This is my newsletter for July 2021.

I hope this finds you well. In southwest Colorado summer is heating up! The mountains are green and tourist season is in full swing in Durango. It's much appreciated after this past year. After my last two newsletters I had complaints, and I am here to rectify the problem! Several of you were miffed because I didn't include links to things that I find interesting or useful, as I have done in the past. Well, I'm so sorry. I didn't know and I'm on it. 

The world is awake and these people are hiring! You can still get jobs this summer in beautiful locations with room and board provided. You're welcome.

During the pandemic I became a bit obsessed with a few different regions of Great Britain. I'm not sure why. I want to do this walk very badly, and the notion of pilgrimages and cathedral walks are fascinating to me. 

I've always loved wild swimming, but this burley Brit is taking it to the next level and has basically invented his own new sport that's just pure genius. Why didn't I think of River Trekking? And the Lake District looks spectacular. Cornwall is also calling me and to scratch that itch, we've been watching this show from PBS Masterpiece Theater, which, unlike so many series these days, is fine for the whole family. If anyone is interested in an adult walking tour of England, let me know as I'd love to take a group! Seriously…reply to this email. 

With all of this Brit love, you can imagine that I'm SUPER STOKED to be sending a client to go do this! (next summer)

My other full-time obsession is walking the Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James. There's too much information to share here, but know that there are many, many routes and it's on many a bucket list. Along the way, you can stay in either municipal or private albergues, special hostels designated solely for pilgrims on the Camino. I want to do the French route first, as it starts with a bang - crossing the Pyrenees before dropping into Spain. 

Why the obsession with walking? A few years ago we took a family gap trip to Europe. In Rome, we went to the Vatican and were standing out front, in St. Peter's Square. An older couple, with backpacks and walking sticks asked us to take their picture, and we started chatting. They had just walked to Rome from Florence. We had just taken the train to Rome from Florence. I couldn't help but feel that they had certainly had the richer experience. We talked for a long time about the trail systems in Europe and they shared their favorites and that was it…the bee has been in my bonnet ever since and if you know me, you know that I have researched it ad nauseam.

The world’s happiest people eat this for lunch, day in and day out. Could you do this? 

This article about travel and how to have a ‘happy vacation’ is good. After watching people maniacally video the fireworks on the 4th…which always befuddles me…it's good to know that I'm not alone on this. Want to have a better vacation? Take fewer pictures…and don't post them. 

This serves no purpose whatsoever, but is probably my worst nightmare, so I thought I'd share. Just imagine the horror. 

Along the same lines, next week I'm competing in this challenge, not because I'm a hunter or like killing…I don't. Why, you ask? It's not for the prize money…I have no designs on that. I'm doing it because invasive apex predators are NOT cool and destroy their ecosystems. The wholesale bird killing especially irks me. Florida birds are so amazing. And by the way, no guns are allowed. I had to get certified in order to compete, which was totally fun. I've ordered my snake hook…

As someone who has taken almost endless road trips, I found this list of road trips and scenic drives to be new and refreshing! You'll be pleased to know that it does NOT feature Route 66. Also, watch the ‘lake lodge’ video embedded in this article…they are good ones!

OK. Here is some amazing gap year information for you. Do you have a ho-hum student who didn't get into their top choice schools, or maybe any school? They want to go to college and stay on a 4 year track but would also love an adventure? Does Costa Rica sound fun? I am very excited to be working with a program that has an ingenious solution AND after a semester or year of study abroad guarantees college placement with full transferable credit. They also accept FAFSA and offer a $10,000 grant to folks with an income under 65K per year. This is big! If you are swift, I might could still make it happen for fall…but definitely spring! Reply to this email.

And lastly, hopefully, this popular link is at the end of its useful service…Where can US citizens go right now? Here is the updated list and it's obviously grown since the last newsletter.

I hope you are all feeling fine and stretching your 'adventure' muscles. Someone said, and I concur…"the world is a book and those who never travel read only a page." Whether you're 19, 49 or 69…consider a gap year. Your best life awaits and I've got inspiration and ideas galore!