When do you get excited for a trip? The minute you book it, when the calendar page turns to the month of your journey, when you’re packing, when you’re on your way, upon arrival, or from the moment of idea conception? Whenever that travel joy hits, do your eyes brighten, corners of your mouth upturn, shoulders drop, and breathing ebb?

When that first simple joy of travel is upon you...once it hits, it’s hard to let it go. 

As the Big Island's top attraction, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is the perfect place to learn about the geological history of the Hawaiian Islands. Two volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea, can be visited inside approximately 500 square miles of a natural environment. About 90 percent of Hawaii's trees, plants, and flowers are endemic. They cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The remaining species are either indigenous (in Hawaii and elsewhere) or non-native (introduced by mankind). 

Dark and light, hard news and good news, in public life and in personal circumstance, always shift and change. It is vital to balance hard and discouraging with good and hopeful; that's what makes it possible to seek hope in challenging times, and to share that seeking and finding with others. As other musicians have through the music we have shared thus far in this series, and these artists do here.

On March 1, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston opens a blockbuster traveling exhibition focusing exclusively on a comprehensive selection of Spanish artworks from the New York-based Hispanic Society of America. 

The Glory of Spain: Treasures from the Hispanic Society Museum & Library exhibition marks the first time the unparalleled collection of some 200 artworks–spanning more than 4,000 years of Spanish history–will be on display. 

With an easy 35-minute drive to and from Salt Lake International Airport, skiers, boarders, and outdoor enthusiasts select Park City for their year-round destination. I considered this convenience when I contemplated where to ski in January 2020. Like many other ski areas in the western part of the United States, mining is part of the area’s history. Gold, silver, and other precious metals lured people to seek their fortune. A select few, like William Randolph Hearst, became millionaires.

We’ve been rolling in 2020 for a month now, and it’s been quite a tough–at times it feels like we’ve experienced an entire year in one month. Bushfires in Australia are taking their toll, the US government is in the middle of an embattled impeachment trial, a new virus is plowing through China, and in a tragic accident, the world lost a legend beyond the court of basketball; this year is off to a difficult beginning. Each of these will surely see their spots in the history books. Each has earned their place in water cooler conversation, shed tears, and the annals of anxiety.

Looking for accomodations in Stratford, Ontario? A Patch of Heaven B&B is a cute, cozy place to stay. Just blocks from the city's downtown, it is still quiet and warm, like the suburbs. It was the perfect homebase for our multigenerational trip to one of our favorite towns.

The turning of a year invites looking forward and looking back. The ancient Romans knew this, hence Janus, from whom January takes its name, faces in both directions. Seismic changes in all areas of life seem to be almost normal in these last years, which is certainly a looking-both-ways statement in itself.

To get acquainted with Tokyo’s history, with which I am unfamiliar, I started my journey at the city’s history museum, the Edo-Tokyo Museum. From the early 17th century until the mid 19th century, the Tokugawa shogunate ruled Japan from this city. By touring the permanent exhibit filled with artifacts and replicas, we learned about the 400 years of history from the Edo period to the present. 

What are your first thoughts upon opening your eyes on January 1st? Are you ready to jump in with both feet, are you thinking the same things you did 24 hours ago, or are you nervous, yet excited to see what’s to come? Somewhere in there is a little bit of each of us. That first whiff of a new year is something special. Roll all of your favorite smells into one and you’ve got that first breath of air on the 1st of January.