Lending a Hand, Seeing the World

Judith Love Schwab had many duties as an international volunteer, but some of the most memorable were following meerkats in the Kalahari Desert, collecting data on early gardens and buildings for archaeologists on Easter Island, helping care for underserved babies in Romania, teaching English in Poland, sifting for bones and shells in Portugal and working with severely disabled adults at an institution in Greece. While recounting these experiences, Schwab also examines the limitations imposed on her as a female growing up in the middle of the 20th century and the inhibitions she overcame to begin traveling in her fifties.

Judith Love Schwab is a former reporter for the Roanoke Times in Virginia and a contributor to the Christian Science Monitor. She lives in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Judith Love Schwab

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 210
Bibliographic Info: 68 photos, index
Copyright Date: 2021
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8139-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4049-5
Imprint: Toplight Books

Acknowledgments vi

Preface 1

Introduction: How the Travel Seeds Were Planted and Nourished 3

 1. Poland, Home for the First Time—Age 53 (1996) 15

 2. Poland, Crossing the Pond Alone—Age 57 (2000) 32

 3. Poland, the Funniest Robbery I Ever Experienced—Age 59 (2002) 44

 4. Mexico, Tequila and Beer Ice Cream—Age 61 (2004) 53

 5. Hungary, Cold Nights and Public Laundry—Age 61 (2004) 60

 6. Greece, Doing What I Couldn’t Do—Age 62 (2005) 66

 7. Romania, Falling in Baby Love—Age 63 (2006) 78

 8. Brazil, What’s a Toy Library?—Age 64 (2007) 90

 9. Armenia, Apricots and Rubble—Age 65 (2008) 102

10. South Africa, Following Meerkats—Age 67 (2010) 120

11. Easter Island, Examining Stone Heads—Age 68 (2011) 145

12. Cuba, Ninety Miles and a World Away—Age 69 (2012) 162

13. Colorado, Digging in the Dirt—Age 74 (2017) 181

14. Portugal, Ancient Clams, Fresh Tomatoes and a Countess—Age 75 (2018) 191

Epilogue: Harvesting the Fruit of the Travel Seeds 199

Index 201