As promised, here is a blog post about all my travel in 2022. But before I dive into that, let me share why travel in 2023 will likely not be the same volume as 2022.
A nasty slip on the ice on January 11, 2023 led to an ankle dislocation and a tibial fracture. I was just taking Mike out for his morning walk and SURPRISE! It looked pretty bad when I first did it but the surgeon I met with today said it was a common ankle fracture.
I have surgery on Thursday January 19 to get some delightful plates and screws inserted into my ankle area and rebuild me. It will be a 6 month recovery. He said a couple weeks post-op if I really wanted I could travel but I likely won’t be feeling it for a while!
I had a dental appointment yesterday and my dentist did share that he had the same type of injury a couple of years ago, recovered fine and is now running again and snowboarding. He is near my age and really active. Right now all I am thinking about it how much I will miss my morning walks with Mike the Miniature Schnauzer while listening to audiobooks. Also a couple fun trips 2023 got cancelled – we were headed next week to Atlanta, GA for a conference John needed to attend; we had a trip to Cabo planned; we had a New Mexico roadtrip with my sister planned; we had a family trip to Barcelona Spain (with a side trip to Lisbon Portugal to meet up with some friends of John’s there); and a little weekend trip to Las Vegas. Maybe the Universe was telling us to slow down as we’ve gone a little crazy traveling post pandemic!
Well enough on my new found reality. let’s talk about all the travel I did in 2022, good memories (queue Barbara Streisand singing…)
2022 A Year of Travel
John and I went a little crazy with travel in 2022 in a post pandemic explosion of saying yes to most travel opportunities presented our way. For domestic (U.S.) travel we had the SW Airlines Companion Pass (that we had earned in 2021 for 2022) and so I could fly for basically free ($11 fee each way) whenever John flew.
We had a busy combination of personal and business travel within the U.S. and a trip to Ireland. Here’s where we went:
Chicago, Illinois (three visits)
If you count our short trip to Chicago at the beginning of January 2023, we visited Chicago three times in less than 3 months. Our trips included two business trips for John and one trip to meet up with my brother and his family in Chicago as my brother was there for a business trip. Here’s a blog post link about one of the 2022 trips to Chicago – Chicago in Black and White
In 2022 we went to Austin, Texas twice on business trips for John. It is a very cool city and I had an amazing time at the downtown Austin library (a magical place!). Here is one blog posts related to some of our Austin, Texas travel in 2022 –Peaceful Oasis at the Austin Central Library .
Las Vegas, Nevada (three visits)
We visited Las Vegas three times in 2022 for fun – twice on our own and once with friends. On one of the trips I took a bunch of black and white photos on “old downtown Las Vegas” – the Fremont Street Experience area, and shared them in this post –Downtown L as Vegas in Black and White
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Atlanta, Georgia (one visit)
I probably should have written a post about our visit to Atlanta, Georgia in November 2022 as I took a lot of cool photos, but I’ll share some of them here. The airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, is really cool and we loved the art to include a simulated rainforest at night experience in one of the main moving walkway areas; and a wonderful tribute to the late U.S. Representative John Lewis:
We spent time wandering about the Krog Districta really cool shopping and arts district. They had another tribute to John Lewis as graffiti on a building (they had lots of awesome graffiti art in the district); as well as a display of some amazing recycled metal parts (including automotive parts) sculptures:
Portland, Oregon (one visit)
I blogged about my awesome trip to rainy Portland Oregon in December 2022 in the post A Little Reunion in Portland Oregon. Although it was cold and rainy it was fun to visit Powell’s Book and other cool places in the Pearl District of downtown Portland.
We spent a day in NYC before heading overnight to Dublin, Ireland. Perhaps I am cheating but I will go ahead and call this a visit to NYC!
Omaha, Nebraska (one visit)
We had a brief trip to Omaha, Nebraska for John’s business meeting in October. I was bummed to learn after the trip that we were not to far from one of my knitting goddess blogging buddies @mildly granola who lives in Iowa, and we could have met up for an adult beverage!
I could have done a post on the Omaha visit but I was distracted from travel and then too much time passed and I forgot about blogging about the trip. So here are some photos of the fun we had one afternoon in Omaha’s Old Market:
Fun shops we visited in Old Market included the Christmas store Tannenbaum(which had the most unusual and perhaps disturbing Nativity Scene I’ve ever seen); Raygun(which had a hysterical sign on the front window); the Imaginarium ;as well as the Monster Grub Pub (a horror themed pub!):
St. Petersburg, Florida (via Tampa, FL) (one visit)
We had to travel to Wilmington, NC for a work conference John needed to attend. We flew into Raleigh, NC, rented a car and drove to Wilmington. Here is a blog post about time in Raleigh –Trip to North Carolina: Fun Evening in Downtown Raleigh.
So currently all my 2023 travel plans have been cancelled and I am adjusting to my new limited mobility reality. But my ankle will heal and I’ll be back traveling later in 2023.
I hope your surgery goes well! I got a plate in my ankle two years ago after breaking it. Do you have a knee scooter? The first winter was hard, because the metal got so cold, but I’m used to it now. I love reading about your trips, and hope you get to travel again as soon as you are healed up. Come back to Omaha or Kansas City and we will get together for drinks.
Thanks so much and yes I now have a knee scooter and it is awesome! I remember when you had to deal with your ankle and glad you have adapted. Most definitely I will bug you if in the area again 🙂
So sorry to hear of your ice-slip. Recovery **is** a long haul, so I wish for you patience, painfree days and (ph)fun. I’ll bet your creative output will be double last year’s in just those 6 months of ‘taking it easy’ post-op.
😉
Meanwhile, what a lovely accounting of your 2022 travels! Whew!
Take care.
So sorry about your injury. My husband had a similar accident (40 years ago though) and it all healed fine. Crossing fingers surgery goes easily and you heal fast.
I can’t even concentrate on your “travel diary for 2022” as my heart goes out to you and your well wrapped little foot – virtual hugs from far away. Don’t try to do too much for now, take the time to rest, heal and learn how to go forth – travel will come again…
Holy cow! You guys have been really busy. Wow! Thanks for the list of places you visited and the pics. It’s like I’m right there tagging along. Hope your ankle is ok when they’re done. My brother’s gal slipped over the weekend and shattered her elbow. Boy! Welcome to 2023!
She was screwing around on her son’s new skateboard in the house. Boy, she’ll remember not to do that again. She is doing ok. I think they are meeting with a surgeon tomorrow.
Your traveling days may be on hold for a bit, but your memories of 2022 travels and your adventurous spirit will keep you going. Sending you hugs and wishes for a speedy recovery.
Oh no, but better to rest up properly and have it heal than risk more damage. Hopefully you’ll be up and running soon but a good excuse to spend some time on the couch with some good books and some hand stitching
I walked off the step and my ankle stayed behind on April 22. 3 bones broken, 3 plates, 15 screws. I have a time line for how mine went if you are interested. I am still limping a bit, but mostly back to normal.
Nooooo – ouch! Your description made me laugh even though it sounds terrible. The fact that you are mostly back to normal makes me feel very encouraged. Thanks so much for sharing I really appreciate it 🙂
Oh My. Good luck with the surgery. I will be thinking about you. I am sure you will be back on your feet in no time. Loved all your photos! Make sure to let us know how you are doing.
Bad luck on the ankle and good luck with the surgery and recovery.Goodness me you travelled a lot to some super places last year. I loved visiting Eric when he worked abroad and had some lovely trips.
Wow! That was a great year of travel! So many cool destinations 🙂 Omaha looks like it was really fun – the Monster Pub, the stores – much more fun than I would expect! I hope your ankle heals up quickly and you are able to get back out and about sooner rather than later.
It was I’m very appreciative and now I’m OK with just chilling out for a while! Yeah, I’ve never been to Omaha before, I was only there is a short period of time, and I bet there’s even more cool stuff there!
As I write this you will be recovering from that scary sounding operation. Sending strength and thoughts for a smooth recovery.
The report on all your travels left me positively breathless! You must be very good at packing.
A nasty slip on the ice on January 11, 2023 led to an ankle dislocation and a tibial fracture. I was just taking Mike out for his morning walk and SURPRISE! It looked pretty bad when I first did it but the surgeon I met with today said it was a common ankle fracture.
If you count our short trip to Chicago at the beginning of January 2023, we visited Chicago three times in less than 3 months. Our trips included two business trips for John and one trip to meet up with my brother and his family in Chicago as my brother was there for a business trip. Here’s a blog post link about one of the 2022 trips to Chicago – Chicago in Black and White
The saga of our trip to Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA in order to spend Christmas with my family and the subsequent travel drama is contained in these posts: A Christmas and A New Years Miracle? (Part I), and A Christmas and a New Years Miracle? (Part II)
In 2022 we went to Austin, Texas twice on business trips for John. It is a very cool city and I had an amazing time at the downtown Austin library (a magical place!). Here is one blog posts related to some of our Austin, Texas travel in 2022 –Peaceful Oasis at the Austin Central Library .
We visited Las Vegas three times in 2022 for fun – twice on our own and once with friends. On one of the trips I took a bunch of black and white photos on “old downtown Las Vegas” – the Fremont Street Experience area, and shared them in this post –Downtown L as Vegas in Black and White
I probably should have written a post about our visit to Atlanta, Georgia in November 2022 as I took a lot of cool photos, but I’ll share some of them here. The airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, is really cool and we loved the art to include a simulated rainforest at night experience in one of the main moving walkway areas; and a wonderful tribute to the late U.S. Representative John Lewis:
I blogged about my awesome trip to rainy Portland Oregon in December 2022 in the post A Little Reunion in Portland Oregon. Although it was cold and rainy it was fun to visit Powell’s Book and other cool places in the Pearl District of downtown Portland.
I went to Fayetteville, AR for the first time to meet up with my friend MJ and help a friend organize her crafting/art studio. Here are the blog posts about that adventure: Guest Blog Post: The Fayetteville Friend’s Studio Project, Part I, Guest Blog Post: The Fayetteville Friend’s Studio Project, Part II, Guest Blog Post: The Fayetteville Friend’s Studio Project, Part III and Cute and Curious Kitty Quilt Trunk Show .
We spent a day in NYC before heading overnight to Dublin, Ireland. Perhaps I am cheating but I will go ahead and call this a visit to NYC!
We had a brief trip to Omaha, Nebraska for John’s business meeting in October. I was bummed to learn after the trip that we were not to far from one of my knitting goddess blogging buddies @mildly granola who lives in Iowa, and we could have met up for an adult beverage!
In September we went to St. Petersburg, FL for the opening of the Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West show in which my art quilt Langston Hughes, Pioneer Poet was included. Here are blog posts related to that adventure: Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West show opening weekend, Part I , Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West show opening weekend, Part II , and Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West show opening weekend, Part III .
In October 2022 we journeyed to Ireland for the first time along with the tierneycreates and John Beastie in tow. I still have another blog post or two to write about the trip, but here are the blog posts that tierneycreates Beastie and I have shared so far: Guest Blog Post: Beasties Return to Ireland! , Guest Blog Post: The Beasties’ Ireland Travelogue (Part I) , and Guest Blog Post: The Beasties’ Ireland Travelogue (Part II).
In July 2022 I went on a quilt retreat in Shelton, WA on the water. The tierneycreates Beastie and I did a series of blog post about that adventure: Guest Blogger: Quilt Retreat Report from the tierneycreates Beastie, Part I, Guest Blogger: Quilt Retreat Report from the tierneycreates Beastie, Part II, and Riptide Retreat 2022 in Black and White .
In March 2022 I attended a Missouri Star Quilt Company quilt retreat. Here are the series of blog posts about this adventure: MSQC Quilt Retreat Part I: What I Worked On, MSQC Quilt Retreat Part II: Quilt Town, USA ,MSQC Retreat Part III: Inside the Shops, MSQC Quilt Retreat Part IV: Greatest Fabric Scrap Sale of All Time and ,MSQC Quilt Retreat Part V: The Retreat Center Experience.
We had to travel to Wilmington, NC for a work conference John needed to attend. We flew into Raleigh, NC, rented a car and drove to Wilmington. Here is a blog post about time in Raleigh –Trip to North Carolina: Fun Evening in Downtown Raleigh.
tierneycreates 
I hope your surgery goes well! I got a plate in my ankle two years ago after breaking it. Do you have a knee scooter? The first winter was hard, because the metal got so cold, but I’m used to it now. I love reading about your trips, and hope you get to travel again as soon as you are healed up. Come back to Omaha or Kansas City and we will get together for drinks.
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Thanks so much and yes I now have a knee scooter and it is awesome! I remember when you had to deal with your ankle and glad you have adapted. Most definitely I will bug you if in the area again 🙂
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So sorry to hear of your ice-slip. Recovery **is** a long haul, so I wish for you patience, painfree days and (ph)fun. I’ll bet your creative output will be double last year’s in just those 6 months of ‘taking it easy’ post-op.
😉
Meanwhile, what a lovely accounting of your 2022 travels! Whew!
Take care.
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Thanks so much and I am planning to focus on making things in 2023 during my down time. Just adapting to my new reality now 🙂
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So sorry about your injury. My husband had a similar accident (40 years ago though) and it all healed fine. Crossing fingers surgery goes easily and you heal fast.
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Thanks so much! Glad to hear your hubby healed fine, Ive been hearing similar encouraging stories 🙂
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I can’t even concentrate on your “travel diary for 2022” as my heart goes out to you and your well wrapped little foot – virtual hugs from far away. Don’t try to do too much for now, take the time to rest, heal and learn how to go forth – travel will come again…
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Thanks so much I appreciate that! I am taking it slow and learning my new reality 🙂
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Ouch! Wishing you a speedy recovery xxx Rest up after it and don’t push yourself too hard
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Thanks so much I appreciate that 🙂
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Well! You did have quite a year! But blond was not a good look for Barbara.
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I did 🙂
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Holy cow! You guys have been really busy. Wow! Thanks for the list of places you visited and the pics. It’s like I’m right there tagging along. Hope your ankle is ok when they’re done. My brother’s gal slipped over the weekend and shattered her elbow. Boy! Welcome to 2023!
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We were crazy busy! Now is time to slow down 🙂
Sorry to hear about your brother’s gal’s injury! Slipping sucks!
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She was screwing around on her son’s new skateboard in the house. Boy, she’ll remember not to do that again. She is doing ok. I think they are meeting with a surgeon tomorrow.
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Oh no! I wish here a speedy recovery and that is cool she was having fun at least when she got hurt…
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Yes. She’s going to the surgeon on Thursday. It’ll be fine. She’s laughing and joking around in the background, while my brother and I game together.
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Your traveling days may be on hold for a bit, but your memories of 2022 travels and your adventurous spirit will keep you going. Sending you hugs and wishes for a speedy recovery.
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Thanks so much Chela! 🙂
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Oh no, but better to rest up properly and have it heal than risk more damage. Hopefully you’ll be up and running soon but a good excuse to spend some time on the couch with some good books and some hand stitching
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I do – lots of books and a big hand stitching project to finish, thanks 😀
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I’m so sorry to hear about your ankle. Good luck on the surgery! You had such a busy travel year. Phew!
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Thanks so much and I guess the start of 2023 is slow down time! 😀
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I walked off the step and my ankle stayed behind on April 22. 3 bones broken, 3 plates, 15 screws. I have a time line for how mine went if you are interested. I am still limping a bit, but mostly back to normal.
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Nooooo – ouch! Your description made me laugh even though it sounds terrible. The fact that you are mostly back to normal makes me feel very encouraged. Thanks so much for sharing I really appreciate it 🙂
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Oh My. Good luck with the surgery. I will be thinking about you. I am sure you will be back on your feet in no time. Loved all your photos! Make sure to let us know how you are doing.
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Thanks so much Lori I really appreciate that!
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Bad luck on the ankle and good luck with the surgery and recovery.Goodness me you travelled a lot to some super places last year. I loved visiting Eric when he worked abroad and had some lovely trips.
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Thanks so much! I am thankful for the 2022 travel and learning to appreciate the 2023 slow down.
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Oh no Tierney!! Know I’ll be praying for you as you head into surgery tomorrow and for your recovery. Mike must be missing his walking partner.
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Thanks so much I appreciate that!
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This was a great year of travel, I hope you have a speedy recovery and can get back on the road soon x
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Thanks so much I appreciate that!
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Wow! That was a great year of travel! So many cool destinations 🙂 Omaha looks like it was really fun – the Monster Pub, the stores – much more fun than I would expect! I hope your ankle heals up quickly and you are able to get back out and about sooner rather than later.
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It was I’m very appreciative and now I’m OK with just chilling out for a while! Yeah, I’ve never been to Omaha before, I was only there is a short period of time, and I bet there’s even more cool stuff there!
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You will be back to traveling again before you know it 🙂 Once you have healed up, of course!
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Thank you 😀
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As I write this you will be recovering from that scary sounding operation. Sending strength and thoughts for a smooth recovery.
The report on all your travels left me positively breathless! You must be very good at packing.
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Thank you 😀 I did get really efficient on packing!
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Wow that’s a lot of travelling! I hope you heal quickly so you can get back to it.
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I know, kind of crazy in retrospect! 🙂
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