This World is Unreal
Sorry to start off this way, but I need to share. I want to talk about exciting things in our lives, but I keep thinking about how messed up it is out there beyond our front door.
I’ve talked in newsletters and blog posts before about the awful questions I get via social media, either about what’s happening in the world or LGBTQ existence. Well, add a new, terrible question to the list: “As a parent, how does seeing another school shooting make you feel? What are you thinking about?”
Really? Why would you ask a parent or a teacher this? The number of terrifying scenarios that run through my brain each time there is a school shooting and nothing to stop it absolutely is horrifying. The series of thoughts I cycle through are the same every time.
OMG. I can’t believe this happened again.
Those families will never be same same in so many ways.
What would our world be like if this happened to us?
Even just the trauma of it happening if our kids were okay?
Could this happen at our tiny, sheltered school?
Can I find the strength to homeschool again? Should I?
Anyways, these are the least intrusive and most manageable thoughts I get each time there is another tragedy where people are killed, let alone kids that are the same ages are our kids.
And in the meantime there’s all sort of other legislative crap happening around the country that’s actually not even mildly centered around protecting kids in the slightest. And that’s the world we live in right now. Heartbreaking and exhausting.
What Else is New
Amidst school murders and anti-LGBT and anti-Black legislation, there are good things happening. Spring has sprung! We have more daylight for going for after-dinner walks. The grass in our yard is finally recovering from being salt-water-burned from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole last year.
And we’re moving.
In my March 5th newsletter one of the things I shared about what the bombardment of “Are you going to move out of Florida since it’s such a hell-pit of terrible things happening?” Well… No. We’re not leaving Florida, but we’re excited to move from Butler Beach to St Augustine Beach. Yes, it’s in the same zip code and on the same island, but it’s going to be a different world for us.
When we moved to St Augustine three years ago, we’d started the process when there was just a buzz in the air of the pandemic, and by the time we put an offer down on our current house things were getting weird and we rushed in to secure the life we knew was right for us. We have absolutely loved our house and neighborhood, but kids are growing and have learned more about how our family functions here in FL vs Washington. Thus, we have found a new house and I’m so thankful that we’re able to make a move like this.
We’re going to be WAY closer to the beach, able to walk to the restaurants and coffee shops of St Augustine Beach, and we’ll be just blocks from so many of our friends. We’ve really found our community here in St Augustine and getting to be closer to both the sand AND friends is really exciting for us.
New Blog Posts Up
I’ve been focusing a lot on my Savannah site lately. I struggle to be able to equally distribute my time across the websites, so Savannah has my strongest attention right now. Soon it’ll be the Keys site, but for now, here’s what’s new on Savannah Explore:
And on the other Explored sites, I’ve go so many articles nearly ready to go live. Coming soon I’ve got the Fountain of Youth on StAugustineExplored.com, Top Tips for Dry Tortugas on TheKeysExplored.com, Whoopie Pies and Art Museums in Maine on MaineExplored.com and so much more!
Things to Be Excited About
I’m trying to change how I think about a lot of things. I get easily downtrodden, so I’ve been actively trying to be excited for other people. I know that’s not a solution to all the things in my world, but it really does make me happy when I ponder what’s happening for my friends.
Some of the things I’m thrilled about and that have brought random smiles to me during stressful times:
one of my besties is doing BIG THINGS with her business and she shares these milestones with me frequently. I am genuinely joyful with each share, both for her personal and business happenings.
another one of my besties got to do a TV spot yesterday and share about what she loves. That’s such a win on so many levels
my bestest of best friends is doing big things for her future, including taking a course to expand her skills for helping people heal. I’m so excited for what this will do for her.
I know this is all kind of vague and you might not have any idea who I’m talking about, but really, finding joy in good things happening for others has been big for me lately, and I feel like that’s something that can be helpful for others too.
Summer Break Plans
Y’all, summer is creeping up on us here in Florida much faster than the PNW or Northeast, but yo, it’s gonna be here soon. So, what have you got planned? We are going to be at the beach a lot (duh) but we also have some really fun trips planned, both for work and solidly just for fun.
Here are my tips for planning your summer break if you haven’t started already. Hopefully this simple process will help you both pick something awesome AND be budget friendly.
Road Trip Plans
For road trip people, first and foremost, you NEED my book The Road Trip Survival Guide. It’s got everything from itinerary planning and budgeting to road trip routes in the USA, Canada and Mexico. I’m biased, but I love my book and I’m super proud of it!
Road trip planning can feel a bit daunting, but I actually built a cool tool for doing it. The keys to a great road trip aren’t just going someplace epic, but also enjoying the stops along the way. Here are some easy tips for planning a road trip that EVERYONE will enjoy:
Pick a destination that really does feel like something worth driving for
Give yourself enough time that you’re not subjecting your family or travel companions to more than 4 hours in the car on any given day.
Plan to spend two nights at midway stops to your final destination. Example: driving from LA to Yellowstone, you can easily add Vegas or Zion, then add time in Salt Lake City, then you’re to your final destination.
Do the return trip on a different route for fresh sights
Something else we do when planning a road trip is to plan a short hike halfway through the drive each day, even if it’s a short driving day. This really breaks up the car time and adds a fun, healthy element to longer travel experiences.
Fly-to Vacations
Flying is not in every family’s travel budget and it’s back to being expensive again. We’re trying to plot our visit back to see family in Washington and it ain’t cheap. BUT here’s a great way to plan a less-expensive fly-to vacation if you can be flexible. Really, this is genius and you may love it.
Go to flights.google.com and put in your home airport (for us it’s JAX or DAB). On the left side (desktop) or top (mobile) you’ll see the EXPLORE option. From here you can put in a date range or trip length and it’ll give you a bunch of options for flights. You can choose from any number of destinations, starting your decision making based on price.
This is a great way to experience some place new or returning somewhere you love. We’ve done this and have ended up visiting places like Arizona and Washington DC. I love it!
Upcoming Travels
We’ve got lots on the books and I think we’ll have a few more things before the end of 2023. Here’s the plan (not much different from the last time I shared it):
South Florida - next week!
Rocky Mountaineer across Canada - I’m so freaking excited about this and I’ll actually do a mini-newsletter before I leave for Vancouver in a few weeks
Cape Canaveral - okay, this is actually a field trip for Oliver’s school, but we’ve never been to Kennedy Space Center and I am so excited. And this is why I shouldn’t be allowed to chaperone: I’ve already lost sight of the purpose of the trip and I’m just excited for ME to experience it. Good times.
San Antonio - this is a work trip but I’ll be visiting the Alamo and a friend wants to get a day exploring (cuz I booked the wrong dates and have one day too many).
Columbia, SC - this is new! We have never actually explored Columbia SC and are going to be staying in a really cool hotel downtown and checking out the history, the nature, and the LGBTQ businesses of Columbia.
Congaree National Park - months ago we scored camping reservations during the synchronous fireflies in the Park. So stoked!
Florida Keys - this is going to be a fun work adventure to cover both Key West Pride and some epic nature experiences in the Keys. Can’t wait!
Wyoming - we’ve almost got our itinerary all set and there are going to be dinosaurs and hot springs and horses! **more to come with all the details!
Washington - we didn’t get back to visit family in 2022 so we’re heading back to the Olympic Peninsula for about 5 days to see the fam.
Maine - OMG, I shared about the struggles of finding peak season travel deals last week, but it’s been conquered and we’ll be exploring the Maine Highlands and Midcoast, including the Maine Lobsterfest!
Gulf Shores, Alabama - I’m excited for this especially because it’s actually a conference with my Outdoor Writers Assoc of America crew. It’s going to be awesome!
Pensacola - I am looking forward to this as it’s very different from our usual trips or work trips. I’ll be at the Stamped LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. Stay tuned for more details.
UnCruise to Belize and Guatemala - this trip is going to get a lot more detailed as we get closer, but we get to do a family expedition with UnCruise and explore two countries none of us have been to. So thrilling!
Rob Explored - UPDATE
Tomorrow a new episode of Rob Explored drops! Thank you so much to the people that have joined the paid subscription. It makes me feel amazing to know that people enjoy the travel fun I share. Paid subscriptions help keep projects going, including continuing to develop the Explored websites, which are making their appearance in the Audio Blog Posts this week and next.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, if you choose to do a paid subscription, you’ll get access to a whole other podcast that’s all about sharing travel blog content audibly. Audio Blog Posts are a great way to digest travel planning info and stories without having to ready through my long-winded writing. Good times.
Well, that’s it for today. Now, time for some meetings, time for some writing, and then I have a few hundred bird photos to edit. Just a usual Tuesday.
I hope you all have a great week and I’ll talk to ya’ next month!
About one out of ten times when I get wherever we're living around the world outside of the US, one of the first thoughts I have is "I wonder if there was another shooting today?" I'm sorry you have to live with that fear.
But congratulations on the new house!
My youngest son was shot at his HS in 1998. Got lots of coverage and then it was a memory. Four killed and 26 wounded, some severely. My son was shot 3 times and still has bullets in him. To make it worse, he’s a diabetic and if he gets any wounds, it could lead to amputation if not healed. He works but has PTSD, depression, anxiety and they go nowhere for fear of it happening again. Thankfully our other 2 had already graduated and he had just one year left, or I would have home schooled. We need to make sure our kids know there are safe places and good people. Seek those out. Know an exit to every building you enter. It will become habit and fears will subside. As a parent, you do what you feel best for your own children.