

The Daily Bitch is an excellent ice breaker.

Thanks to all who are here for this ice breaker post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Day 4993: Changes for the Better

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Ann Koplow

On this solo trip to Switzerland, I have experienced many changes for the better, including:

  • more peace of mind,
  • less concern with my putting myself out there,
  • letting go of perfectionism for myself and others,
  • radical acceptance of what is, and
  • no fear of heights!

Can you see changes for the better in my images for today?

Changes for the better on the train!
Changing for the better with this view from my room in Grindelwald!
Changing for the better by recording and sharing videos like this one!
Changing for the better by not being afraid of heights!
Changing for the better by asking if I could share some songs here tonight!
Changing for the better with my heart while seeing world-wide recognition for my old Dr. Paul Zoll.

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On National Skyscraper Day, I’ll be changing for the better as I’ll be exploring different kinds of skyscrapers in Grindelwald.

Thanks to all who are changing for the better, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Day 4992: Wonderful Days

Posted on September 2, 2026 by Ann Koplow

I’ve had many wonderful days in my long life but yesterday was especially wonderful. I walked around Lucerne, saw the Lion Monument, took an incredible trip across beautiful Lake Lucerne and up and down the spectacular Mt. Pilatus, and then attended an astonishing concert by the amazing pianist Hayato Sumino.

Can you see wonderful days in the images I’m sharing today?

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I wonder if my wonderful days in Grindelwald will include a refrigerator in my room.

I look forward to listening to Hayato Sumino during many wonderful days ahead.

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Many thanks to all who share wonderful days with me, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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