The Magic of History and Television

*This post contains slight spoilers to season six of the the Starz show Outlander.I'd always had a love of all things Scottish and reveled in a short trip to Scotland in 2011. However, my fascination grew greatly when I began watching the hit Starz television show Outlander in  late 2014. Outlander the show is based on the book series of the same name first published in 1991 by American author Diana Gabeldon. It chronicles the life of WWII nurse,...

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Life list item #22: Skydive

For at least 15 years, this item has been on my list. My boyfriend Jason also had the ambition to skydive so once we got through the very restrictive times of the Covid-19 pandemic we booked our jumps with Skydive Tecumseh. Jason had been booked before, roughly two years ago and due to weather he was not able to jump at his scheduled time. Unable to get a weekend that worked, he got a refund and left the dream to later on. For his birthday in...

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Life List Item #26: Go Sailing

This one has been on my list for many years (more than 10) and it was kinda a surprise that it happened. When spending time in Camden, Maine, Jason and I were planning out the short amount of time we had there. When Jason mentioned that getting out on the water was a priority of our trip, I figured I'd do it because he wanted to. We walked to the harbor to see where the boats come and go. There were a couple of companies with tables there advertising...

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Visiting Acadia National Park

Just as National Parks never do, Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine did not disappoint. Covering half of Mount Desert Island, Acadia became a national park in 1919.We had about a day and a half in the park, so I'd researched a bit ahead of time to see which spots most people were recommending. In our first afternoon there, we drove almost the entire Park Loop Road, a 27 mile loop through the park, just to get a lay of the land and get acclimated...

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Visiting Portland, Maine

I didn't know anything at all about Portland, Maine before I went. It was just a city name I knew, and knowing that it is one of the bigger cities in Maine, I figured it was a necessary stop. As our first stop in Maine, Portland did not disappoint. I expected somewhat of a small, big city and with a population of about 66,000 I wasn't wrong. I chose a small boutique hotel called The Francis that I found on Expedia. I wasn't sure about the location,...

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My Worry Limit

I want to put out there what I'm thinking. I can think of no clearer way than to just copy the words directly from my journal. So here you have it, unpolished and uncensored.  Tuesday, March 17, 2020 7:30 p.m. Today I hit a breaking point with this Coronavirus crisis. For the past 6 days-since it started to get really real and life changes snowballed all over the country- I have thought about nothing but it. My mind is full of half baked thoughts that I can't fully reflect on, share, or do much with. My cell phone has been stuck to...

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When You Put Your Mind to Something

I have wanted to go back to Scotland ever since 2011 when I visited there for a brief 2.5 day visit. I loved it so much and Edinburgh quickly became one of my favorite placed I'd ever visited.  Year after year I prioritized other places, ones I'd never been to, above returning to Scotland for my travels. I never could quit thinking about Scotland. Late last year I decided 2020 would be the year and I made this as a motivator.  I...

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Get Your Kicks on Route 66

For two nights between days at the Grand Canyon, Rababe and I stayed in Williams, AZ, 60 minutes from the park. When we checked into our hotel, we got an earful from Scott, a fellow midwesterner, who was working the desk. He was full of suggestions on how to enjoy the area. We got our things unloaded and headed off on foot to the main town area, simple walking distance from the Red Roof Inn. We found some fun shopping. Several shops full...

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One of the Wonders of the World

My trip to the Grand Canyon began in Phoenix, Arizona where I flew in to stay with my Moroccan sister, Rababe. We rented a car in Tempe and headed out on our Arizona road trip. It would first take us to Sedona (more later), but eventually we made it to the Grand Canyon. We waited in a short line of cars to pay our $35 entry fee, which would be good for 7 days. Our first stop was the super busy (at least the parking lot) visitors center so we...

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