Costa Rica proved to be yet another fantastic adventure to round out the travels of 2011! We Foxes felt very fortunate as we dragged our feet onto the red-eye flight down to San José. I was ready for another chance to practice my burgeoning Spanish skills, but mostly I was hoping to see some really impressive new ecosystems! On both accounts, I was not disappointed, and we experienced more than I could have dreamed! Our day began early in San José as we made our way on foot from our hotel along the central avenue of Paseo Colon. While we enjoyed watching the city wake up and seeing people enjoying their Sunday morning routines, the city itself did little to capture us. The architecture mainly dates from the mid-twentieth century, and did little to inspire us. ... read more

Back in the saddle again! Arriving in Mexico felt rather second nature in some respects, but then again, the difference from home abound! As we unpacked our suitcases in Cuernavaca, the birds squawked, the geckos.. I do not know what that sound would be called, the neighbor swept, the gas truck went by sounding its siren like an ice cream truck, someone called out what sounded like “mmles,” which turned out to be the tamale man. Then of course the smells coming from the kitchen were different as a spicy roasted chili smell greeted us. It felt great to be back, but where did I leave my Spanish? Travelers from Italy, the United States, Australia, and who knows where else, have been encouraged to not visit Cuernavaca, I can guess due to the drug conflicts, though ... read more

July brought the perfect opportunity to head to Mexico for a five-week adventure!! My mom and I started our time together in Mexico City with a visit to the Templo Mayor to see the ruins of Tenochtitlan, which are kept in fantastic repair and rather well explained. The accompanying museum was also helpful and filled with impressive artifacts that we were all too happy to explore. We also took in the Museum of Anthropology, which is massive and awesome! The museum is divided into various regions of Mexico and has two floors within each section. The lower floor has ancient artifacts- including the Aztec Sun Stone- while the upstairs floor explored more recent history and cultures of the regions- we gravitated to the upper floor. To change our pace we moved from our hotel in the ... read more

While I believe the saying “there’s no place like home” holds true, I must say that, to me, there is also no place like Paris. This April, I returned for the first time since living in France three years ago. In the weeks before my departure, I found myself oddly nervous about what this trip would be like. Had Paris changed? Had I? The moment I was on the flight speaking in French again and sipping wine, the butterflies in my stomach were replaced by excitement. My former roommate Chantal offered that I could stay with her during my visit. I was looking forward to seeing her, but also a bit disappointed because she has moved from our old neighborhood. Even though it was strange not having the same home base that I once did, it ... read more

Happy 2008 to you all! To round out 2007, the Fox family set sail in the Caribbean for a 10-day adventure that proved to be a true vacation and offered some quality family time. We left Denver the day after Christmas leaving behind a foot of snow and setting our sights to San Juan, Puerto Rico. We only had one full day to really enjoy Puerto Rico, so we woke up early to walk the streets of Old San Juan. Old fortification walls line the city’s edge and a few forts offer incredible views of the ocean and the city, as well as insights into the city's history. We did not know it yet, but we were settling into “island time”- meaning time to slow down! Being there when the Puerto Ricans were on break for ... read more