Big State, Big Heart

I wish they all could be California girls . . . that is, if all of those California girls are as generous as today's BlogTrotting tour guide. Debby has multiple blogs -- her main blog all dressed for Fall and a very special ministry blog that you should check out.

I know I'm ready to see California from Debby's perspective. Let's head toward the sunshine and "skyes of blue"!

Just Breathe

Please leave Debby a comment to let her know you visited. Enjoy your Thursday!

Say "Yes" to Michigan

I seem to remember an ad campaign from years ago that featured the phrase, "Say 'yes' to Michigan"? Does anyone else remember that, or did I dream it? I have to say that I love the new Pure Michigan ads that air these days. The footage of lakes and sunshine and trees pulls me in every time. Michigan is truly a state with something for everyone (except, unfortunately, enough jobs).

Today we're BlogTrotting in Michigan with Lori. She's a mom and a reader. Make sure to check out her book reviews if you're in the market for a new addition to your nightstand.

Let's let her lead the way!

La Vida Lori

Please leave Lori a comment to let her know you stopped by. Enjoy your Wednesday!

Missouri Waltz

When I moved to Baltimore, I drove here from Kansas. One of the great highlights of that unbelievably long (and mostly boring) drive was seeing the St. Louis Arch. Any attempt I might make to convey the size and majesty of that symbol would no doubt fall flat. Suffice to say that it is an incredible monument. One that I am sure our featured blogger, Mrs. B, will do a much better job of telling you about.

So let's head on over to see her!

She's Star Crossed

Please leave Mrs. B a comment and let her know you appreciate the tour.

Pleasant View of Pleasant View

We're heading South today to check in on the great state of Tennessee with the witty Ethel Mae. Her blog's tag line is one of the funniest ever: "Reflections on the life and times of a frumpy middle-aged postal worker and her penny-pinching husband in the tiny Southern town of Pleasant View, TN." That just cracked me up.

Let's laugh with Ethel Mae and learn about the pleasant life in Pleasant View. Promise me you'll check out her post on a beautiful summer storm -- amazing photographs throughout.

Ya'll ready? Let's go!

The Adventures of Fred and Ethel

Please leave a comment to let Ethel Mae know you stopped by!

Arizona Valley Girl

Today's BlogTrotter describes living in Arizona as "like waking up on vacation every single day." Could there be a greater compliment paid to one's region and home? What a testament to life in Arizona and to the sunshine-y attitude of today's tour guide, Andrea.

Let's join Andrea for a visit in Glendale, Arizona. Make sure to check out the photos of her husband and beautiful baby girl while you're there.

Let's go!

Worley House

Please leave Andrea a comment to let her know you stopped by! And, if you missed yesterday's tour of New Jersey, please check it out -- a beautiful reflection on Fall's many pleasures.

Falling in Love with Jersey

One of the many things I have come to love about living in the northeast is autumn. The colors, the crisp fall air; they're singularly beautiful here. New Jersey is just a hop and a skip away from me and certainly shares in the fall bounty.

According to our BlogTrotter today, Sarah, there is something special indeed about this time of year in our region. And as someone who has lived all over the world, I would place her in a unique position to make that assessment. She has put together a fabulous tour of her state, so lets head on over to see her!

Afterhood

Please leave Sarah a comment to thank her for the tour!

Field Trip Friday: Hometown(s)

My family was quite the wanderers when I was growing up. It was a combination of family issues, work moves and sometimes just plain ready for new scenery. It wasn't always easy being the new kid, but I met a lot of amazing people along the way and got an intimate knowledge of a whole lot of Kansas, as well as a few locales further afield. There were a few times where we moved away and back to a town, as is the case with Emporia, where we moved away and then back for the last three years of my high school. Altogether, we lived there for a total of six years, longer than anywhere else by far. When I think of my "hometown," that is what I think of.

The long list of places I've lived. (The numbers in parentheses represent the number of houses we lived in each of those cities.)

Atlanta, Georgia (2)
Junction City, Kansas (2)
Manhattan "the little apple", Kansas (3)
Emporia, Kansas (3)
Topeka, Kansas
Heidelberg, Germany
Prairie Village, Kansas
Merriam, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lenexa, Kansas (2)
Baltimore, Maryland (5)

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Heidelberg. We moved there with my stepdad for his post in the Army. We lived at Patrick Henry Village, an Army base outside of Heidelberg, so we were surrounded by Americans and English speakers. However, we spent a great deal of our time off base. As luck would have it, we met a family who had two daughters that were exactly my sister and I's age. They were even in our classes in school. Their parents were American civilian contractors for the Army who had chosen to live off-base. They spoke fluent German and were more than open to having their fish out of water friends along on their adventures. We traveled all over with them: skiing in Austria, weekend in Barcelona, relaxing at the spas at Baden-Baden. Despite a number of trips to Europe since, I haven't been back to Heidelberg. I have vowed that someday I will.

So how about you? Where have you lived? Link up directly to your Field Trip Friday posts!

Eye on Iowa

Attention students enrolled in BlogTrotting 101, please raise your hands if you want to learn about "The Food Capital of the World"? Okay then, open up your American Heartland textbooks to the chapter on Iowa.

Today's tour guides for Des Moines are teachers. Let's pay attention and have some fun learning about Iowa from Mrs. Sarah.

Class is in session -- Let's Go!

Mike and Sarah

Please leave a comment to let them know you stopped by.

Don't forget your "homework" tomorrow. Field Trip Friday: Where all have you called home? Create a list of all of the towns, states and/or countries that you've lived in. Are you a wanderer or more of a hometown girl/guy? Where was your favorite? Your least favorite? And why. Come back on Friday and link up your posts!

On the road again . . .

Match made in heaven. You heard me! Match made in heaven. BlogTrotting Bliss, my friends. BlogTrotting bliss.

Today's tour guide Tonya and her blog Live The Adventure is absolutely a BlogTrotting ideal (no offense to the other 220-plus BlogTrotters who have gone before). Until recently, Tonya and her family lived in their RV and traveled the country. A home on the road.

The Praters are living in a "stick home" now, and we'll hear about life in Alabama. Promise me you'll check out the rest of the blog for their tales of sights seen, lessons learned, field trips, and travel tips.

Are you ready? Let's go.

Live The Adventure

Please leave Tonya a comment to let her know you stopped by!

Also, don't forget to link up for this week's Field Trip Friday: Where all have you called home? Create a list of all of the towns, states and/or countries that you've lived in. Are you a wanderer or more of a hometown girl/guy? Where was your favorite? Your least favorite? And why. Come back on Friday and link up your posts!

Layover

Our BlogTrotter for today ran into some unexpected technical difficulties. Her laptop crashed, and with it all of her photos! Yikes! Pray for it's speedy recovery! In the meantime, we'll take care of some housecleaning:

* If you're on our actual site (vs a Reader), you'll notice some changes. Those of you that know me from my blog know that I am prone to making changes on a whim. The greater miracle is that I've pretty much left things alone here for the better part of nine months. I have ideas about where I want the look of BlogTrotting to evolve, but it may take me a couple of days, so bear with me while I make the changes. And if you have any constructive feedback, don't hold back. I can take it. Promise.

* One of my original hopes and goals for BlogTrotting was that we could hit every state in the union and we're just a few away from making that happen. We need Hawaii, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Connecticut, and West Virginia. If you know of any bloggers in those states, please send 'em our way!

* Field Trip Friday: Where all have you called home? Create a list of all of the towns, states and/or countries that you've lived in. Are you a wanderer or more of a hometown girl/guy? Where was your favorite? Your least favorite? And why. Come back on Friday and link up your posts!

Field Trip Friday: The BEST Picnic

Summer is rolling to a close here. The temperatures are dropping at night and we've switched the air conditioner off to enjoy open windows and fresh air. While it can still be quite warm at midday, there is a briskness to the air that makes it quite clear that fall is on it's way. Soon enough, we'll be cooped up in our warm house to escape the frigid Maryland winter. So for us, it means we're trying to maximize our outdoor time while we still can. We've been to the park and the zoo, to the pool and the beach. We've flown kites and chased balls. And we've been on picnics.

There's just something so romantic about picnicking. Spreading out a blanket on a nice shady patch, a cool breeze ruffling your hair and keeping it from being too warm but not so much that your blanket is blowing away. When I tried to picture my ideal picnic, I kept coming back to one image:

The rolling, open prairie of my childhood.

Close your eyes and imagine laying under that tree. Can you feel the gentle breeze brushing over you? Stretched out on a checkered blanket, you feel little pokes from the grass that hasn't quite been tamed underneath. Through the branches, you can make out every single leaf, a million different shades of green represented in one tree. Beyond it, a sky so big and blue, it seems you can see the curvature of the earth. The grass is nearly waist high and waves in the breeze, back and forth. It conceals you from view, not that there is anyone other than your beloved within miles, but it feels so sheltered and secluded. A plate of cold fried chicken sits next to you. A glass of crisp white wine perches on a tray, along with some apples, grapes and sharp cheese. You talk about your dreams. About the novel living inside you. And you build a story framed by that tree. You while away the afternoon, nibbling, talking, planning, taking it in.

Can you see it?

What's your ideal picnic? Please link up directly to your Field Trip Friday post!

Twin Cities and Twins in those Cities

I don't think you need to bundle up just yet, but we are heading back to that state of many lakes, Minnesota. Twin Cities here we come!

Quite fittingly, our guide for today's BlogTrotting tour of the TWIN Cities is Jess, an adorable twenty-something mom of -- wait for it -- TWINS! Promise me you'll check out the so, so sweet photos of these little guys on the about us page.

You ready? Let's go!

The Bormann Twins

Please leave Jess and her crew a comment to let them know you stopped by!

Come back tomorrow and link up for Field Trip Friday: Describe your perfect picnic. When, where, with whom, what's on the menu.

Hitsburgh!

Here in Baltimore, we're pretty big on our football. And the team everyone loves to hate? Pittsburgh. You take your life in your hands if you you show up in a Steelers jersey. And when they come to town for a game, well, let's just say the competition is fierce.

But despite this animosity, it's hard to argue that Pittsburgh isn't a lovely town. I've not spent much time there, but what I have seen of the rivers and surrounding area is really quite beautiful. And I'm sure our featured blogger, Marianne, will give us a fantastic tour! So let's head on over to see her!

Lucy's Human

Please leave Marianne a comment and let her know what corner of the world you call home!

And come back on Friday to link up your Field Trip Friday posts. This week, we're talking about the ideal picnic.

Cross Roads of America

Hope all of our American BlogTrotters had a lovely long holiday weekend! In Maryland, we had amazingly gorgeous weather and we definitely took advantage of it around my house. It was a lovely sojourn, so now lets get back on the road!

We're off to visit Chrissy in Indiana today. She's a recent empty nester and from the sounds of it, as big of a football fan as I am (although our teams are not the same). For me, there is nothing like spending a brisk autumn afternoon among a sea of fans cheering on the home team. So let's go cheer Chrissy on!

Life's Not Always Fireflies and Hummingbirds

Don't forget to leave Chrissy a comment to thank her for the tour!

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And for this week's Field Trip Friday topic:

Describe your perfect picnic. When, where, with whom, what's on the menu. 

Come back on Friday and link up your posts!

Field Trip Friday: Favorite Vacation Photo

I've done a fair amount of traveling. And I am something of a shutterbug, which means that I have taken a vast number of photos during those travels. The great majority of those photos, especially from the pre-digital era, are not all that spectacular. The translation from "Wow! That would be an awesome shot!" to an actual awesome picture is a rocky one, fraught with sun glare, bad shadows, poor composition, and the worst, people moving. But sometimes, despite all of that, you get a good one.

The one that immediately came to mind when I thought of this topic is not one of those.

Despite this, it is hands down my all time favorite vacation photo. In fact, it is framed and hangs on my living room wall.

This is me, my mom and my stepdad* at the top of the Eiffel Tower. If you look down to my right, you can see the Seine. We took this on a family trip about 10 years ago. My cousin was in the Netherlands for an internship and we took the opportunity to visit her and make a big trip out of it. So my Uncle (her father), my parents and I all met her in Paris, where we spent five days before moving on to Rome for five days.

This is the first time I took a big trip with my parents as an adult, and it was a different experience than when I was younger. I will always be a kid in my mom's eyes, but our relationship has changed as I've gotten older and the nuances of our interactions more flavored by my maturity. Importantly, though, it was the most time I had spent with my parents since I had moved to Baltimore several years before. For financial and scheduling reasons, my trips home to Kansas in those days were short and infrequent, so getting to spend that much time with my family was extra special.

So this photo embodies for me the quirky nature of my mom and I's relationship paired with one of my favorite cities in the world, Paris. I can't look at it without smiling.

Link up your favorite photos! Please link directly to the post, please!




*I'm not crazy about this term, because the connotation for "stepparents" is bad and my relationship with my stepdad is anything but. He is a very, very important person in my life and the term stepdad just doesn't do justice to how supportive and loving he has been to me. Unfortunately, there just isn't a replacement that doesn't sound contrived or silly. Sigh.

Find It All in Montreal

After previewing today's BlogTrotting tour, I was tempted to title the post "Eat It All in Montreal." I heard talk of a tasty treat that involves "French fries drenched in gravy with cheese curds." Um, sign me up.

Dragonfly, our guide today, has really sold Montreal and its surrounding area. Plenty to see, do, and eat!

Let's go visit Dragonfly!

Life as a new generation family

Please leave Dragonfly a comment to let her know you stopped by.

And, come back tomorrow for Field Trip Friday. Share a vacation photo in your post and link up here so BlogTrotters everywhere can enjoy it!

On a roll here in Little Rock

Anyone else remember that Collin Raye song? You know, "I think I'm on a roll here in Little Rock / I'm solid as a stone, baby, wait and see . . ." I think of that song every time Little Rock is mentioned.

I hope today's BlogTrotting tour will give me even more good stuff to associate with Little Rock. Our tour guide is Kat, who includes her two word parenting philosophy: Whatever Works. Brilliant. I totally agree. Also, make sure to read to find out where she gave birth to her son and who helped her.

Let's Go!

Team Hills

Please leave Kat & Co. a comment to let her know you stopped by!

Remember to dig out a vacation photo (and some commentary to go with it) for this week's Field Trip Friday link-up.