This week has been WOAH and OMG. My unfiltered thoughts
I know I'm not the only one who's been in a bit of a disbelief-daze. Here's what I'm thinking right now and how we're talking about the election in our house
Before I get into it, I wanted to put it out there that I love hearing back from people when they read my newsletter. I appreciate the responses and dialogue that comes from it. Thank you for welcoming my words into your world, and keep the discussion going! Whether it’s about travel, parenting, politics or how to clean goldfish out of your car seats, I’m here for it. Also, the very end of today’s note I have group trip options!
With that, OMG, what a week. I’m not going to tiptoe around my thoughts on any of it, so buckle up and remember that my words come from a place of care for my family, for YOUR family, for our neighbors, for the environment, and the world as a whole. When I say that the projected election results (and I’ll get into that wording) break my heart it’s not hyperbole. When I say that I’m shocked that America chose a convicted r*pist, 34 count felon out on bail who’s bankrupted 6 corporations over the single most qualified presidential candidate in history, know that my shock is more of a “That really can’t be correct” not a “people really can’t be that collectively evil.”
PLEASE SHARE my thoughts below with anyone you think needs to hear. I try to be level and respectful in my words, so I think my views below are good to share.
So I’m going to get into all of that today. Maybe you’ll feel validated in your own thoughts and feelings or maybe you’re going to come at me with flaming hypocrisy, who knows. You know me though: I research, I read, I search my soul, and then I speak up when things aren’t right. So, none of what I have to say today is going to come as a shock.
Current Projects: MyAlaskaTrip.com and MyAlohaTrip.com
FIRST I have fun new blog things to share. I’ve been hard at work on MyAlaskaTrip.com and have itineraries up, more activities, hiking guides and so much more on the way. Here are some of my favorites from the last two weeks:
Just wait until you see what else is in the pipeline for MyAlaskaTrip.com. I’m excited!
Also, because the Alaska site is doing so well and I’m enjoying working on it so much with the help of my Alaskan friends, I’ve started moving all of our Hawaii articles to their own site, MyAlohaTrip.com (still building it out). I’m working with buddies in Hawaii (both travel pals and my Native Hawaiian friends) to build out a site that uses all of our experiences paired with local advice and suggestions around visiting respectfully and with low impact. Both of these projects have been very invigorating for me and I can’t wait to see them both grown.
My Reflections on Election Week
This week has been hard. I went to bed on Tuesday night ready to see a Kamala Harris victory on Wednesday morning. I know that the vast majority of Americans understand that r*pe, insurrection, felony convictions, being out on bail, and running no fewer than 6 corporations into bankruptcy, all of this is very bad and absolutely not something that either is morally okay or embodies American ideals. I know this. I also know that Americans don’t actually hate the immigrants who come to this land, because hello, MOST OF YOU ARE IMMIGRANTS.
With that, I too know that Americans are greedy and care about their money and the markets and investments have been going up in the last few years, which is great. And prices are down and COVID is no longer at the forefront of every moment of life. All of this is so good and people like all of these things. I KNOW that people wouldn’t possibly vote against their best interests, right?
Sure, there are people who don’t want to hear factual data because they’re in a cult. Sure, there are racists and misogynists that don’t care about their fellow man/woman/they/neighbor/stranger/children… but these people are NOT the majority. This was shown in the state level elections. States like Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina and now Arizona all making the decision to elect people who are progressive, liberal, and human-focused… and yet they chose to elect the presidential candidate that DOESN’T represent ANYTHING else they overwhelmingly voted for? That doesn’t add up.
Why would a swing state go Blue down the ballot and then elect T45 for president? Why would somebody knowingly shoot themselves in the foot like that?
Knowingly. “Projected results.” I use these terms for a reason. Months before and even days before the election T45 openly talked about things being fixed, not needing votes and having “a secret.” He literally told the world that things were rigged in his favor and that it was going to be his victory. I’ve said this a million times now: WHEN SOMEBODY TELLS YOU WHO THEY ARE, BELIEVE THEM. He told us he was going to cheat and was beyond confident in it.
Why I have Hope
I am not one for conspiracies and I really prefer to take life at face value. It saves me a lot of time and energy, and it lets me manage my thoughts and feelings easily. Well, I have become a conspiracy theorist for the week.
How does a candidate go from begging officials to find 11k votes for him in one election to getting 14M more despite actively alienating his base beyond reason. How do the swing states that usually split pretty closely ALL go one way? Why are so many people’s mail-in ballots no longer showing as counted? Why is ballot curing trying to be stopped with several lawsuits?
If you don’t want a hand-recount, that means you’re hiding something. Remember how last time T45 was demanding recounts and then there were investigations and there was foreign interference and voter intimidation and all of that? If there is nothing that has been hacked or messed with (PS, some voting equipment DID get connected to networks), then why did Elon M. openly state months ago how easy it would be to change a line of code or hack things? And why did he say a week ago that if Harris ends up winning he’ll be going to prison?
I know that common sense isn’t so common, but national anecdotal evidence that’s being corroborated on the daily, that should set off everyone’s common sense beeper. I’m glad to see that some recounts have started and more precincts are completing their counts. We’re seeing numbers updated as things are carefully processed vs quickly/night-of processed. I have hope.
Silence is Golden RIGHT NOW
You know who’s been the most annoying voice, both online and audibly for the last ten years? DJT. T45. TFG. Call him what you want. But he’s been SOOOOO quiet since the projected results. He’s not been gloating, he’s not been tweeting. He’s not been seen. Why? He’s the first one to toot his own horn, and usually with callus, non-factual statements. That’s not been the case this week. Bizarre.
Also, you know who else has been quiet? Our lady of the hour, the prosecutor. The exacting and smart, extremely qualified, extremely experienced, extremely on-it VP Harris. We’re not hearing anything from the campaign or WH except for the very simple basics that are needed for keeping the peace and keeping potential protests at bay. They’re being so smart about not sharing what’s happening in the background, but I have faith that they are doing their full due diligence to ensure the election results are what the people of the USA actually voted for. They have tools and smart people working on it. I have hope that anything below boards will be brought to light.
If anyone is to blame for Americans questioning the current election outcome, it’s T45 himself. He’s the one who, over the last ten years, has told us not to trust the system. He’s the one who told us his plans to throw the system. He’s the one who cried in the streets when he tried to play the system and lost. So, now that we’re untrusting of the outcome, it’s our turn to verify that the system really does work.
With that, I think we all need to stay tuned as EVERY VOTE gets counted, as recounts occur, and as electronic are verified as valid, safe, unhacked and true. We will happily wait.
What’s on the Travel Docket?
We’ve got lots of visitors through the end of the year, so our trips in 2024 are basically done except for exploring close to home. But then when January hits we’re striking up the fun. We’re planning our travel like January’s inauguration will not be bad. So here’s what we have planned for 2025 thus far:
Winter Park, Colorado for snow (and ski lessons)
NYC with Elliott (youngest)
Hawaii visit Kauai and Oahu
Glacier NP and Yellowstone - I was able to book the lodges a year in advance
Alaska - hopefully we’ll get out to Katmai or Kodiak on this trip
Universal’s Epic Universe - We were able to get both a reservation at the new Helix Hotel a the the new theme park AND we were able to get single day ticket for Epic Universe. We’re really excited even though it’s 10 months away.
Galapagos or Amazon Group Trips
I was working on a group trip to the Peruvian Amazon for the end of March, but had to place it on hold. Things have been sorted out and we’re ready to work on it again. If you’re interested in joining me (and maybe the fam) for a week in Peru visiting the Amazon, staying in a treehouse, and being immersed in wildlife, LET ME KNOW!
The Galapagos is also in discussion. I’ve been asked by a really cool company to lead a group trip or two on a Galapagos sailing trip. We’ve done other sailing trips and they’ve been amazing, so doing the Galapagos would be incredible. If you’d like information about this, I’ll be happy to share more in the coming week. COMPLETE THIS FORM!
That’s it for now. I hope we all can feel a sense of calm and hope in the coming weeks. If you have any travel related questions, please feel free to send them my way. Even if I’m highly distracted by the current state of things, I’m always happy to take a mental break and talk about things that make us happy!
We are all immigrants unless we are direct descendants of First Nations people. The math ain’t mathin and silence is making most of us question what’s going on. I hate conspiracies but I really am confused about this one. Not sure hope is enough without boots on the ground.