Arches National Park is the first national park I ever visited, and it holds a very special place in my heart. It was our first adventure during the desert road trip my friends and I took in 2012. The campground there, Devil’s Garden, is the most incredible campground of all time. I was so excited to… Continue reading Arches National Park
Crater Lake National Park
We only had one full day in Crater Lake National Park, but luckily it’s a good park to appreciate in one day. The main attraction is, of course, the lake. It was formed about 8,000 years ago when Mount Mazama erupted and caused the mountain to shatter and collapse into itself, which formed a massive… Continue reading Crater Lake National Park
Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies & Thankfulness
Last year I posted my favorite Apple Pie recipe on Thanksgiving, as well as a list of some of the small things in life that I’m thankful for. Looking back at that post, after a year mostly spent away from home and on the road, I am thankful that the amazing adventures I went on… Continue reading Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies & Thankfulness
Yellowstone National Park
Walking through Yellowstone feels a bit like being on a different planet. Everything is smoking or gurgling or steaming or bubbling or spewing. A lot of the park smells like farts. Most people know Old Faithful is there, but did you know there’s also a giant canyon? I did not. It’s a wonderful place. Yellowstone… Continue reading Yellowstone National Park
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
“You’ve got to keep beating the drum for justice.” (page 46) Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson should be required reading for every American. Everyone. I first heard of this book, and its wonderful author, a few weeks ago when we went to a taping of The Daily Show, and Bryan Stevenson was the guest. Bryan… Continue reading Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Yosemite National Park
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” – John Muir The middle of a horrible draught and terrible wildfires isn’t necessarily… Continue reading Yosemite National Park
Weekend Reading
I’m visiting my family in Michigan for a few weeks, which means a lot of lovely relaxing time to read. (When my brother and I are not watching Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, which we are completely obsessed with.) The ground is already covered in about 4 inches of snow here, with big fluffy flakes continuing… Continue reading Weekend Reading
Happy Birthday, Kurt Vonnegut
While I was in Europe this spring, I got to make a pilgrimage that was very special to me. I took a day trip from Berlin to Dresden and visited the shelter / meat locker where one of my favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, survived the bombing of Dresden as a prisoner of war during WWII.… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Kurt Vonnegut
Lost In Translation
I subscribe to The Listserve, a daily email lottery. There are currently about 24,000 subscribers from all over the world, and each day one of them is selected randomly to write an email which gets sent to everyone on the list. It adds a bit of diversion into my inbox each day, and it’s interesting… Continue reading Lost In Translation
Blue Horses by Mary Oliver
It’s hard to review a book of poetry. Mary Oliver is one of my favorite poets, and I discovered her work a few years ago by picking up one of her books in a bookstore and opening to random pages and reading her poems. (That’s how I have discovered most every poet that I like.)… Continue reading Blue Horses by Mary Oliver
Huay Pha Larm, Laos
During my time in southeastern Asia, I spent two days on a slow boat traveling down the Mekong river in Laos. Along the way we stopped at the small village of Huay Pha Larm, which has about 500 people, 80 families. Most of the villagers work in the nearby rice farms. The children ran down… Continue reading Huay Pha Larm, Laos
The Great Barrier Reef
Before I went on my trip around the world, I didn’t have a very specific Bucket List for my life. I had a lot of places I wanted to go to, but not really any set list of experiences I wanted to have. But if you had asked me to sit down and list out a… Continue reading The Great Barrier Reef