Blogs from Manitoba, Canada, North America - page 4

It's been said by someone somewhere that one can never really come home again. I'm glad that's not true. Home is, well, home. After 10 hours on 2 planes, and an 8 hour drive north, we found ourselves back in the parking lot at the school, students and parents reunited. I am not sure who was more relieved: them or me! It was one of those moments where one just cannot decide if the past 10 days were a vivid group dream or if they really did happen. Over the 12 days we were gone explored 4 distinct regions of the UK. We definitely didn't have enough time. We left so much undiscovered, and had to move on all too quickly. We met new people and made some friends. We argued, and laughed, debated, questioned authority, ... read more

Geo: 49.8994, -97.1407Steve was just saying yesterday that we have had the most incredible weather so far on this trip. And that was certainly the truth. Then we woke up this morning to heavy rain. It was pouring fiercely outside the hotel. A review of the radar, however, showed it to be centralized over the Duluth area, so I was optimistic that we would drive out of it in quick order. And, as luck would have it, when we went down to pack the car and get going, it was not raining at all!! So we loaded up, jumped in, and were on our way at 8:35 and 63 degrees. And as we pulled out of the parking lot, it began to come down in buckets. I guess we had a little bit of the Irish ... read more

It's been quite awhile since I've found time to post, and so much has happened. 2015...wow just thinking about it makes me sigh. 2015 was one of the most difficult years of my life! It definitely wasn't all bad, but collectively, it was a pretty tough one. I know..2015 has been over for a little while since it's already mid-February in 2016, but even now, I'm still recovering from the year of chaos. The year started well with a nice night out dancing for new years, but shortly after led to me heading back to East Lansing earlier than normal. The next few months were just a blur of teaching, data analysis, and non-stop writing. The timer had started for my intended defense date. Also thrown in there were numerous job applications and interviews, overseeing a ... read more

Tim and I will be couchsurfing for a portion of trip, staying with eight different hosts throughout Canada. Couchsurfing.com is a social site which helps travelers meet hosts in their own or different countries. Hosts, who are often travelers themselves and want to meet and interact with other travelers, sign up on the site to share their homes. Free accommodation ranges from simple couches to spare bedrooms and guest cottages. Not only is your place to sleep free, you often make friends for life, experience your destination from a local perspective, and take part in a truly social experience. You can choose the kind of host you wish to stay with (e.g., gender, single, couple, age, etc.) and can get a feel for their personalities based on their profiles. You can see reviews left by other ... read more