It’s been a busy summer of travel, from The Netherlands to Yellowstone, New Mexico, St. Louis, Massachusetts and Connecticut – five out-of-state trips in all. I had different companions on each trip, making memories and teaching Mussar lessons.
Perseverance: Holland and Belgium with my sister, Ellen
I hadn’t seen my sister since before COVID, and traveling together gave us time to catch up on each other’s lives while making new friends and memories. Along with our sightseeing in Amsterdam, we wanted to try the famous Dutch pancakes, so we went online to find the best of the best. The top recommendation was The Pancake Club. After visiting the Van Gogh Museum, we set out on foot to find the restaurant. When we reached the Marriott Hotel, my phone indicated we just needed to cross the street. We did, and following my phone instructions, we wandered, and wandered, going in circles through the narrow streets. We passed countless other pancake restaurants, but we were determined to find the best. So we persevered. We asked a couple walking their dog, thinking they must be local and could help us navigate. They weren’t, but they studied the map with us and pointed us back toward the park. And then at last, right across the boulevard from the Marriott, where we had been 30 minutes earlier, was The Pancake Club! Strawberries, whipped cream and pancakes – delicious…and worth the wandering.
Flexibility: Yellowstone with Grandson Dian
Dian chose Yellowstone for his annual trip with Grandma Moo (that’s me) this year because he had seen so many photos of the Artists’ Paintpots. After a day and a half of enjoying the mud volcanos, Mammoth Terraces, Kepler Cascades, Gibbon Falls and more, we were determined to visit the paintpots. We arrived at the first parking lot, thinking it was the trail around the oft-photographed site. Instead, it led us uphill through a forested overlook. After the hike, we asked other tourists how to get to the boardwalk we had seen from above and learned we had to get back in the car and go to another lot. By the time we arrived at the right spot, the lot was full, and people were parked for ¼ mile on both sides of the road. So we decided to come back early the next morning. We set an alarm for 7 a.m. and headed to a nearby lodge for breakfast, only to find it hadn’t opened yet for the season. We stopped in the only nearby facility that was open, a small convenience store with few choices. Sitting in the car, we ate premade cheese sandwiches and peanut butter crackers rather than look for another restaurant. It was still early when we arrived at the Artists’ Paintpots, and there was plenty of parking. It was beautiful…and much less crowded.
Honor: National Federation of Press Women Conference
A trip to St. Louis for the National Federation of Press Women Conference met meeting up with old friends. Since I’ve been a member of the organization for almost 50 years, many of the women are like family, though I see them once a year at most. In addition to the workshops, our conference finds a number of way to honor members, from the communications contest for writing and editing to the memorial service for members we have lost. And most wonderful is the Communicator of Achievement award. After being honored as the 2023 national recipient of the award and knowing firsthand what a great honor it is, I agreed to chair the committee in Colorado in 2024. It was a time-consuming yet rewarding process, especially when our Colorado nominee, Sharon Almirall, was named 2024 national runner-up.
Enthusiasm: New Mexico with Granddaughter Selam
Selam chose New Mexico for her road trip because she could drive there with her newly acquired Colorado permit. After spending time at the hot springs in Ojo Caliente and Truth or Consequences, we shopped our way through Santa Fe. We decided to visit Nambe Falls after seeing the beautiful photos in the brochure procured from the hotel lobby. The booklet said it was a short, ¼ mile hike to the pool at the base of the falls. What it failed to mention was that the trail included wading through a knee-deep, fast-moving, frigid river. At one point, we had to descend from a steep rocky trail into the rushing water. I hesitated, suggesting we turn back. I didn’t want to chance falling on the rocks. Adventurous Selam was not to be deterred. She took me by the hand, saying, “You can do this Moo,” and led me upstream, crisscrossing the river to find the least treacherous path to the pool. I was proud of myself for making it and grateful for my determined, enthusiastic granddaughter.
Gratitude: Family Visit to the Lake house
The final summer trip was to the East Coast. Heidi, the grandkids and I spent time at the rural Massachusetts lake house with our nieces Jodi and Stacey. On a cool, cloudy morning, we decided to take a walk instead of kayaking or swimming. We went to the nearby railroad tracks, placing pennies and nickels on the rails so we could return the next day and see how the freight train smooshed them. As we walked along the tracks, we pondered how we would safely jump off in the unlikely event a train came through while we were there. We turned around when we got to a spot where we couldn’t easily escape from the tracks. I was walking ahead with Selam and Dian, with the others a hundred feet behind. Suddenly they shouted, “TRAIN!” The kids and I jumped down the hill and turned away from the tracks to avoid getting hit by any debris. Luckily the long train was very slow, and though it passed scaringly close on the hill above us, there were no flying pebbles. We were grateful for our escape! And we got to see the smooshed coins right away.
Belonging: Wedding of Aaron and Frankie
The grand finale of my summer travels was the oceanside wedding of my nephew (my brother’s son) Aaron and his bride, Frankie. All week the forecasters had predicted heavy rain, the vestiges of Hurricane Debby. And yet Saturday arrived with blue skies, warm
temperatures and a perfect setting for an outdoor ceremony under the chuppah with the sparkling blue bay as a backdrop. My son, daughter and grandchildren attended along with my sister and her family, and of course, my brother’s family. I danced with my great-niece Margaux, shared stories with my siblings and chatted with the lovely mother of the bride. To celebrate the heritage of the couple, we danced the tarantella and the hora. The toasts by family members and friends showed how caring and loving the newlyweds are, and created a sense of belonging for all who attended.
Perseverance, flexibility, honor, enthusiasm, gratitude, belonging – middot experienced along with making memories during my summer travels.
You take on adventures with the right crew!