Have you ever been awe-struck by nature’s engineering prowess and thought to yourself, “how in the world is that possible?” or “wouldn’t it be great if humans could do that?” Did it ever occur to you to think of nature as a big research and development firm with over 3 million consultants and over 3.8 billion years of experience?

Suddenly the treetops above us erupted in noise and chaos. We scrambled to grab our binoculars and craned our necks to find the source of mayhem high above our heads. Hearts beating fast, senses heightened, we quickly spotted a troop of tiny primates climbing and jumping through the canopy of the Amazon rainforest.

Snorkeling is something that’s never piqued my interest. If given the opportunity, you’re likely to hear me say ‘meh.’ I could live without it, as there are plenty of other things that I would be happier to do. This was why when on my latest vacation to Cancun, Mexico, when my two friends wanted to go and one friend didn’t, I nobly offered to stay behind with the lone friend.

Ohio is nicknamed “The Mother of Presidents” because eight of 44 presidents were from Ohio. They are William Henry Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren B. Harding. Of those eight, four of them were from Greater Cincinnati. 

Security screening at Madrid’s airport resulted in a two-hour layover and a missed connecting flight to Vigo.  When I finally arrived amid a spring deluge, my host was nowhere to be found.  A stone’s throw from the Atlantic, the airport was half empty.  The silence felt like a heavy cloak as I hurried to the baggage claim area.