Travel & Music

Exploring the World

There is so much to see - and I’m doing my best to see it all…..

About Me

Hi, I’m Loren (the old guy in the t-shirt there, knee-deep in a rice paddy). I’m a US-native, London-resident singer-songwriter and travel junkie. Now that I’m retired, backpacking is my life.

Ukraine at War

In May of 2025 I was privileged to drive an ambulance from London to Ukraine with Medical Lifelines Ukraine, a UK charity. I then stayed in for 3 days in Lviv (western Ukraine, far from the front lines) and 2 weeks in Kyiv, 4 nights of which I slept of necessity in bomb shelters. During this time I had the chance to get to know a wide range of both locals and ex-pats.

The purpose of this blog is to provide a window on what life is really like in Ukraine today, and how an exceptionally brave, hospitable and indomitable people keep living their lives under frightening conditions, that everyone I met expects will continue for many more years.

Laos Travel Guide

I’ve been to 74 countries. Laos is my favourite.

During a recent 2+months backpacking there, I found the absence of up-to-date practical information so severe that I wrote a webpage to help address that.

You’ll also find practical General Information on: Visas, Money, Itineraries, When to go, Booking activities, lodging and transport, general advice on motorbiking in Laos, and more

Travelogues

Slide presentations of some of my longer trips in remote regions

Keep scrolling down for music

Music

Sometimes on a trip, a song comes out. My CD includes 9 songs inspired by my travels in Laos, the Norwegian Fjords, Berlin during German Reunification, the Aegean Sea, Marrakech, the Rocky Mountains, Minnesota’s Lakes, and more.