Rocking that *International* Paradise

Toward the end of my college career, a few of my friends and I had a “tradition” (only 2 summers running) of taking a camping trip over the summer.  A group of 5 of us would get together, borrow camping equipment from our parents’ basements, and set off for a Canadian destination for a few days of wilderness fun.  But the last camping trip was years ago, and we’ve gone our separate ways since then.  (This blog is actually old enough that you can read about the 2 nd trip we took, in 2011, here , though.)  This year, Liz and I and Cheeks decided to revive the tradition.  Liz's friend Nikki joined us, and for convenience’s sake, we opted to camp close to home this time, rather than making the 8 hour drive north to Canada.  Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo, WI seemed suitable.  So we arrived late on Sunday afternoon, set up our tent and campsite in a jiffy, and got to work preparing the customary “first night of camping dinner”: steak and potat...

It has been a long time since my family took a family vacation that didn’t involve visiting me in the new exotic location in which I was living or had previously lived.  In fact, I believe the last time we took a trip together was in the summer of 2009. So, when earlier this year I announced to my mom that I was postponing serious summer travel plans in favor of spending a full 6 weeks at home and she brought up the idea of a short family road trip, I agreed enthusiastically, but on one condition: I didn’t want to be in charge of planning anything.  So Mom went to work requesting for time off of work, and we decided we’d spend four days driving up to the North Shore of Minnesota (along the “north shore” of Lake Superior, for those not familiar with the term).  The only hitch in the plan was that the days Mom was able to get vacation were the exact same days that my sister would be attending a conference and unable to go.  So much for having a full family ...

When I think of life in a foreign culture, there are a variety of new experiences that I assume I will have.  Living in Guatemala conjures up images of me being privy to Semana Santa celebrations for the first time, or glimpsing Maya culture in the clothes locals wear, or salsa dancing on a Friday night.  But of course, real life goes on in other countries too, and this spring, I had several experiences which were surprising only in the fact that I lived them for the first time in Guatemala. I never would have guessed, for example, that I would first taste escargot not in France or a fancy restaurant, but in...Guatemala.  In my own home.  But that’s where it happened.  When a friend first told me his dad was preparing escargot and asked if I wanted to try some, I told him I gladly would, but he’d have to teach me how to eat them.  (I pictured a snail flying across my dining room Pretty Woman style).  Turns out they are not only easy to eat, but ...

This post is long overdue.  First life was stressful and busy and overwhelming.  And then I was traveling with my students.  And then life was still stressful and busy and overwhelming, but for different reasons.  This week, finally, I feel I have the time to take to myself to write.  So let’s talk about that student travel bit that I mentioned. Once again this year, I took a team of students to compete at Destination Imagination Global Finals in Knoxville, Tennessee.  (You can take a stroll down memory lane and remind yourself about my first experience there by clicking  here ).  This year, I had a new team of students.  There were 5 girls and 1 sixth grade boy in contrast to 4 seventh boys from last year.  “Unruly” was the term I used to describe last year’s team, and this year my group was anything but.  These kids are responsible, creative, and full of life.  They were all Globals veterans who knew what to expe...

I really expected our long weekend at the beach to be uneventful.  Carrie, Michelle, and I planned to spend two nights at a beach hotel on the Pacific coast over our 4 day weekend.  I thought we would relax, perhaps even bore ourselves. What was I thinking? That sort of thing doesn’t happen to us.  The trip started innocently enough.  We set off on Friday morning at 6:00am, missing the Labor Day holiday traffic and sailing down the scenic road to the village of Las Lisas, where we took a lancha (boat) to our hotel, Playa Quilombo.  That day was fairly uneventful.  We read books poolside, enjoyed a phenomenal seafood lunch, played a bit of Uno, took a stroll along the water’s edge, and went to bed early. Looking at the hotel from the shore.  Our bungalow was on the right, 3rd building back. It was Saturday that the excitement started.  Saturday, the ocean waves started growing in size.  We spent some time down at t...

I had a lot to celebrate last weekend.  First of all, there was the 11km trail race that I won a little over a week ago.  (Yes, won.  At least the women’s category.  It’s the first time I’ve ever come in first place in a race, and I did not expect it in the least).  Second was the fact that as of Friday, April 24 th , 100% of my requirements are complete for my master’s degree in International Education.  Approaching the finish line Celebrating my masters degree with a massive turkey leg. Both of those things are worth a celebration. So, to celebrate (and to relax after an intensive 2 week master’s course), Richard and I took off for a weekend at Lake Atitlan.  The weekend was exactly what I was hoping for: a perfect balance between adventure and total relaxation.  On Saturday, we took our time packing (because if you know me at all, you know I always leave packing for the last minute) and leaving the city, arriving at ...

Some adventures are easier to write about than others.  Some have their own stories, and rather than telling about what we did on the adventure, I tell the story.  Some posts practially write themselves. And then sometimes, you just have an absolutely amazing experience...and it's just too much and too many stories to fit into one post.  This year's spring break was like that.  For six days, I lived in the moment and had the best time of my life.  And now I'm left with too many memories, too many stories, too many breathtaking snapshots, and I'm having a hard time deciding how to get it into a blog post.   I decided (or maybe, my inability to write decided for me)  to wait a few days (or a week or two) before beginning to write about spring break.  My hope is that what I'll be left with in my memory is simply the best stories, simply the things worth telling about.  That is my hope.   Amy, Rachel, and I had dreamed about this...