It's a Great Big Beautiful World! Let's Discover it Together

Showing posts with label New Adventures & Dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Adventures & Dreams. Show all posts

Monday, March 8, 2021

Update to My New Adventure

Previously I shared about having an Etsy shop for some adventure-inspired and Wood Badge-inspired creations. I've moved to a new location through Shopify, and have expanded the selection a little bit, with more new things coming soon (some in production and others just needing to be photographed and uploaded).

 

Currently, there are two primary collections of goodies - FOR YOUR HOME and MEMORIES OF GILWELL, each with subcategories such as:

  • Coasters to Protect Your Surfaces
  • Ornaments for Your Tree
  • Pillow Shams to Dress Up Your Space
  • Magnets for Your Fridge
  • Adventure (or Gilwell) Inspired Watercolors
  • with more things to come soon

 

I invite you to take a look by clicking the image below. You might find something you like for yourself, or for someone else special in your life.


Sunday, December 6, 2020

New Adventure Based on My Love of Travel!

As most of you know, during the past decade I have enjoyed sending guests all over the world as a travel agency owner. With the current pandemic and the lack of travel happening, I've gone through 10 years of adventures and have created some fun travel-inspired coasters from images I took (mostly) or from postcards I collected while on the assorted adventures (a few, but mostly my own photography though). I have more adventures and destinations not yet represented, but you have to start somewhere, right? A sampling of the images is displayed below. (I've also coupled these with my love for Wood Badge, and have a few Wood Badge-inspired items as well.)


I've sold a few sets by word of mouth, but have now taken them online have my own little shop. You might have a favorite destination that you enjoyed and would like to bring into your home, or you might find inspiration for a gift for a loved one, or inspiration to plan your next adventure. Either way, I'd love it if you take a look, and if you feel so inclined, to shop small and support our small business in this way.
 
Thanks for looking, and if you do purchase anything, our family will be very grateful.

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Ireland Here I Come!! A Compilation of Thoughts About The Trip - Day One...Travel & Arrival - Before the FAM Begins

February 3, 2017 @2:07 pm

I'm off to see the wizard, the wonderful...no, wait, I'm not headed to Emerald City but to the Emerald Isle! Look out Dublin, Limerick, Cashel, Cork, Killarney, Foynes, Adare, Bunratty and Offaly because here I come!

As shared from my Facebook posts, be warned my friends, for instead of political banter and heavily skewed opinions your feed may be interrupted for some beautiful scenery and images throughout the next week. I'm sure you'll be sad to see them instead of the muck and mire from left and right, but it's my job and I have to report on what is going on in the world. 😎 Note: I am going to be only posting on Facebook during this trip but will be compiling what I post here into a few entries with multiple segments pieced together.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

If You Guessed the Emerald Isle, Then You Were Correct...

Ireland. Ding, ding, ding...for all those who guess it, you are correct. Ireland is where I'm headed in less than two weeks and I'm so excited! I've sent many wonderful clients there in the past, and now I go to experience it myself to be able to send even more people to the enchanting Emerald Isle. Experience with a destination is definitely better than google!



Thursday, January 19, 2017

The Excitment is Building for My Next Big Adventure

Today I leave for Chicago to get ready for the annual Chicago Travel and Adventure Show. Next Thursday I leave for New York for the New York Times Travel Show. The following Thursday, I leave on a great new adventure! A new-to-me destination that has been enchanting visitors and residents alike for centuries with its rolling green hills, scenic coastal drives, windswept valleys, and tumultuous history. It's not a beach-goers paradise, so definitely not in the Caribbean or South Pacific, but it does have beaches and beautiful ocean vistas, it's just not known for its beaches. I can't wait to share it with you live!



Friday, January 13, 2017

Goals for 2017

One of my goals for 2017 includes visiting four new countries. In just 3 weeks I get to enjoy a great new adventure and knock that goal down by one. I'm so excited! Where oh where will I go this time?



Tuesday, December 27, 2016

In the Year Ahead, What New Places Will You Discover?

I've got some exciting experiences on the calendar for 2017 - new places that I've not been to yet, and can't wait to share them with you when they happen. What new places will you go and discover in the new year?



Monday, August 6, 2012

Time Flies By


Wow.  Time has a funny way of playing with our emotions, as sometimes it seems to just drag, and other times it seems to race by us!  This week, it’s been a bit of both.  Here we are at the half-way point for the Olympic Games – really?  Already?  Wow.  For the every-four year event, it seems like it just began – despite all the of various swimming and gymnastics events that have consumed our television screen the past week+.  Despite seeming to have raced by already being at the half-way point, I will admit there have been days during this week (or evenings), where coverage of various events has felt like it has been dragging on FOREVER!!  Especially when any given event is hyped so much, and then after it’s actually over – it gets played and replayed over, and over, and over , and over again.

But there are other things that have been happening, or are being commemorated in my household this week that show that time seems to just fly by!  My kids, for instance, are just growing up so fast!  That’s pretty much a given for any parent (though new parents don’t tend to “get this” fact during the diapers & lack of sleep phases ;-)  and often don’t believe other, more seasoned parents who encourage them to “enjoy every moment dearie, as you’ll blink and they’ll be gone off to college!”).  Off to college… something that we’re facing with our eldest in just two years!  He starts his junior year of high school in little over a week now.  It seems like he was just two and running around the beach with his grandpa, but we blinked!  Time flew by. 

Just a couple of weeks ago we remembered the death of my grandmother – who was my last living grandparent.  The other three all died years and years ago (33, 34 and 21 to be exact).  She outlived her first, and second husband (who she was married to for 25 years!), and even had a boyfriend in her final years at the assisted living facility she was living in.  It was cute… especially when she told me, one day, on one our walks when I got to visit her, that she “wouldn’t marry again”.  At 93, it’s no surprise she wouldn’t marry again!  And here we are more than a year later since she left us all… we blinked, and the year has flown by!

Today, as I write this, I think about an event that took place this morning that was wonderful in so many ways – and another event that took place 33 years ago today that was sad, yet also wonderful too.  33 years ago today, my grandfather (first husband of the grandmother mentioned above), died of a massive heart attack.  He was, as I am, a Christian, and with his passing from this life, I believe that he went to Heaven to live eternally with his savior, Jesus Christ.  This morning, I was blessed and privileged to baptize my daughter after she confessed her faith in Jesus publically for the first time.  I did the same thing with my boys seven years ago (time has flown by, as that seems to have just been yesterday…).  As a Christian, we recognize baptism as following Christ’s example and immersing our sinful nature in the water, just as He was immersed in the grave.  There’s nothing magical or remarkable about the water itself – but the redemptive blood of our Savior.  But what is remarkable – and very special to me – is that both of these individuals – though they never met – will be able to do so someday in eternity when my daughter goes to Heaven as well.  As a father, I was very moved by my daughter’s decision, and her request of me to baptize her.  As a grandson, I look forward to the day that I will get to see my grandfather once again in Heaven through my own faith and relationship with Jesus.  I don’t go about preaching my faith too often, but from time to time, I just have to preach it from the mountaintops.  If I’ve offended you, dear reader, by sharing this faith moment with you here in my blog , please know that you have the right to your beliefs, just as I have the right to mine – but as this is my blog, and I’ll share, or “wear it on my sleeve” every so often as I believe it appropriate to the day’s post discussion.  

A very proud family indeed!
Later this week we commemorate another “milestone” here in our household.  This is the week back in 2002 that we left California - for the second time – on our cross-country move to Indiana (the first time was in 1998 for our cross-country move to Michigan).  The primary difference between the two moves, is that the first time, the company packed us up, and moved all of our things for us, while we flew over the great mid-section of our nation – and for this move, we packed our stuff ourselves, and drove across the great mid-section of our nation.  We departed on the 8th back in 2002 – this coming Wednesday this year.   So we’ll be marking 10 years – an entire decade – here in Indiana next week.  Again – we blinked!!  Time has flown by.  It seems like only yesterday we were looking at houses to rent or buy.  And then of course, when we came to Indiana we had two children - and in the time since we arrived our family grew to three children - the last who's getting closer and closer to being a decade old herself (she has more than a year to go, but she's getting close!)

Other big events from last year will be creeping up on us very shortly as well… again, making it seem that time has just flown by in the months since they occurred.  It’s hard to believe that almost a year has passed since I lost my full-time job of 11 years;  and since my father-in-law succumbed to his battle with cancer in October;  and since I went into business for myself turning my dreams and passions into reality.  But it has been for all of these things.   Soon the coming months will turn from summer into fall and even winter – with Halloween, Thanksgiving , and Christmas right around the corner.   As a kid I remember thinking how slow time was – but as an adult – WOW – time sure does fly by!  

Until next time,



Monday, January 2, 2012

New Year, New Opportunities, New Challenges, New Dreams

Time continues to march onward, ever pushing us forward as we have once again passed from one year and entered into a new year.  2011 has officially entered the history books as we move into 2012.  This will be a year of some big milestones in my household, as well as numerous new opportunities, new challenges, and yes, even new dreams.  I'm looking forward to them all, as I was very much looking forward to shutting the book in 2011.  It was a difficult year for us in many different ways. While I won't say it was a banner year, nor will I say it was my favorite, I don't believe it was a terrible year either. There were many good things that happened for both my family and for me personally in 2011, those great things just got a little overshadowed by the not-so-great things.  So I am true, looking forward to this new year.  So far the new year is still very much like the American Girl doll my daughter received for Christmas...all soft and pretty, but bound to change as she continues to cuddle it, love on it, and play with it.


Personally, I'm excited about several opportunities for the new year.  My eldest son is getting closer to completing his quest for the rank of Eagle Scout, and this will be the year he achieves it.  His project was approved in December, so now he begins the fund-raising process as well as securing workers to help him complete it.  The project itself will be done in the springtime. All of the other requirements for Eagle are complete (except for the all-important Board of Review which is the last step anyway), so once the project is completed, he's nearly there.  We're hoping to celebrate his achievement with an Eagle Court of Honor in the summertime this year.  Additionally, my middle son will be moving from Star Scout to Life Scout next week, and he will then begin his own Eagle quest.  He has merit badges and other stuff to do, but once he becomes Life, he too can begin planning his own project.  Unlike his older brother, he says he wants to get the project done first and then worry about the required Merit Badges... so who knows, we could have two different projects going this year!


Both boys are going on mission trips with church this year, and I am hoping to be able to go on one myself.  I really want to make the trip to Kenya this fall.  I wasn't able to the last two times, but I'm praying that this is my year.


Like her brothers, my daughter is growing so fast - and it's a treat to watch.  She's becoming a beautiful little lady.  She'll be starting gymnastics next week and is so very pumped about it.  She was such a timid little thing for so long, but she is making some good strides forward to be a bit more boldly, less trepidatiously.  She too will be experiencing something new this summer as she'll have her first experience with church camp.  She's nervous, yet excited as well since several of her friends will be there with her.


Professionally I'm excited about all of the different things that I've been doing with this whole Cruise Plannersthing.  There have been lots of mundane, legal aspects to work through; but there have been lots of fun aspects as well. Meeting with various vendors. Networking and getting to know people within my community.  On-site training and ship inspections.  Lots of learning and exploring has happened and is yet to happen.  I'm looking forward to a FAM, or "familiarization" trip to Hawaii later this month, as well as determining when the next cruise will be.  This whole venture began as a dream, evolved into an opportunity, becoming a challenge, but remains a big dream of mine.  I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out, grows, and transforms throughout the new year.


Dreams for the new year continue to grow, and as they work their way from dreams to reality, I'll share.  Until then, know that I'm not sitting on my laurels, but rather am working to turn those dreams into some sort of reality, whether here in 2012, or a little beyond.  I hope you are doing so with your own dreams as well.


I wish you all well throughout this great new year ahead of us.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

WOW it's Wednesday... So Much Going On

Wow. That's about all I can think of to verbalize at this moment - wow.  I arrived home last night after being gone for 16 days - staying in 6 different hotels & resorts, including 1 cruise ship. During that time I was in 3 different states and 1 other country, 1 ocean and 1 sea. I had a great time but was very, very, very, very busy much of that time. I'm not complaining mind you, just relating where I've been for a while, not having time to pay much attention to this blog or my website. It's all good though, as over the course of the next couple of weeks I hope to get lots of fun new content, links, and photos posted. It will take some time, but I'm looking forward to reliving the last couple of weeks through the updates to come. 


If you haven't already figured it out either here, on my website, or via Facebook - my wife and I took the plunge to expand our Disney-centric travel business of Neverland Adventures Travel, by acquiring a franchise within the Cruise Planners network of travel professionals.  That step has opened up literally thousands of destinations around the globe that we weren't really able to touch previously.  Hundreds of ports & destinations; cruise itineraries; land tours and so much more.  But even with all of that fun new stuff that we're able to offer, we're not turning our back on the Disney side of the equation. In fact, I made the intentional decision when determining how I would proceed with the Cruise Planners team for a website, that I would go ahead with a separate website just for that business while maintaining what we already had with Neverland. So even though they are already linked together, there is a separate domain for the Disney focus (www.neverlandadventurestravel.com) as well as the cruise focus (www.neverlandadventurescruises.com).  Additional domains have been secured as well, in order to provide fun new ways to reach us, as well as expand the information available about land tours, group packages, and much, much more. 


New trips for 2012 are already on the horizon, and I'm sure to be away from home for extended periods once again as I go and familiarize myself with various destinations.  As a good friend of mine told me last night, "you're living the dream".  Whether or not that's true, the ride so far has definitely been fun, and I am looking forward to "playing" around even further as additional avenues and phases of our plan start to come together.  Thanks for hanging out with me and reading along.  Inviting a friend or two would be appreciated as well.


Cheers.