Salvador, Brazil...

In Salvador, Brazil I met a lovely local couple who took me to some of their favorite pottery shops in the main market. I spotted a set of three traditional wine jugs each one bigger than the next. I fell in love with the smallest but unfortunately the potter wouldn't break up his set. What to do? My gregarious hosts dived in with gusto and the problem was quickly solved. They offered to buy the two big jugs for their garden. With their bargaining power it cost me a mere $7.00 to have the gorgeous piece I wanted in the first place and it became a perfect win-win situation for all of us. Today I can't separate my piece of painted pottery from the two delightful folks in Salvador who helped to make it mine.

San Miguel, Mexico...

In San Miguel, Mexico I enrolled in a two-day papier mache workshop. When the instructor asked what I planned to make I told her 'A Travel Goddess -- someone who looks out for all journey women everywhere.' With that decision, the fate of all travelling women suddenly weighed heavily on my shoulders. This Goddess better be good, I thought. Females worldwide would be counting on her to protect them from crummy hotel rooms, lecherous tour guides and bad bouts of Delhi Belly. During that class I created the goddess whom I named Ute and in one glance you can see she is definitely a first time effort. Ute is covered in postage stamps that women around the world sent to me and I haggled in a Mexican market for her funny mini rubber ski boots. Today my Goddess stands tall in my office looking over my shoulder, protecting me, reminding me of Mexico, my instructor, the women in my class, and the fun I had creating her.