Grand Canyon, Here I Come!

 One of the most amazing parts of teaching has been the fellowship I have found.  I have made friends, mentors, colleagues and advisors since I came to this profession late in life. I have found colleagues who help me with designing courses or people I go to when I need advice.  And I have also found PIC.

PIC, for those who don't know, stands for Public Interest Communications. This is the field in which I got my Master's a couple of years ago. It's the field I am called to, where I have spent much of my career. And I have also found an amazing network of colleagues who also care about communications to drive change.

     This is from the Petrified Forest - at the start of my trip!

And... this same group gathers each May for the Public Interest Communications Summer Institute, when faculty from around the country gather to talk about the field, as well as catch up with one another.  This has become my favorite conference of the year. It has brought me to Denver, to Atlanta. And this year, it brings me to Arizona.

One of the best parts of the conference is always building in some travel around it. So this year, I will be headed to Arizona, visiting the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert before the conference and Sedona after, finding time to see two old friends while I am visiting, too.

 This is from the Painted Desert, also the start of my adventure.

I can't describe how excited I get when I am planning an adventure. I buy travel books and maps (yup, actual books and maps). I research. I download podcasts with local history and National Park Service audio tours.  Of couse, being a relatively spectacular heat wuss, Arizona in May is not easy.  But I am planning diligently for hiking at the crack of dawn and evenings and avoiding the heat of the day.

 Yep - Hello, Grand Canyon!

When I turned 40, Bob and I did a tour from New Mexico back to Seattle, going through Arizona and Utah on a roadtrip. Honestly, we went pretty fast. The kids were home with my sister and I was very cognizant of that.  I remember telling myself I would be back again- back when I had a little time to just drive and see what I could see. 

I still don't have a ton of time on this trip, but it's enough to get out there. It's enough to get out on the road, see beautiful red cliffs and deep canyons. I get to stay at the historic El Tovar on the Grand Canyon and walk on the rim. I get to drive along long highways while I listen to some Brandi Carlisle playing, or listen to a podcast about the geological history of the area. I will be providing plenty of photos and blogging some thoughts as I go.


Red Rocks of Sedona - near the end of the trip.

And here's another thing: I have always wanted to visit the "Standing on the Corner" park in Winslow, Arizona.  Fans of the Eagles have long loved the location from "Take It Easy" and I have seen photos of people posing there. It just seems like such a wonderful, random place to visit.  And I get to go (or more appropriately, I get to stand on the corner.)

This is the fun of traveling.  Seeing colleagues and friends at conferences. Making connections and becoming a better teacher. And...going away for 10 days and managing to see a little Red Rocks... and little bit of a song immortalized by a band from my youth.

See you on the road!




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