Returning to Wonderland, A Trek in My Husband’s Spiritual Homeland

Evening in Glacier Basin

In 1992, my husband Andy and I camped for 4 nights at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state. It was our first trip to this spectacular park—a magnificent wilderness that ironically, Andy was indifferent to visiting. While hiking one day, we spotted a sign for the Wonderland Trail—a ~100-mile…

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Read-Along, The Archipelago of Another Life, Part IV

Shantar Islands National Park

In April, I joined fellow blogger, Emma from Words And Peace, in reading a work of contemporary French fiction, L’Archipel d’une autre vie, by Andreï Makine. We invited people to read along with us in French or English and set up a schedule to read one-quarter of the book every…

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Part II of My Fabulous Visit to the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Arreau, Hautes-Pyrénées

Last month, I went on a road trip to Washington DC with one of my daughters. It was our first significant outing together since early 2020. It felt great to be out of the house and DC was the perfect setting to spread our wings since we’re both interested in…

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National Museum of Women in the Arts, Hidden Gem in Downtown DC

Sheep by the Sea

In April, my daughter Rita and I took a trip to Washington DC. We’d received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. It was spring break, during her last and horribly trying year of public school, and we were itching to get out of the house. A day before we left,…

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French immersion free of charge via Workaway

For the last several summers, I have traveled to France, in part because I love the country and culture, but also to boost my French skills. In 2015 and 2016, I took French classes while staying with a famille d’accueil. These were rewarding experiences that definitely improved my French. This…

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