A Mole on the Bottom of My Foot

Filipino superstition holds that moles predict the life of a newborn baby.  A mole on your forehead indicates intelligence; one on your shoulder indicates burden; one on your hand makes you, what, handy?  I don’t remember. 

For better or for worse, I was born with a mole on the bottom of my food, indicating travel. 

I guess I’ve been a lot of places so far; my new job in Shanghai is going to put me in spitting distance of a whole new set of destinations.  I need to go get a guidebook; I don’t know anything about traveling in Asia. 

Here’s where that mole on my foot has taken me: 

• Olympia, Washington (born/grew up)
• Seattle, Washington (College/work)
• Ann Arbor, Michigan (Grad School)
• Family vacations:  San Francisco, LA, Vancouver, Winnepeg, Manila, Sto. Tomás
• Study Abroad:  Avignon, France; Rome, Italy; Antigua, Guatemala; Hangzhou, China
• Conferences:  Girona, Spain; Baltimore
• Personal Travel:  Paris, Nice, Florence, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Shanghai, Bordeaux, El Salvador, Washington D.C., Denver
• With students:  Libourne, México DF, Cuernavaca, Taxco, Acapulco

My Asian tour will include more of the Philippines, Korea, maybe Japan (expensive!).  I’d like to go to India, but I am afraid it will change me into a prophet.  I’m also interested in South Africa, Morrocco and Tunesia, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and I’m always up for seeing Europe (expensive!) .  I’d love to see Brazil and Argentina, and the Carribean if I can stand the heat.  Someday, Cuba.