And if travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end. —Pico Iyer

This past weekend I traveled through Madison, Wisconsin on my way home from Minnesota. I have been hoping to check out the yarn shops there for some time and finally had the opportunity. Getting There The shops I was interested in visiting are all located on the south side of the city. They are not […]

“We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.” ― Pascal Mercier, Night Train to Lisbon

Whenever I go on a vacation somewhere, my priority is figuring out the itinerary. Once that is determined, I start thinking about packing. Other trip preparations are often ignored or left to the last minute. These preparations are important and forgetting about them can lead to problems – sometimes serious ones. Mail If I am […]

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” —Ashley Smith

On our last European trip, my daughter and I spent time in Spain, Andorra, and France. Although I’ve written about much of the trip already, I kind of skipped over our first day – a day in Madrid, Spain. We had a busy day in the capital city of Spain, exploring different areas and experiencing […]

“There’s a sunrise and sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.” —Jo Watson

Flights can be short – Chicago to Washington, DC – medium – the East coast to the West coast or the East coast to Europe – or long – flying to Japan or Australia. Flights may be non-stop, one-stop, or multi-stop. I’ve flown short, medium, and long flights. I usually try to fly non-stop, but […]

“Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it.” —Rick Warren