|
|
| I enjoy exploring my surroundings. One way I do this is by walking from Hwy 520 to the University of Washington across the Montlake Bridge everyday. The views of the water and mountain ranges can be superb (when the weather cooperates). I also like to explore various parks, events, and the like but I must admit that I do not explore these as much as I should. I also love traveling. I value the opportunity to get outside of my comfort zone and to experience other ways of life. Additionally, I think it's important for one's well-being to take a break from work and other day-to-day responsibilities. I've been blessed with the chance to travel to many states, countries, and continents. Here are some details from a few recent adventures. Argentina My husband and I traveled to Argentina with my in-laws in June 2005. The purpose of our trip was to explore the area where my father-in-law grew up. The trip exceeded our expectations. The food, sight-seeing, and tango shows were fabulous. More importantly, we were able to visit the house where my father-in-law lived from the age of 4-17 at Seminario Concordia in Buenos Aires, reconnect with some of his childhood friends, and meet men who knew my grandfather-in-law 40 years prior! We also enjoyed our visit to Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian border. East Africa Our trip to East Africa in September 2006 was amazing! We spent 2 weeks viewing wildlife in Kenya and Tanzania. Stops in Kenya included Nairobi, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Amboseli, and Selenkay. After our time in Kenya concluded, we visited Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro Crater, and the Selous in Tanzania. We saw more animals - mammals, birds, and reptiles - than we could have possibly imagined. During our most memorable game drive, we saw a cheetah, a leopard, and two sets of lion cubs in one 3-hour period! After 2 weeks of safari, we relaxed for a few days on beautiful Zanzibar before returning home. Feel free to take a look at some of our favorite photos. Thailand We visited Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok in August 2007. Our week on Koh Samui was very relaxing - our biggest daily stressor was deciding whether we would lounge on the beach or at the pool! Beautiful sand, friendly locals, and scrumptious food made for a memorable week. We also loved our stay in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand - we spent our time riding elephants, hiking, visiting hill tribes, white water rafting, visiting temples, shopping, eating, and getting massages. Have a look at some of our photos. Mexico It's never too late to celebrate Spring Break in Cancun! We had the honor of helping our friends Lucas and Jenn celebrate their wedding in Puerto Morelos in March 2008. Drinking, dancing, sand volleyball, and a bit of sightseeing. A great respite from rainy Seattle! Photographic evidence is posted here. Egypt In December 2008, we decided to forego our annual 8-day, 2-state, 3-family holiday extravaganza so we could visit Egypt. Jon spent a week in Israel for business and then I met him in Cairo. In addition to Egypt's biggest city, we spent time in Alexandria, Luxor, Abu Simbel, Sharm El-Sheik, and a few smaller cities. We spent Christmas day on a beach on the Sinai Peninsula and New Year's Day on a cruise boat on the Nile. Trip highlights included going inside one of the Great Pyramids, riding camels, hiking to the top of Mt Sinai, and eating dinner with a Bedouin family. Our photos are posted here. Tahiti Lounging around, swimming, reading...that's pretty much all we did in Tahiti in August 2009. We spent 4 nights on Moorea and 6 nights on Bora Bora (5 planned & 1 unplanned due to return travel difficulties). It was awesome! We really enjoyed the beautiful aqua water; our encounters with dolphins, stingrays, and sharks; and the friendly laid back Polynesian culture. You can view a few photos here. Greece Some friends asked us to join them on a whirlwind trip to Greece in late January 2010. Not ones to turn down a chance to travel, we said yes. We only spent 4 nights there, but we saw Athens, Aegina, Korinth, Sparta, Kosmos, Nafplion, and Rafina! I highly recommend visiting Greece in Jan/Feb...moderate temperatures and few tourists. Photos are available here. Vancouver Winter Olympic Games We just couldn't pass up an opportunity to attend Olympic events taking place less than 3 hours from our home in February 2010. We saw the finals of the Women's Freestyle (Aerial) Skiing at Cypress Mountain and the semifinals of Women's Curling at the Vancouver Olympic Centre. An amazing experience! You can view a few photos here. If you plan to travel internationally, consider using Hill Barrett Travel. Alnoor and Karimah planned our trips to East Africa, Thailand, Egypt, & Tahiti. College Campuses One of my quirkly pleasures is visiting college campuses. I love taking campus tours, visiting campus bookstores, and learning about campus traditions and superstitions. I'm currently on a quest to visit all the AAU Research Universities! | |
|