beyond work

Every trip has a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C. I read about a place, map the route, find the meals I don’t want to miss, and work out where to be for sunset. After dark, I go looking for the northern lights and the Milky Way, and I’m always drawn to places that feel out of this world, like Death Valley, the giant sequoias and Semuc Champey.

My husband, whom I’ve known since high school, shares most of these trips. He knows a carefully planned day can end at 35,000 steps.

In Colombia, we covered 3 different regions in 10 days and every booking fell into place. In Alaska, bad weather changed a third of our plans. We used the alternatives I’d prepared and sailed through.

Acatenango was my first hike, and much harder than I expected. That night, I watched the volcano erupt in front of me.

Walking the Inca Trail towards Machu Picchu brought me close to architecture and history I’d wanted to see for years.

In Patagonia, the W Trek gave us glaciers, turquoise lakes, fierce wind and rain, followed by a beer at the end of each day.