I have been affiliated with higher education as a student or staff member for nearly 33 years. As a first year college student at Central Michigan University (CMU), I found myself on academic probation, so that 33 number could be much smaller. Turns out you shouldn’t sleep through most of your classes.
I took on campus jobs such as residence hall front desk worker, summer camp counselor, campus ambassador, and orientation mentor. These forms of connection likely led to my own retention at the university and my eventual career path. I figured out what a work ethic was that was not related to shooting a basketball and was inspired by words like, “You create your own luck through hard work.” (Steve Majerle).
Man have I been lucky. Mentors at CMU shared, “You know, you can go to grad school for a degree dedicated to working on a college campus and with college students.” Off to the University of Tennessee I went. I learned about student development theory, counseling, higher education law, and the history of higher education. I had found my calling. More specifically, I knew that student affairs and academic advising positions would be my path.
Higher education has brought me great joy and there hasn’t really been a day I wish I was in some other profession. As a matter of fact, if you ask me what other profession I see myself in, I have no answer. Supervisors and other leaders sent me to conferences to continue my development. This led to my involvement in the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and its Commission for the Admissions, Orientation, and the First Year Experience. My network grew. My luck continued.
To this day I am convinced that this ACPA involvement led me to positions at Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I refused to be outworked or less involved than my peers. As an introvert, I don’t really enjoy networking, but I realize its importance and believe in the adage, “Build your network now so it is in place when you need it.”
As a young professional, I would be the first in the office and the last to leave. I would leave the office, then open my laptop as soon as I got home to work some more. This was beneficial in building my career, but as a current leader and supervisor, I absolutely frown upon this. There is a different path to career growth and frankly, it’s a lot healthier.
So what changed? Well, even as a productivity-driven Gen-Xer, I value work/life balance. Moreover, I reached a point in my career (and life) where I didn’t want my profession to in any way define who I was as a person. I work in an office where there are wide generational gaps. Everyday, as I care for those I supervise, I am trying to crack their code. I made a decision last year that I would not become frustrated with these generational differences (I’m not perfect in this quest), but I would make a daily effort to learn, empathize, and become a better leader. A great leader learns from those around them, even if they are 25 years younger.
I have worked in some high stress and successful environments and am truly grateful for every professional experience I have had. That said, I now work in a lower stress environment (Idaho State University) and yet our team strives. We were part of increasing our university retention rates by 10% in just 3-4 years. That is unheard of. Each day, we have an opportunity to make a difference. What a privilege that is. Our team leaves at 5pm. We do not exchange after hours emails. We encourage vacations. Don’t you dare do work on the weekend! I have more Columbia and Orvis clothing than any non-skier or non-fly fisher should ever own. I still own ties, but I sure enjoy the casual nature of where I work.
The work is important and it needs to get done and done well, but it doesn’t have to be in a high stress environment to yield positive results. Don’t get me wrong. I still feel stress and I am sure my team feels it when I do (Sorry, everyone), but I now understand the value and energy gained from truly unplugging from work when 5pm hits. I walk out the door at 5pm like everyone else. Hard work may create luck, but knowing how to relax makes me feel pretty lucky too.
In July of 2006 I set sail on my first cruise to the Bahamas on the Carnival Fantasy. I took on this 5-day cruise out of Port Canaveral solo and it was so memorable, I wrote an unpublished book chapter about the experience. True story.
Upon return to land after that cruise, I was convinced that I was now a “cruiser.” I ensured my Passport was up to date and this was going to be my thing moving forward. It took me 18 years to board another cruise ship. It was a magical 7-day Alaskan cruise out of Seattle. As I (sadly) debarked the ship this past June, I once again thought to myself, “I’m a cruiser now.”
This time was different. I had a great travel partner in Tasha who said this was the best vacation she had ever been on. I’m not sure if this was hyperbole on her part, but I definitely caught the cruise bug again. To quote Tasha, “I get to visit all of these places and never have to change my “hotel” room when cruising.” That captures the essence of cruising perfectly.
These floating cities have no shortage of food, drink, and entertainment options. So, here we are 5 months later and we are slated for a New Year’s cruise out of Galveston. There are potential Sweet 16 cruise plans for Tasha’s daughter Nadia for October of 2025 and I already have my eyes on spring break 2026.
I’m not sure if all of these will happen, but I have developed an obsession with watching cruise videos on YouTube that is fueling my “What’s next?” attitude. In 2019, I had a European Christmas Market adventure on land and now I envision this experience via a river cruise ship sometime in the future.
For those that think they wouldn’t enjoy or cruise or that they would feel trapped, I say give it a go. I recently learned that the Carnival Fantasy has since been sent to the scrapyard. While sad, my Carnival Fantasy and Celebrity Edge memories will live on forever. I predict our upcoming trip on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas will bring its own unique experiences. Your floating hotel awaits.
It’s been a while since I have posted a blog. I usually wait until some sort of experience or life event inspires me to write. Lately I have been reflecting a lot on my move to Pocatello, Idaho which is a 32 hour drive from my previous home in Durham, North Carolina.
Oddly, I have had zero days of mover’s remorse. Sure I miss live Carolina Hurricanes hockey. I certainly miss sitting in the stands of a Durham Bulls baseball game. Of course I miss several friends I met during my 13-plus-year stay in the Bull City. I simply was lucky enough to fill those voids with new adventures and new connections.
My move to Idaho has represented a fresh start post divorce, a professional renaissance of sorts, and in many ways a (re) discovery of self.
If you follow me on Instagram you know I am a huge nature nerd. Within 2.5 hours I can be in Yellowstone National Park, Salt Lake City, Jackson Hole, or kayak to the base of a waterfall 45 feet taller than Niagara Falls. I often say living in Idaho is like driving through a postcard. I am in the bullseye of some of the most beautiful places in the United States.
Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho
I work in a very positive environment at Idaho State University (ISU) and for the first time in nearly 25 years I live in a place where sarcasm is an embraced 2nd language. Although a fraction of the size, I have made more connections and feel a greater part of the community of Idaho than my 13 years in North Carolina. That is no disrespect to the Old North State or my awesome friends there. I just think I am a better fit here in Idaho.
As someone raised in Michigan, Idaho has a very strong “midwest nice” vibe that feels very much like home. Living downtown (1 mile commute to work!) has been a blessing to facilitate these connections. Here I have a live music family, an ISU family, and even a whiskey bar family.
313 is the name of the whiskey bar. I was born in the 313 area code. I can’t make this stuff up.
I have an identity here. I have confidence here. I have a voice here. In hindsight it makes perfect sense. The place I’ve felt most connected in my entire life was at Central Michigan University where I attended college and worked. Pocatello has a similar college town vibe. When I visited ISU last fall to decide whether to take this job or not, I sat on an empty quad in an adirondack chair and looked across the lush green grass and it reminded me of the many times I did the same thing in college (at all hours of the day and night) and had that same “this is my place” feeling.
Sure I will get back to my previous homes of Michigan, Tennessee, and North Carolina at some point, but I sure feel lucky to have landed in my new Idahome.
I may or may not have been to ~259 breweries over the years and may or may not keep a Google sheet keeping track of where I have visited. Breweries are typically laid back venues, run by innovative and kind people. What’s not to like about that? This long, quiet and responsibly isolated Thanksgiving 2020 weekend led me to think about my favorite places.
My definition of “favorite” is very non-scientific. Maybe it was the beer. Maybe it was an entertaining brew house tour. Maybe it was the people I met or spent time with there. Perhaps a live musician played “Wagon Wheel” while I was there (2 of those are on the list below and neither were located in North Carolina) Most likely it is a feeling or memory that still resonates with me today in combination with the aforementioned qualities.
So without further adieu, I give you my Top 19 Brewery Visits List NOT IN RANK ORDER.
On March 2, after a nearly 4 month, planned hiatus from the world of work, I began a new professional position. By March 17, I was forced back into my home by a pandemic. Professionally, it has been a challenge to learn a new position via a Zoom call but with each day I am giving myself more grace and settling in. Some days I even feel like I know what I’m talking about.
Personally, I am actually holding up quite well. As an introvert I guess I have been preparing my whole life for this. I am not anti-social by any means, but I have always embraced solitude. For instance, 9 year old me would stay in my bedroom for hours organizing something or rearranging the furniture to make the space feel “new.” Not much has changed 36 years later. Cleaning and organizing are still therapeutic activities. My apartment is spotless!
I do miss many things however beyond the walls of my apartment. I miss hockey. I miss baseball. I miss live music. I miss traveling. In addition to silence, these were the parts of life that brought me great joy. I can do any of these activities alone and have a great time. I don’t mind having company, but I hold up solo just fine. What else do I miss? Getting a haircut. That’s what.
4 weeks overdue and counting.
Time alone allows for unfettered reflection and appreciation for all I have in my life. I have a job, my health, food in the pantry, and access to hours and hours of HGTV. Not to mention the bird watching has been pretty strong.
This time spent thinking makes me grateful for what I do have and empathetic to those in my life that are fueled by human interaction. I have always had some friendly banter with my extroverted friends (of course they got in more words). I know firsthand that this is tough on them. While I can’t fill the human void beyond a Zoom call, I do believe in one remedy that doesn’t care if you’re an introvert, ambivert, or extrovert:
Honor your feeling of missing someone or something, but temper it with a list of things, either visually or mentally, that you are looking forward to when some sense of normalcy returns.
–I have had a blast planning future travel, even if the anticipated dates don’t become a reality. Michigan. Atlanta. Western Europe. I’m coming for ya!
–I am hyping a friend’s future birthday celebration because everyone was in quarantine on her real date of birth. Should be a blowout!
–If you don’t think I won’t weep the next time I get to see a live sporting event, you don’t know me. I can’t wait for that rush of emotion.
–How great will it be to hug, high-five, and fist bump someone again!?
I do miss real-life interactions, but I know once we come out of this, we will hardly take the things we love for granted ever again. Now if you’ll excuse me, Home Town is coming up on HGTV.
What do you miss and what are you looking forward to?
Wellness. Self-Care. Work-Life Balance. These are all common expressions bandied about in our worlds of work. Unfortunately, I have rarely seen the actions of others follow these aspirational words.
I am by no means a seasoned world traveler, but in my experiences outside of the United States, others view work differently. There is more of a work to live rather than live to work mentality. When I am lucky enough to travel, I instantly soak up how relaxed other countries feel about work. There seems to be more emphasis on travel and experiences rather than being defined by one’s work.
How did we get here? Why is there an insecurity if we are not touting how much we work or how busy we are? Don’t get me wrong, I have taken great pride in my career and believe in what we call “hard work.” I just don’t want my work to define me.
That said, as I have progressed professionally and personally I have been able to unplug and legitimately not think about work when I get home at the end of a workday. When asked, “What did you do at work today?,” I would struggle to answer the question because I was so committed to shifting my brain from work life to home life. Sure, if a deadline was looming I would meet it, but there was no guilt by not opening the work laptop the moment I came through the door of the home.
I decided to take this mindset a step further the past few months through real action. In November, after giving my employer 2 months notice, I made the decision to step away from my job. Between a life event (separation) and being in the same position for over 7 years, I committed to being about myself for some time. The timing seemed just right. I saved to have the resources to make this decision, I was at the midpoint of my career, and wanted to find continued healing to the aforementioned life event.
I have no regrets about this decision, but cabin fever has now set in, so I am ready to serve others again while still carving out moments to find fulfillment away from work. As I crank up my job search for my next chapter, I am so excited to share my story in an interview. Many will frown upon a gap in employment, but I think I got this one right. Everyone needs to find “me moments” to recharge, refocus, and ultimately be a happier and more productive employee. Don’t make me move to Europe just yet, America.
Cologne, Germany – This is the one mug I brought home as a souvenir. A deposit is put down on each vessel and if you don’t want your deposit back, you simply keep them.
If you followed me on Instagram in 2019, you may have seen that I had the great fortune of travel to some really cool places. To cap off the year, I brainstormed how I wanted to spend the 2019 holiday season. Iceland? Prague and Vienna? I looked at several combinations and after pricing out airline tickets, reading several “things to do during the holidays in (insert location here)”, and watching approximately 2,000 YouTube videos I settled upon Belgium and The Netherlands for their access to easy day trips by train.
My hotel hubs would be in Brussels, Belgium and Rotterdam in The Netherlands. These two cities provided me with an affordable airline ticket and hotels near the central train stations. While I am certainly classified as a planner, I didn’t really lock myself into too many day trip locations so I could go with the flow and if I wanted to jump on the train for the day, I could. If I wanted to have a low key city hub exploration day, I could do that as well. Now don’t get me wrong, I had a hit list, but outside of booking a ticket to The Heineken Experience, I never had to be anywhere on any given day.
Let me be clear, I do like having a travel partner, but there are certainly benefits to solo travel. It’s your desired activities and at the time you want to do them. I started to miss having someone to share experiences with toward the end of the trip, but I also think I could have concluded my trip 1-3 days earlier. I reached a point of exhaustion and wanting to sleep in my own bed.
I departed on December 21 from RDU to Brussels via JFK in New York City. The flight from JFK to Brussels was 7.5 hours and put me in Brussels at 9AM. Brussels is 6 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone. The goal was to power through and try to sync up my sleep schedule. I was able to check into my hotel at about 10AM and of course I took a 3 hour nap. The day is now December 22 and I am ready to go.
Walking the streets of Brussels, I instantly realized how nice my hotel location was. With no set route in mind, I wandered aimlessly and found something photo worthy around every corner. I came across a few smaller Christmas markets and later in the evening, an amazing light show was projected on Sainte Catherine Cathedral. I rounded one more corner and happened upon a massive Christmas Market that was full of life, food, belgian beer, and a gigantic Ferris Wheel. I stayed for hours, navigating the stalls of cheese, waffles, chocolate and really, you name it. After a beer from Chimay and Leffe, I had to venture in for my first round of belgian frites. I opted for the traditional dollop of mayo as my dipping sauce. The hype was real, but I would later find out there was even a better frite option in the city.
I ended my evening at the Grand Place where they have a light show that engulfs the plaza that is synchronized to music. I knew at this point I was in for a memorable trip.
While I did not over plan this trip, I was aware that the Cologne, Germany Christmas Markets ended on December 23. Being ever present on the radar, I boarded the high speed train for the just under 2 hour trip from Brussels to Cologne. I instantly liked Cologne. It has a great train station, is on the banks of the Rhine River, and as you exit the station the towering Cologne Cathedral looms largely. This place receives over 20,000 visitors PER DAY. It’s massive and certainly the largest I’ve ever visited. After traversing this gigantic structure, I exited in search of at least 3 of the 7! Christmas Markets in the city. On the opposite side of the train station was none other than the Cathedral Christmas Market. This was a good primer for what lie ahead.
My favorite market of the trip was here in Cologne. The Christmas Market at Cologne’s Old Town took the cake. First off, it was massive, but since it was broken into a few sections across multiple city blocks, every section felt a little different. Second, as was my experience in Munich, I just really love the German people. Great energy everywhere. I later learned it is the oldest and largest market in Cologne. From there I walked The Angel’s Market and finished up market madness at the Harbour Christmas Market on the Rhine. I hit 4 of the city’s 7 markets.
It started to get a little rainy, so I jumped back on the train back Brussels. On Christmas Eve I decided to take the short train trip to Ghent. City center was a little bit of a jaunt from train station, but Ghent was instantly charming. City Center was off the charts magical. This was another city where I enjoyed wandering in every direction. I walked past Gravensteen Castle and eventually made my way Winterfest. This was another place where it would be impossible to wipe the smile off my face. I enjoyed my first belgian waffle slathered with chocolate and had some nice belgian beers in a pub set up in the middle of Winterfest. This was very possibly my 2nd favorite Christmas Market on the whole trip.
Merry Christmas! No tree. No presents, but this trip was all the gift I needed. Mid-morning, I checked out of my hotel and made my way to Central Station for a ~2 hour trip to Rotterdam. I wasn’t able to check in early at my Rotterdam hotel, but I had pre-purchased an IMAX 3D ticket to see Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Before the movie I was able to check out this very modern city. Rotterdam was essentially destroyed in World War II, but has become an architectural marvel post reconstruction. Not a whole lot was open, but I was able to use this time to orient myself to the city. I checked out the famous cube houses and walked past the massive Markthal.
Still unable to check into my room, I walked over to the 3pm showing of Star Wars. The theater complex was very nice. Concessions were grab, pay, and go in a mini market style setup. There were even self-checkout lines. Contrary to many humans on the internet, I enjoyed the movie. It was entertaining and I didn’t fixate on every miniscule comment or a loop in a storyline that was never closed. 2 hours well spent in my opinion.
With not much open, I did find a place that served a schnitzel larger than my head and finished the whole thing. It was off to Amsterdam in the morning, so I turned in early.
December 26 would bring me to Amsterdam. I was less excited than I should have been for Amsterdam. I booked a Heineken Brewery Experience package that included a tour, a canal ride, and a visit to A’dam Lookout for views of the city. This was a great way to get a feel for the city. Heineken is not terribly close to the Central Station so it allowed me to see a lot of the city on foot. The canals and overall architecture made for an enjoyable walk. I grabbed a great sandwich at Cafe Kale and ventured over to Heineken.
I would say the Heineken tour was “pretty good.” It gave me an appreciation for a beer I never really liked. I think Guinness set a high bar as far as large, international beer tours go. The end of the tour provided a few free drinks in their underground bar and then I made my way across the street to the boat for my 1 hour canal tour. I really enjoyed this and I felt like it gave me an authentic Amsterdam experience. The boat dropped us off at A’dam lookout where an elevator zoomed guests up to the observation deck and a pub area. I spent a good bit of time up there enjoying views in every direction and well, 1 more Heineken for the road. Since I was now across the river from the major part of the city (and the train station!) a ferry boat at the foot of the tower that makes shore to shore runs on the regular dropped me off right back at Amsterdam Central Station. I really liked Amsterdam and would easily go back to spend more time.
On December 27th I was off to The Hague. The Hague didn’t grab my attention at first, but after walking about 3 miles to the coast from the train station and laying eyes on the North Sea, I found my happy place. What a clean and lively area! I spent a good bit of time near the water and exploring De Pier. As the sun was starting to set, I realized I needed to stay a little longer. A stand on the top level of De Pier provided great music, a tasty beer, and a fireplace made from an old keg.
Once the sun set I decided I would figure out the tram system to get back close to city center. Finding the tramline was easy enough, but figuring out how to pay was a different story. Everyone had this magical little card. I boarded the tram thinking my tap and pay credit card would do the trick. Not so. For 20 minutes I pictured getting kicked off a tram in this beautiful city that likely frowns upon freeloaders. When I was literally 1 stop from my final destination I discovered the pay station ON THE TRAM near the back. There’s not enough time for me to pay and get off at my stop. Head down, I exited the tram away from the driver. To this day, I am convinced that I am on a WANTED poster throughout the city. City leaders of The Hague: If you’re reading this, I am happy to send payment to make this right :). After a beer at The Fiddler, I returned to Rotterdam.
Back in Rotterdam, I was on the search for food and knew the Market Hall closed at 9:30PM. This place is both beautiful and overwhelming. I passed each stall about 3 times trying to make a decision of what to eat. I ended up at an all you can eat sushi place. I’m not lying, not only did I get my money’s worth, it was some of the best sushi experiences I have ever had. Sumo Markthal for the win!
In hindsight, I would have stayed 1 more night in Rotterdam. I really enjoyed The Netherlands, how clean it was, and I’m not lying; the best drinking water I ever tasted. I returned to Brussels and used December 28 mostly as a recovery day, but did venture out a little to see the Royal Palace of Brussels and Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gadule which was very close to my hotel.
On December 29, I was off on a 30 minute train ride to Leuven, Belgium. I soon found out that I had just walked into the 22nd Annual End of Year Race Festival. This made for tricky street crossings, but also added some very cool energy to my exploration of this college town. Leuven is also the home to Stella Artois Brewery. Closed on this particular day, you could still see its impact on the city. I checked out the Leuven University campus, The Great Beguinage and stood in awe of their Stadhuis (town hall). I snagged some frites that were “just okay” and found my way back to Brussels. I tracked down a waffle stuffed with sticks of chocolate that I saw on YouTube. It. was. the. best! I ended my evening with more visits to the great light displays and you guessed it, Au Brasseur.
Bruges day has arrived. Yes, that Bruges. This placed lived up to the hype as well. It was a cloudless sunny day so rather than head straight to city center from the train station, I followed the greenway along the river to some classic windmills (at least 1 is still in operation). After some windmill photos, I ventured into the city down cobblestone streets past residences that seemingly all had fresh coats of paint on them. Bruges was pristine. Nary any graffiti that accompany most cities and good luck finding a piece of trash on the ground. If it had an American cousin in regard to size, walkability, and cleanliness, it would be Bend, Oregon. i.e. If I had the money, I would live there.
Bruges is just beautiful. Canals, The Belfort, a lively Christmas Market. I would go back in a heartbeat. I tried to capture the city with my camera from as many angles as possible. Dipping in and out of alleyways I stumbled (not literally) into Bourgogne de Flandres Brewery. It’s a perfect mash (no pun intended) up of old and new, not to mention they had great snacks. I finished my evening at Le Trappiste underground bar. It was packed, but I found a lone stool near the entrance. Feeling like the bouncer, I posted up there for a while. For those that know me, if there are babies or dogs somewhere, I am more likely to interact with them than any other nearby humans/adults. I hung out with 2 of the sweetest border collies for at least an hour Well-behaved and social, they worked the room posing for selfies with other patrons. One got a little cocky and ended up behind the bar. The bartender didn’t seem too pleased so they were back on leashes, but right at my feet. It was a perfect way to end my day in Bruges.
It is now New Year’s Eve. I laid low much of the morning, but did take a walk to the European Union area and walked through La Parc du Cinquantenaire. Hours before the clock was to strike midnight I still didn’t know what I was going to do, so I did what I did best: Wander. The streets of Brussels were packed. I grabbed a beer at Little Delirium Cafe and found a seat outside. I chatted with a couple of from France (Ben and Layla). They were very kind and had some experiences in the States so it was easy conversation. Ben kept apologizing for his English, but I assured him his English was 100 times better than my French! After Little Delirium, I continued to pick a direction and walk, take a right here, and a left turn there. Not too far from my hotel I walked past a bar right at 11:59PM. I quickly entered and rang in 2020 with complete strangers. It was perfect. No agenda. No forced interactions and surrounded by happy people. After ordering a celebratory beer, a group of 4 from New Zealand and France conversed with me and invited me to tag along to whatever was next. With only the slightest of hesitation, I said “sure.” We ended our night at a club called Roosters. Sports bar by day. Dance club by night. I got disconnected from the group so I wandered back to the hotel. I regret not getting their contact information as I really appreciated them “adopting” me for the night.
January 1 – zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, pack, and buy bad food from a random grocery store.
The morning of January 2nd, I checked out of my hotel and started the 18 minute train ride to the airport. I was pleasantly surprised by the sunrise that was visible from the Brussels airport terminal.
What a trip! The 8 hour flight to JFK actually went by quickly and I arrived home, slightly disoriented by the time change, around 6pm Eastern Time. My wish for everyone is to experience a European Christmas. There is something overwhelmingly authentic about it. Maybe it’s the markets. Maybe it’s the cathedrals. Whatever it is, I can’t wait to do it again.
You made it this far? I’m impressed. For the full gamut of photos from this trip, my Google Photos album is HERE.
Well, 2,723 miles later and I am in Tulsa, Oklahoma for Thanksgiving. While southern Nebraska and much of Kansas and Oklahoma were only mildly scenic, it has been amazing to see so many landscapes and changes in topography in a relatively short amount of time.
I really enjoyed Lawrence, Kansas. It is the quintessential college town with a lively downtown and the beautiful KU campus. I made a quick trip to campus to check out Phog Allen Fieldhouse. There’s a lot of history in that old barn and luckily parts were accessible for the viewing public.
I stayed in downtown Lawrence and did a mini-crawl of sorts to explore and watch parts of the KU basketball game on TV. One thing is for sure, Kansas folks love their basketball. It reminded me of watching the final round of The Open in St. Andrews, Scotland. Viewers stay really engaged throughout the contest as opposed to passively watching most of the game and honing in on the last few minutes of the event.
The drive from Lawrence to the Tulsa, Airport was a little bit of a snoozer mixed in with a fair bit of road construction. It felt good to get out of the car as much as I enjoyed easily over 2,000 of those 2,723 miles.
I am with my mom and her “manfriend” Roy who lives just outside of Tulsa. We are visiting a Praire Artisan Ales pub in downtown Tulsa tonight, Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and then I fly home on Friday to attend a Carolina Hurricanes game that night. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed again.
Next week, I turn my attention back to the job search before before heading to Belgium and The Netherlands for Christmas and New Years. The hope is that January brings job interviews and maybe one more travel adventure (TBD).
I have to tell you, I have zero regrets about taking this time for myself to travel, recharge, and refocus on the second half of my life and career. As a matter of fact, I think everyone with the desire and resources should do something similar for themselves. Life is too short to not break away from daily routines and social norms to carve out time for adventure, exploration, and wonder.
If you’re interested in viewing ~300 photos from this journey, the Google photo album lives HERE.
This is actually one of my favorite photos from the trip. I wildly believe it is important to be OK with yourself and find peace at a “table” for one.
Greetings from Kearney, Nebraska. Picture the home of my alma mater Central Michigan and you know exactly what Kearney looks and feels like. I am basically in Mount Pleasant, Michigan where a college town has risen out of the cornfields. Turns out they have pretty a pretty similar population size in the 26-30K range.
Thursday I woke up the day after my Yellowstone experience and decided to just stay around the Chico Hot Springs resort as I was staying there one more night. My day consisted of a walk around the property with mountains in every direction, a few soaks in the springs, and watching the Canes game. The saloon (yes, saloon) staff allowed me to mirror the game onto a TV. I have no intentions of moving, but of all the places I have visited on this trip, Montana had the best people and the best vibes.
I got on the road early Friday morning en route to Devils Tower and Rapid City, South Dakota. Another beautiful driving day. I can’t say enough how lucky I got with the weather on this trip.
I have always wanted to see Devils Tower. It did not disappoint. There was very little commercialization near this national park. After paying the entry fee, it wasn’t a half mile before I was surrounded by scores of prairie dogs. This was another one of those magical moments where I have another national park essentially all to myself and I become enamored with prairie dogs scooting about with a couple “on watch” yelping about to warn of predators. After taking about 50 prairie dog photos, I was off on the 2 mile drive near the base of Devils Tower. It is absolutely impressive. I was excited to learn there was a 1.3 mile loop around the base of the tower.
Once on the trail, I walked for a bit with a family of deer foraging along the way. I have always loved nature and wildlife, but this trip allowed for a very special connection. It probably helped that there have rarely been humans around on this journey.
From Devils Tower, I ventured on to Rapid City. As has become the pattern, I rolled into the city, parked, opened the Hotels.com app and found shelter for the night. I lucked into The Rushmore Hotel which was city center and just about 4/10 of a mile to the Civic Center where I would see minor league hockey between the Rapid City Rush and Tulsa Oilers the next night.
Saturday morning, I was off to Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore. Crazy Horse was very impressive. While you can’t get too close to the mountain sculpture because it is over 70 years in the making and an active construction site, the visitor center was massive and full of indigenous artifacts and displays.
Not far from Crazy Horse lies the infamous Mount Rushmore. It is iconic and again, great to visit when hardly any people are around. The only off season drawback is that the hiking trails were closed. All I could think of while I was there was Nicolas Cage’s cinematic greatness in National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. Contrary to Devils Tower and Crazy Horse, the area around Mount Rushmore is VERY commercialized. For a moment I thought I was driving through Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Saturday night, I made the short walk to the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center to catch the Rapid City Rush hockey game. It was so much fun and I saw a Rush win.
Today, I logged many miles to get to Kearney. I feel like I have seen every possible landscape on this trip. Today, I grazed part of The Badlands, followed by the sandhills, to the cornfields of Nebraska. Tomorrow I will be off to somewhere in Kansas, before my final destination of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I will be flying home from Tulsa on Friday.
As I sit in the Chico Hot Springs Resort lobby this morning, I am still wowed by yesterday’s experience in Yellowstone National Park. While much of Yellowstone’s roads are closed for the season, I can’t imagine having a better experience. I essentially had the park to myself as there were more bison in the road than cars.
I started near the visitor center at Mammoth Hot Springs. I pulled into an empty parking lot near the springs, grabbed my camera and off I went. This was my first cold and blustery day of the trip, but I have really lucked out with temps and road conditions. I walked up to the main terrace, took some photos and was like, “Ok, been here. Done that.” As I was walking away and looking back at the springs I soon realized how mammoth that mammoth is. I am glad I did because for the next hour I traversed several boardwalks and climbed many stairs.
On my way down to the parking lot, something magical happened. Imagine having a favorite bird that you always wanted to see (they don’t hang out in the eastern United States), then seeing a flock of over 100 of them posing and performing for you in a murmuration akin to starlings. That is exactly what took place. I happened upon a flock of bohemian waxwings. For my money, the sharpest bird in the game.
I returned to my car and drove over to the nearby visitor center. I spoke with the ranger and my excitement of the bohemian waxwings was met with a non-verbal response of, “This is Yellowstone, dude. These things happen.” I asked, based on what roads were still open, where I should go. He directed me to Lamar Valley and this was perfect because it was about an hour drive in and an hour back out.
Not 1 mile into my journey, a coyote gingerly crossed in front of me. I was able to snag my camera for a decent photo. The next 20 winding miles were full of bison and mule deer herds. I would see the occasional magpie and “maybe” some elk from a distance. I turned around in Lamar Valley and enjoyed the drive back just as much if not more the first time around. If you can hit the weather right, being in the park without thousands of cars is amazing. Go!
About halfway back to where I started at the visitor center, a grassy area previously containing about a dozen bison was now empty. I wondered to myself where they may have gone. My question was soon answered as I came around the bend. They were all over the road and in no hurry to get anywhere. There’s some life lessons there.
At this point, I am wondering if my red car is triggering for these types of bulls. Apparently not. I was able to zig and zag to the middle of the pack. Some would look into my passenger window as if to say, “Calm down human. We’ll get there when we get there.” Now, I sit surrounded by bison and there is oncoming vehicle traffic. We are all stuck. I look in my rearview mirror thinking that this could get very interesting very soon. All I saw was about 4 cars with smartphones poking out of every open window. Everyone was smiling, patient and once the oncoming cars cleared I was able to pass on the left and continue my journey.
There was something to see every few moments. As I crossed over the state line from Wyoming back into Montana there must have been 100’s of elk in every direction.
It is great to see pristine lands like this protected and preserved for the public to enjoy. Thanks, Teddy Roosevelt!
tOdd occurrences 