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This year, as part of my 25 in 25 list, I made a goal to visit Connecticut, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Although it’s an ambitious goal, given that I can’t take long trips during the academic year, I felt confident that I could achieve it.

Why these particular states? Well, PA and TN are where my family and Heath’s family live. CT and NC are where friends who are like family live. Nebraska and Oklahoma are the two remaining continental US states I have yet to visit.

We’re almost halfway through 2025, and I am crushing this goal! I spent Spring Break in Connecticut meeting Lucy Honey Bee and reminding Annie I’m her #1 fan.

Lucy Honey Bee (left) and Annie (right).

Despite Lucy being ridiculously cute, I made sure Annie and I went on special “No Puppies Allowed” walks.

Heath and I took a weekend jaunt to Scott’s Bluff, NE, and found ourselves marveling over the rugged beauty and delicious food.

Scotts Bluff National Monument

At the end of May, I headed to PA for a somewhat impromptu visit to my family. When I looked at my calendar and considered my summer teaching schedule from July 8-August 8 and how quickly the fall semester would start after that, I realized I might not get the opportunity to visit later in the summer.

Highlights from that visit include going to the Hershey Gardens with my mom and niece, playing games, birdwatching at Wildwood Lake, visiting with my mentors from college, eating the below birthday cake cinnamon roll at the Hershey Pantry, and then enjoying the experience so much, that we returned to the Hershey Pantry with even more people for their afternoon tea.

And last weekend I was in NC for a teaching conference at Duke University in Durham, NC. With the conference schedule, I was able to squeeze in visits with many of my friends and it was so much fun to see them again.

I also received a delightful perspective shift. On Saturday morning, when I walked around Duke’s campus on my way to the conference center, it was nearly empty. I saw its beauty in a way that I had never appreciated before, having walked across the campus at least a dozen or so times during grad school and my sabbatical.

I don’t know if I would have prioritized any of these trips if I hadn’t set such an ambitious travel goal. These visits may have been more of a back-burner idea, and without conscious effort, it’s likely they would have stayed simmering as desires rather than concrete plans. Which goes to show that setting intentions can make a difference!

Up next on the list is Oklahoma. Heath and I have a trip planned for August to see a meteor shower at one of their state parks. I’m sure August will be here before we know it.

In the meantime, stay cool during these hot summer days, and if you have a travel goal this summer, I hope you get there!