Headed out for winter break with 6 hours of travel time gave us the perfect opportunity to catch up with our reading.  At the top of the list  was Gold From Iron, the story of the Olympic Gold Medalist from Michigan, Nick Baumgartner.

To start, if you're not from Michigan, or don't know the Upper Peninsula, Nick hails from Iron County, where iron mines fueled the American industry at one time.  The play on words draws readers immediately into Nick's world. 

The book is written in Nick's voice, light hearted and easy to follow.  He takes the reader through his life, sharing the highs and lows he endured as he set his sites on achieving one of the highest honors of an athlete.  As he does so, he mixes in small moments and favorite things along the way (like Riverside Pizzeria in Iron River!)

As the reader, it's easy to get drawn into your own life reflection throughout the book.  Nick's ability to challenge status quo, live simply, and stay connected to small town humble roots, gives readers the ability to look within.  What goals are you setting?  Where did you come from?  Where do you want to go?  And above all, you are never too old to start or achieve the goal you set before you.  

As our flights took off, and we begin the next chapter in navigating the world of teaching travel online, the book asks one question that resonated deeply. 

What would you do if you could not fail?

​That hit home.

The older we get the more we may feel there's a can't or shouldn't in front of choices we make.  Society puts expectational norms on decisions as we age, creating invisible barriers we sometimes don't even realize are there.  Nick pushes the reader to break through those barriers.  He continuously demonstrates and asks the reader to get outside of what "should be" and think about what "could be".  He recognizes the sacrifice this requires yet teaches throughout the book that the sacrifice makes the goal that much more worth it. 

As the book ended, and our trip came to a close, we couldn't help but reflect on what could be.  How continuing to move life forward, continuing to travel and teach, and  continuing to live just outside expectations and norms can make the all difference in this life.  

The book is well worth the read and highly recommended.   Find your copy in the link below!

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We were finishing up the last of our 24 hours overseas in Dublin.  We had a remarkable adventure through England and Ireland, and were looking for the last few places to stop before beginning our trek back across the pond.  We had a few hours to spare, and wanted to make sure we didn't miss a must see.

One of the best travel tips we can give you:  Sit at a bar and make small talk with local bartenders whenever possible.  Not only are they incredibly friendly, they are a wealth of knowledge and experience for travelers.  If they haven't been somewhere, there's a good chance they've heard about it.  So, we asked, and we were given the recommendation to see Christ's Church.   We were told it would be better than St. Patrick's.

We had passed it during the day but had skipped it for other more famous landmarks.  Taking the advice, we headed over to Christ's Church the following morning.  The Medieval Church design makes it unique just by observing the outside.  The history inside was just as interesting!

The architecture is stunning.  Arches and paths make every corner of the church interesting.  Statues are carved in incredible detail, and wood designs bring elegance to each area.

There are a few very unique parts that stand out in Christ's Church.  The first is the Heart of St. Laurence.  There are a few legends around why the heart of St. Laurence is locked away.  Added to the legends, the heart also was stolen and lost for 6 years before turning up in a local park.  The thieves returned it, feeling it had cursed them!  

Travel to the basement, and you'll find one of the original copies of the Magna Carta.  One of the first documents creating limitations on the monarchy, this document sits below Dublin as a reminder of history.   You can't take an actual picture of the document.  But we feel it's definitely worth seeing while they have it displayed.

The other part of history in the basement is part of the history and the monarchy.  The Church of England holds the religion of the King.  At one point, the King of England was Catholic.  In the basement, they found the pieces for the Catholic Mass.  This made the church a Catholic church, until the king changed!

It was well worth the recommendation.  Christ's Church was gracious enough to store our bags for us, as we were traveling with them to catch our flight home.  We were able to make the most of every last moment in Dublin. 

​Cheers to bartender recommendations!

Large bodies of water call to us.  The Great Lakes, the oceans, the seas.  They beckon us to their edge, humbling us with the vast space, their quiet movements, or their moody shifts.  They are both calming and unsettling.  For even on a still day, when the water shimmers like glass under the sun or a full moon, below the surface holds a force of nature that has captivated humans for centuries.

​Lighthouses are incredible travel destination points.  Each one is individual, holding it's own story and reason for being created.  The use of a lighthouse comes and goes, dependent on the water below.  The oldest lighthouse we have found so far was in Dover, England.  Created around 45 BC, the location is now more landlocked, as the sea has shifted her ways in 2,000 years.

The first lighthouses were lit with fire.  Tended to nightly to provide giudance for warring ships as nations battled for land long ago.  The lightkeeper then became a job.  We have seen a variety of ways lights were created, tended to, and used over the course of travel.  Each one a little different.  Each one sharing the story of long, dark nights, both in calm waters and story seas.  One man, in most cases, became resposible for the souls that crossed the water below.  The men on the sea trusted men on the shore to guide them through safetly. At times, neither the ship nor the keeper would know the name of the other.  Only that they were both needed.

As humans have come to terms with the immense, uncontrollable force of nature large bodies of water provide, they have grown and adapted.  Lighthouse keepers gave way to automatic lights.  Shipping lanes grew wider, and lighthouses became unnecessary in some places.  Yet, they still stand on the edge.  Waiting for a moment in which they may be called upon to guide someone to safety.​

They stand as a need, and as a symbolic moment for all of us.  Through the darkness, through the stormy seas, when we have lost our way, we long to see the light in the distance.  We search and we seek for that glimmer along the shore that will give us rescue and a break from the forces that we cannot control.  And sometimes, we may not even know the name of the person that shines light across our path to guide us home.  We only know that at that moment, we needed them to be exactly where they were at that moment, to lead us to safely to shore.

Find your light.  Find your lighthouse.  Sit along the shore and let the sea humble you.  Stand next to the lighthouse in peace, knowing not matter how rought the waters get, you'll always find your way home.