I know it’s been a little quiet here recently, but that is not a reflection of my lack of travel, as much as a new season of travel.  Back in 2012 I took a group of 5 students to NYC on a school trip.  Blogging while traveling and being a teacher is a little different.  My focus isn’t only on my own explorations but on keeping students safe, enhancing their learning, and making a meaningful experience for them.  I don’t have the same luxury to take a detour, or spend an extra hour in a museum that I love.  But on the other hand, I have the pure of joy of seeing the wonders of a place through the eyes of others.  To be able to do the two things I love most, travel and teach, simultaneously, truly makes me the luckiest girl on the planet.

Last year I decided to plan a trip with a little further of a reach – and ended up taking 15 students to London this year.  What a blessing.  I had never been to London before, and the jam-packed itinerary left us all with sore feet and a life time of memories that I can’t wait to share with you all.  Along with my students, we did blog all our stories of London on my school travel blog at #sullitravels.  While you can read the student-centric stories over there, I plan to bring many of those stories over here, hopefully before summers end.

And if one trip was not enough, in January I stumbled upon information about a Leadership program available at Disneyland that I knew would be perfect for my student council kids.  Four months later I found myself in Disneyland, again, with 22 students in tow.  I cannot begin to explain how much this trip changed my life.  One of my favourites of all time, without a doubt.  I am so lucky to get to spend my days with some of the more extraordinary kids out there.  Each one of them shared their experiences over on #sullitravels as well.  While I could tell you my favourite restaurants or favourite stories (and I will) – the tales they tell about what they learned are worth so much more.  If you have time, take a visit over there and read a few.

And while I hope to get all of my back-dated stories to you in short order, you will have to settled for following along with my pending Road Trip – which begins in less than 48 hours.  North America is an absolutely beautiful and majestic place, and I am so lucky to be able to live “close” to so many natural wonders.  I grew up camping, and I love to be outside.  Sleeping in a tent, sitting around a campfire, and staring at the night sky (which is always more beautiful when you find yourself far away from civilization) are all things I have come to love and cherish.  There is something about being in nature that brings a stillness to the soul – and I am in search of a little stillness this summer.  It started as a conversation with my friend Meg about the wonders of Yellowstone, progress into a “lets to go Yellowstone” conversation, and then eventually ended as an 8 state road trip to some amazing National Parks, National Monuments and State Parks, including Arches and Canyonlands in Utah, Craters of the Moon in Idaho, Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, Yellowstone in Wyoming and Custer State Park in South Dakota.  We are all about the hikes, the geology and the stars.  Add in a baseball game for Ray and Meg in Colorado and a day in foodie Boulder and the “napa valley of beer” in Fort Collins, and well, you can probably see why we are excited.

I have missed getting in the car and just hitting the road.  There is an experience that comes with a road trip that I love.  Even a planned one (sorry folks – I LOVE to plan – it’s like getting to take the trip twice!).  There is freedom.  Fresh Air.  Stars (I know I mentioned this once, but I LOVE stars).  The ground changes colours, and the dirt feels different under your feet.  The water tastes different.  And while sleeping under the stars, or among the bears and bison, we are reminded of how connected to nature we really are.  So to say I am excited is an understatement.  I can’t wait to see what the road has in store for us, and am looking forward to kicking the dust off my tent and curling up in my sleeping bag once again.

So stay tuned.