A travel photo story

The Joy and Pain of Walking in and Out of Life’s Doorways

Oh, the places you will go… and the changes you will make

A replica of the White House. All the turmoil and division in the United States right now is like a river of tears — All photos by

JoAnn Ryan

Which of life’s doors did you open? Which ones did you close?

It’s good to look back but dwelling on such things too long can also be disastrous for mental health.

The above photo is from The People’s House: A White House Experience in Washington, D.C. They did such a great job with putting this experience together and I highly recommend a visit if you are in the city but it’s also quite painful to think of how divided the United States is right now and just how many people are walking around angry and disillusioned.

I feel like I need to make some big changes and decisions in my life but it can be difficult when my home country is in such upheaval! Oh we need such strength, unity and healing right now!

A gate at Harvard University

Walking across the campus of Harvard University during the winter holiday of 2023 was an ethereal experience. Eerily quiet and oddly mesmerizing. There are many of these gated doorways across the campus. Some were open but…