Where to next?

 I appreciate that my family, friends and colleagues all know me well enough now that their question each spring is more specifically directed to me.  Instead of the usual, "What are you doing this summer?" they knowingly ask, "Where are you off to this summer?"  Yes, summer has arrived, and that means it is time for another adventure!

Last year, I had some incredible travels.  In October of 2023, I went to Spain for the wedding of a high school friend then to Sicily to visit dear friends currently living there.  It was a quick trip, and as the trip was more focused on catching-up rather than sight-seeing, I did not blog.

High School Friends at David's Wedding in Toledo

While Sicily was lovely, it was the people I was there to see!  (And the furry critters!)

Last summer was epic to say the least.  My parents once again agreed to travel with me, for which I will always be grateful.  I took them to some of my favorite places in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.  Together we explored new places, special to each parent for different reasons.  My dad spent a year in Northern Ireland as a four-year-old while his dad worked on a new chemical plant there.  My mom's maiden name is Magnus, so visiting Magnus Cathedral on the Orkney Islands was high on our list.  Then, fellow Fulbrighters and I met for a ten year reunion at our own castle in Scotland.  Jessica and I took time to visit other new and old favorite spots in England before making our way to Guernsey, which deserves its own novel (in addition to Guernsey's Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society).  I deliberately chose not to blog last summer, wanting to soak in every moment surrounded by loved ones, especially since many of the places I was traveling to, I had blogged about before.  I'm hoping that photos will be enough to help me remember the many heartwarming moments from the summer of 2023.

Most people visit Northern Ireland for the alpacas, right?

Dad as a 4-year-old with his father standing at his front door that we were able to find!

Mom and I at Magnus Cathedral

Fulbrighters at our castle in Scotland

Jessica and I at the Island Games Opening Ceremony in Guernsey

In April of 2023, Fulbright gave me another amazing opportunity to travel, with an awe-inspiring team of educators from around the country, to Senegal.  I DID blog about this trip, but as it was another Fulbright experience, I chose to blog about it on my Fulbright blog.

Part of our crew in Senegal

Why do I blog when I travel?  Yes, it takes time and energy often at a time when I'm exhausted and eager to fall onto whatever pillow I have the pleasure of sleeping on that night.  Sure, I am honored for you, for others to read my blog.  My hope is that it expands your world, perhaps teaches you something new, inspires you to travel to a new place or perhaps I am able to give you tips along the way.  But by and large, the most significant reason for blogging is a selfish one.  In blogging, I'm able to capture the moment in (almost) real time, encapsulating it and keeping those feelings safe for me to enjoy and recall later.  So, to you who are reading, I thank you for listening to my ramblings!

That's great.  But, where are you headed?!

Jessica, my travel-buddy-extraordinaire who somehow puts up with my quirky habits, my Type A personality traits, and my stubbornness once again agreed to go on an adventure with me.  We both have the same goal (inspired by our amazing friend, Niki) to see all 50 states and 50 countries before we turn 50.  If all goes as planned this summer, Hawaii will be the only thing I'm missing to make that dream a reality.  But don't worry, that doesn't mean my suitcase will begin collecting dust.

Jessica and I both turned 40 this year.  Yes, 40.  In some ways it was a hard pill to swallow.  In some ways, I forget that my 4th-grade-students are now an entire generation behind me, and in some ways I feel like I belong in the generation ahead of me (perhaps it is the audiobooks, knitting, and watching Murder, She Wrote).  No matter what, 40 is a reason to celebrate.  So, thankfully Jessica agreed, and we decided to knock this summer's travels out of the park!  We are headed to.... AFRICA!

Almost everyone I tell that to first believes we are going on a mission trip.  Don't get me wrong, that is a truly worthy cause, but that is not why I'm going.  I tell people that, "I'm going to play with the animals."  True that if that is the actual case, you may not hear from me again (aside from the tortoises, I do hope to play with them safely).  But, I hope to see as many animals as possible in their natural environments, hopefully living their lives to the fullest while I do the same.  But please know that if I do not come back because I'm eaten by a lion, squished by a gorilla, or in a jail cell with Jessica who got caught with a penguin in her backpack, just know that this animal lover went out doing what she wanted to do!  But, hopefully, you'll soon be hearing many more stories and seeing lots more photos from me in the coming weeks!

I have no idea what our WiFi situation will be like in the mountains of Uganda or the tents of Tanzania, but I can assume that in our sky-rise in Qatar, guesthouse in Rwanda, resort in Zanzibar and apartment in CapeTown, I'll be able to do some story-telling and memory sharing.  Thanks for reading and following along!