Connie in Morocco and Beyond

These are my travel experiences beginning with my Peace Corps service in Morocco from 2006-2008. At the request of friends and my own desire to document, I continued blogging my journeys to other countries as well as in the U. S., including my service as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in South Africa for most of 2014. This blog will continue as my travel journal.

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Location: Billings, Montana, United States

The Big Sky country of Montana is home sweet home!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Hi, yes, I am alive and well! Life is SO busy here compared to what I have become accustomed to the past couple of years. But it has been great re-connecting with family and friends, just as I anticipated. I still have my first-born daughter to see in CA to complete the circle, and plan to go there the week following Easter.

Have made at least one big decision, and that is to not buy a house yet. It just doesn't make sense to spend my much-deflated investment dollars, so will room with one of my hiker friends who has a full basement for my use, at a very economical reimbursement cost. I've been looking for work, but resist a full-time permanent job, at least until next fall. I really want my summer to be a bit open for time with kids and grandkids, and hiking, of course!

I am thoroughly enjoying being able to work out regularly at the gym and am also taking a weekly Spanish class through adult ed; plan to take it a college level next fall and perhaps, if it works out, do an immersion program in Mexico or Costa Rica. Hiking club potlucks have been lots of fun, and am looking forward to getting into the Beartooths again this summer.

I'm off with a friend for two weeks in February to AZ and NV. We both have sisters in AZ to visit, we'll pick up a show in Vegas, and do a bit of sight seeing. She loves cards as much as I, so undoubtedly cribbage will be on the "upon arising" schedule. What fun! Then, home to get serious about finding PT or temp work, and move into my new digs. My sister has been very generous with letting me stay, but we both like living alone, so I think that move will make both of us happy.

I've been doing a number of presentations about my Peace Corps experience to service clubs, church, etc., and enjoy doing that a lot. Sometimes it seems like a dream, but then I get an email from a PCV, or look at photos of people from my village, and it is very real indeed.

Am looking forward to a great weekend with a former PCV who lives in Laramie; we're meeting half-way at Casper and will jaw a lot and maybe even snowshoe. Will plan to post some photos next week upon my return.

Thursday, January 01, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I had a great post-Christmas week in
Chicagoland with one of my daughters and her family. Here they are in the Art Institute of Chicago, which I enjoyed, but was not nearly as popular with the boys as the Shedd Aquarium which we visited next, which included a terrific 4-D presentation. We had lots of food and games and just good family time.