Hiking highlights

As we are full-on skiing (!!!) and haven't hit the hiking trails for some time, it seems like a timely moment to summarize the hiking season in Zermatt.  First of all, we lucked out weather-wise with a serious lack of rain.  This, obviously, benefitted us, but is concerning long-term for a place that depends on …

A return to the mountains

This has been a long time coming, talking about how unhappy I was for the past two years.  Last fall, I decided that teaching middle school was just NOT the right fit, so I made the decision in November (if not before) that I'd end the year but not return.  It was a weird situation …

Sizzling summer (already?)

Although it technically isn't summer (we're still a week shy of that date), it has felt like summer since mid-May, and our yard would definitely agree with that sentiment!  It has already been a scorcher here in Colorado, and, yes, the fire season kicked off with a vengeance.  It is WAY too early for fire …

¡A San José! ¡Pura vida!

Or: The way to San José, Take 2 I'm embarrassed to say that I was NOT looking forward to returning home, unpacking, packing the same bag with an entirely separate set of clothes, and heading back to the airport for a pretty rough schedule - all within a week of my first trip in May.  …

Spring highlights

Now that summer has "officially" begun - at least for me - I feel compelled to take a moment and look back on Spring 2017.  I would describe it as a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.  Let me say, that mid-life crisis thing is REAL!  One thing that is contributing to some of the emotional …

Bernese Oberland: The hills are definitely alive

I know, I know, any reference to The Sound of Music is a bit off, since we're comparing Austria to Switzerland, apples to oranges - or maybe apples to pears?  But, the Alps are the Alps, and with the rolling hills in abundance, I can't help but think of certain songs.  It doesn't help that our …