A child of the midwest (born Texas, raised Oklahoma, college Iowa, grad school Wisconsin), Madeline somehow found herself traipsing through 64 countries, via various jobs and her love of cultural exploration. Her work included teaching folk dance, working for public radio, and training teachers for assignments abroad. At age 59, she accepted her first Peace Corps assignment to southern Africa (Lesotho) and after that worked for the US Peace Corps as staff in Central Asia. Her most profound travel experience came in her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, however, when she met an office cleaning woman who introduced her to Tibetan traditions, social justice issues, and a family living in multiple continents. Travel does not always require an airline ticket.