Tag Archives: Travel

My Greatest Achievement of 2026 So Far ….

These past two weeks have been momentous for me. Thanks to my mom, I’ve now visited all 50 states.

Yes, that’s right – I visited Alaska!

It was not on my list of places to visit this year, which includes Connecticut, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, but it was next and last on my list of 50 states to visit.

Now, while you may think that the trip to Alaska itself was my greatest achievement thus far in 2026, I’m delighted to report that the trip was only a contributing factor.

We had such a fun time, with 5 days on land and 7 days at sea. We saw so much wildlife – whales, harbor seals, stellar seals, mama and baby caribou, mama and baby grizzlies, mama and baby black bears, one coastal brown bear, ptarmigans all over Denali, eagles all over the coast, snowshoe hare, and moose – and we even got a glimpse of the elusive peak of Denali, which is a mountain so massive that it creates its own weather system and only 30% of visitors ever see it.

Then there was the cruise itself. As someone who works hard against overconsumption both on an individual and societal level, it was hard to witness such excess. However, being on a cruise with my mom, husband, and niece was also a delightful way to spend time with family where we didn’t have to worry about how we were going to get somewhere, what we were going to eat, what we were going to do, and who was going to clean up after us. So there will be some cognitive dissonance to unpack in the coming days, which means I will likely justify the trip to myself as a way to spend time with my family that I only see a handful of times a year in a stress-free way.

While we loved getting off the cruise ship for our excursions, such as whale watching in Icy Strait Point

A humpback whale breeching the water with a snow-capped mountain in the background

Photo courtesy of Macy Sherrill, one of the naturalists guiding our whale watching tour. The whale in the photo is named Heavy Dave.

or taking the White Pass into the Yukon on a historic train,

A historic train riding on tracks on a snowcapped mountain

I took this picture from the outdoor viewing area from the last train car.

we also loved the activities on board the cruise ship, such as watching musical variety shows and playing games, including The Price Is Right.

It is in this latter category of entertainment where I accomplished my greatest achievement of 2026 (so far). Friends, you are now reading the words of the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas Twilight Trivia Champion, a feat I won single-handedly.

This is now my second Twilight trivia championship, the first being from the Odd 13 Brewery Trivia Night in Lafayette, CO. However, the Odd 13 championship was a group effort with a few other women from the Romancing the Tropes book club I belong to at the Westminster Library, and this championship was truly just me and my brain.

I won with 16/20 points, and for a few minutes during the questions round, I felt convinced I would not win because some of them were hard, such as what is Bella’s mother’s full name, how many chromosomes does a vampire have, and what song plays during the iconic baseball scene in the Twilight movie. While I could tell you the mother’s first name (Renee; turns out her last name is Dwyer), and that they discussed the chromosome count in Breaking Dawn, I couldn’t even hear the song from the baseball scene in my head enough to formulate a guess.

The other question I got wrong was which Jane Austen book Bella reads in Twilight, and I said Mansfield Park. While it is mentioned in the book, Bella decides not to read that one because the main character, Edmund, is too close to her love interest, Edward.

I will never get these questions wrong again!

Another question I’ll never get wrong again is what address did Chandler tell Janice he was moving to on Friends?

Wait. What? Wasn’t I writing about Twilight?

Yes, I was. But surprise! I’m also the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas Friends Trivia Champion, with a one-question assist from my mom.

The answer to the above address question is 15 Yemen Road, Yemen. My answer had been 1 Yemen Road, Yemen. Dang it! I was so close on that one.

Thankfully, my mom knew the answer to the one question I truly guessed for the answer: What was the brand of lipstick Joey advertised in Japan?

I wrote down konnichiwa, however, my mom knew the answer was ichiban. That correct answer got me to a tie-breaker round with another cruise goer who also scored 19/20.

It all came down to one final question – how many episodes was Gunther in? I guessed 200 and the other competitor guessed 215. The correct answer given was 145, but as I’m fact-checking that number on Google, Wikipedia says 148 and the BBC says 185 and IMDB says 164.

So even though I am thrilled to have spent quality time in all 50 states, and time with my family in Alaska, I am ecstatic to be a twice-crowned trivia champion on Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. The fact that it’s Twilight and Friends really does make me feel proud because of how much I loved the books and show.

Will this feat end up being my greatest achievement in all of 2026? Only time will tell! On Tuesday, I’m giving the keynote address at the Recycle Colorado Summit, and my agent is diligently at work on another of my manuscripts that will hopefully go on submission soon.

Let’s see what else the summer has in store for us ….

Three people sitting under the Denali National park sign in Alaska

I had to use magic eraser to remove other people from this photo, which resulted in a bit of editing slop where interior is now misspelled!

A Life Well Lived, Jane Goodall (1934-2025)

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I had the privilege of meeting Jane Goodall on December 9, 2015. We were both in Paris for COP-21, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The thing that struck me most about that meeting was how beautiful she was, even at the age of 81.

It’s hard to put into words her beauty. She had a natural grace about her and an air of quiet, thoughtful contemplation. She also possessed a sharp mind and quick wit. Before we met, I had heard her present the night before at the 2015 Equator Prize Award Ceremony of the United Nations Development Programme, where she bantered with Alec Baldwin and, at one point, appeared out of nowhere onto the stage with a quip that had us in the audience roaring with laughter. I wish I could remember what she said.

It is her eyes, though, that have stayed with me over the years. Or rather, the light in them. Clear, vibrant. Luminous. She shone from the inside out, and I do not mean this metaphorically. The light that Jane Goodall radiates is what happens when one lives their entire life with passion and purpose.

I spoke of my encounter with Jane often. Most recently, on October 1, 2025, her name came up while I was teaching my newest class at the University of Colorado, Research Methods in Conservation Psychology. I shared with the students the circumstances of our meeting and mentioned her beauty and presence. A student commented that she hoped people spoke about her that way when she was that old.

We didn’t know of Jane’s death at that time.

The next day, I met with a student during office hours. He asked me if I had heard about Jane’s death and marvelled that we had been talking about her so positively the previous day.

That’s how we all should live. So that even if you have a chance encounter with one person over 10 years ago, they will still remember how you are a light of the world, and they will tell everyone who will listen how beautiful you were.

Shine on, my friends! It’s now more important than ever.

Fun With Family and Friends

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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.

A golden retriever puppy on the left and an adult golden retriever on the right share a stick while out in the woods.

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

An adult golden retriever walks down a hill in the Norfolk, CT, woods.

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.

Badlands rock formations against a blue sky

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!

Annie & Lucy: A Tale of Patience & Beleaguerment

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It’s been 9 years since I had a spring break. One of the perks of teaching is that we get ample time off, which I greatly appreciate.

The last time I had spring break, my niece and I flew to Arizona, and then we drove from Sedona to the Petrified Forest to Las Vegas, where I had a conference. The conference part is important because I would NOT go to Vegas for a vacation. We are not the biggest fans of that much stimulation.

This time, I traveled to Norfolk to meet Lucy Honey Bee aka Annie, Jr. I felt strongly that Lucy needed to meet me when she was still a puppy to ensure our bond despite the long distance between us.

She is such a delightful and smart puppy! Though she does behave in ONE VERY DISGUSTING WAY which I will not name here lest she becomes famous someday and people search the Internet looking for dirt on her.

Annie, who is Lucy’s great, great Aunt, is teaching Lucy her Golden Wise ways. Annie is a patient and all-knowing teacher, as we all knew she would be.

For the most part.

As you can imagine, with a puppy, there is A LOT of relentless romping, rolling, and roughhousing. When Annie reaches maximum tolerance, beleaguered is the word to best describe what happens next.

Exhibit A.

Exhibit B is the look Annie gave me when Lucy couldn’t get out of the creek. I’m pretty sure it’s something along the lines of, let’s just leave her.

The trip was too short, and before I knew it, I was sadly heading back to the airport. As much as I love my job and where we are in Colorado, I will never give up hope that someday, Heath comes into the living room and says, “Okay. Let’s move in with Annie’s mom.”

I put the chances of that at slim to none. So, in the meantime, I will relish my breaks and visit whenever I can.

Annie, Lucy, their mom, and the rest of Norfolk – I miss you already!

Nebraska! It’s Not For Everyone. But It Is For Me (And Bunnies).

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One aspect of my mental health that I’ve worked on with my therapist over the years is “sphere of control.” Essentially, one needs to ask what is in their control and what is not in their control, and then live their life accordingly.

This concept is how I was able to still feel motivated to cross off one of my 25 in 25 goals last weekend despite the chaos and turmoil in the United states as of late, including higher education (you may recall I returned to college teaching this past year).

Because I’m already doing everything I can, which includes calling my senators and representatives multiple times per week (my latest phone call was about library and museum funding being cut), and donating money to people who are fighting the good fight, the only thing left for me is to continue living my life in the best way possible because now is not the time to give in to despair. So I will keep doing the things that bring me joy on a regular basis, and that includes 1) achieving goals (or working towards my goals); 2) going on adventures with Heath; and 3) adventures that are specifically road trips.

So last weekend, Heath and I drove approximately three hours northeast to visit Nebraska. Prior to last weekend, Nebraska was one of three states I had yet to visit and now that we live close enough for a weekend trip, it seemed like the right time to visit.

Originally, I thought we would drive to the state line, have a look around, go out for lunch, and then head back. But, an internet search of national parks in Nebraska showed that there was a National Monument called Scott’s Bluff close enough that it could be a part of our road trip.

We left after a rather leisurely Saturday morning and arrived in Scott’s Bluff with enough time to hike the Saddle Rock Trail before the park closed at sunset.

Because of everything that’s been going on in our lives, Heath and I were so tired by the time we got to the hotel that we fell asleep around 7:30 p.m. Consequently, we woke up really early. Heath, in fact, got up much earlier than I did and went to hang out in the hotel lounge area. When I woke up, it was still quite dark outside, but I checked the sunrise time on my weather app and sent Heath a quick text message asking if he would be up for taking a sunrise hike on one of the Scotts Bluff trails.

It was beautiful and brisk (maybe too brisk for Heath) and filled with bunnies! Seriously. These aren’t the best photos because of how the bunnies blend in, but I’m going to share them anyway.

Up until recently, Nebraska had a state slogan that was, “Nebraska, honestly it’s not for everyone!” This slogan sells Nebraska short, particularly for Scott’s Bluff, because Nebraska is definitely for bunnies and it’s definitely a place worth visiting.

We also found this little cafe called The Mixing Bowl that served up a breakfast so scrumptious (I got salmon eggs Benedict and a specialty drink called the Nebraska Sunrise that included OJ and pomegranate juice) that we returned for lunch before heading back to Colorado.

What was especially great about the cafe is we got to chat with the wait staff and the owner’s mom who shared with us that she and her husband weren’t sure that their daughter could make it as a chef/restauranteur because the business is so tough. The daughter, who had been trained at a culinary institute in Denver, didn’t let that stop her and her parents finally came around. Not only is the cafe doing well, but it’s thriving enough that they want to take over the building next door.

If you ever find yourself in Gering, NE, I highly recommend eating at The Mixing Bowl. You won’t regret it.

Our weekend away ended up being a wonderful time and I can’t wait for the next one. It probably won’t be until May because the week after next I’m heading to Norfolk for a few days to meet Annie Jr. and then Heath is off Valley Forge, PA, for Super Billiards Expo in April.

Nebraska! It's Not For Everyone. But It Is For Me (And Bunnies). 21

In case you need a reminder of who Annie is

There’s lots to look forward to and that’s what I need right now. It’s also one of the few things I can control.

Happy travels, everyone! Especially within your sphere of control.

Dog Days of Norfolk

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I’ve now returned to Boulder after 2.5 weeks of taking care of my buddy Fergus back in Norfolk, Connecticut.

Such a distinguished gentlepup.

There’s a lot I could say about the trip, but for right now, I’m not yet ready to share because I’m just starting to process some “life just sucks sometimes” events that have evolved these past few days.

In the meantime, I am overwhelmed with the amount of love and friendship I developed in Norfolk since September 2016. The support these past few days has been comforting and uplifting. From dogs, yes, but also the people. I got to visit with so many friends and friends who are like family. I love you all so, so much.

Some highlights from the week include:

a tea party worthy of Downton Abbey with some friends who are the epitome of aging well (can you guess who in the group is 100?)

walking with Dodger, Fergus, Dodger’s other dog walker, and his adopted mom in the Barbour Woods,

many walks with Annie in the woods, which also means I got to see Annie’s mom a lot (she is also very near and dear to my heart),

a walk up Haystack mountain with two friends, but because I’ve been trying to distance myself from my phone, I didn’t take any pictures,

and discovering that the groomers missed one hair on Fergus’s head.

I hope by the time I post again I’ll have some happy updates to share. If not, well … I’m sure I’ll have some more dog photos.

Happy Howlidays!

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In honor of all the animals across the United States I’ve had the privilege of loving and caring for this past year, I present Happy Howlidays 2023:

Thank you to everyone who has shown us support, encouragement, and love this past year. It hasn’t been the easiest to be on the road since May but fingers crossed we’ve found our home in Boulder.

See you next year 🙂

Fall in Fort Collins

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Where did the summer go? It seems like just yesterday Heath and I were saying goodbye to my beloved dogs, friends, and community in Norfolk, CT, and saying hello to a new future that was yet to be determined

When we left Norfolk we knew we would spend 5 weeks in Colorado and then 8 weeks in Washington, with a side trip in between to see the Redwoods in California and a road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway.

At least that was the plan. We also managed to squeeze in a short housesit in the Portland area before heading to Northern California. Things unfortunately went awry when our car was broken into while we spent the night at a hotel in Crescent City, CA. Not having a window in the back of our car thwarted our trip up the Pacific Coast Highway. We recovered the best we could, enjoyed 9-weeks in the Seattle area, and even managed a few days touring around the Olympic Peninsula.

Cape Flattery, Olympic Peninsula

Hall of Mosses, Olympic National Park

Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park

After that, our next steps depended on whether I had landed a new job or if we had found a place where we both thought, yes, this is it! We both want to live here.

Since I do not yet have a new job nor did we find a place we both wanted to call home, we opted to keep housesitting. Yesterday we started a three-week housesit in Fort Collins, CO.

You may be thinking – but Kelly, you slept terribly while in Denver because of altitude insomnia. Why would you want to go back?

Well, the truth is the couple we’re housesitting for asked us. I had favorited their housesit listing on TrustedHousesitters.com because 1) Heath really liked Colorado despite altitude insomnia; 2) The dogs looked cute in their photos; and 3) The house looked comfortable. I had also favorited several others, but this housesit was the only one to reach out and ask us to apply.

In a summer of rejection from agents, editors, and employers, it felt good to be wanted. So we applied and now here we are.

Everyone, say hello to Willow and Mookie.

Willow, a 4-year-old sheepadoodle; photo by Heath Hughes

Mookie, a 6-month old golden doodle; photo by Heath Hughes

It’s going to be a fun few weeks in Fort Collins!

Stolen

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A few months ago, I lamented how much stuff I’ve accumulated during our 6.5-year housesit in Norfolk, CT. I didn’t name any of the items in that post, but they included my sunrise alarm clock, weighted blanket, shakti mat, and various art supplies. I now find this concern kick-you-in-the-pants ironic because most of the items were stolen from our car last week.

Yeah, it totally sucks.

We stayed at The Lighthouse Inn in Crescent City, CA, after the most wonderful day of marveling at the redwoods in Jebediah Smith State Park and then watching the sunset from the top of Whaler Island. A perfect road trip day!

When we headed to the inn parking lot the next morning, we noticed that one of the storage totes in our car was oddly out of place. “What happened there?” I asked Heath who had popped down to the car the night before to get something.

That’s when we saw the smashed window.

At first, I was in shock. I went into the hotel to report the break-in (they were NOT helpful) and by the time I got back, Heath told me the news: they had taken our party boxes (amongst other things).

Our party boxes aren’t as celebratory as they sound – they’re just banker boxes filled with books, etc. to entertain us at our housesits. In my party box, I stored multiple books such as Big Magic and Doodling for Writers, our Woobles crochet-kits that we’ve been working on since Christmas, juggling balls, colored pencils, gel pens, and the stamping supplies needed for when I send Halloween cards this year. Oh, and my five-year journal. When I realized the journal was gone, I thought I might vomit.

I’ve been writing in this journal since May 19, 2021. That’s almost 1,000 memories recorded across 2021, 2022, and 2023. I recorded anecdotes about Annie, Fergus, Dodger, and my other canine buddies. There are even a few cats mentioned. There are memories of my community work and my time at the library. Favorite books I read. Hikes in Barbour Woods. Special moments with Heath. Mundane moments with Heath. Silly moments with Heath. All important enough that I didn’t want to forget them. This journal only gives you five lines per day each year, so I had to be judicious in what I recorded.

I’ve been carrying that journal in my backpack since we left Norfolk on May 15. I always bring my backpack into hotels with me because it holds my computer. On July 19, I made the decision to move it out of my backpack and into my party box to make my backpack a little lighter. So thoughtless. It never occurred to me that someone would break into our car because I knew all our valuables were with us inside. A thief wouldn’t know that. They looked into our car and saw potential.

I feel so stupid, I could cry. Again. I’ve been crying on and off since the morning of July 21.

At this point, we’ve done all the things we’re supposed to do. We filed a police report. We’re waiting to hear back from the insurance company. We found someone who could provide a temporary fix to the windshield so we could make it to our Seattle-area housesit on time (which we did). We’re working on replacing the stolen items that we need going forward, like our sunhats or underwear for Heath.

Poor Heath. He just bought five new pairs of Duluth Armachillo underwear and the thieves stole them all, from our dirty laundry bag no less.

Now the only thing left for me to do is continue to grieve. I’ve been wallowing in the misery of loss. Of the pain of knowing I made a foolish decision. Of the indignation that someone would steal from us. Of the cruelty of their actions. Of the disappointment that we didn’t drive up the Oregon Pacific Coast highway so we could get to our next housesit earlier rather than later.

So I will wallow. The grief is real and ongoing. It also lessens day by day. The only way out is through.