Sabbatical Trip Itinerary

For those who want to follow me along my trip here is my trip itinerary - I will be able to post on Facebook and email though photos will be limited if any until I get home.

Map of trip locations: 

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=212385067078146539643.0004c636bd22f3b236a11&msa=0

Friday, August 3^rd
Fly to Iceland

Saturday, August 4^th
Iceland - Blue Lagoon and Tour of the Geysers and National Parks

Sunday, August 5^th
Fly to Glasgow and Train to Edinburgh and check out Edinburgh Castle

Monday, August 6^th to Thursday, August 16th
Archeology Dig in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Friday, August 17^th
Fly to Geneva via London and take shuttle to Chamonix, France

Saturday, August 18th
Chamonix France - take the gondolas up to the top of the mountain.

Sunday, August 19^th to Friday, August 24th
Hike around Mont Blanc

Saturday, August 25^th to Saturday, September 1st
Fly to Rome, Italy and train to Valmontone
Work Exchange at Atkinson Farm

Sunday, September 2^nd
Train to Rome Fiumicino and fly to Johannesburg via Cairo

Monday, September 3^rd to Sunday, September 16^th
Fly to Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Lion and Tiger Game Reserve Volunteering at Kwantu Game Reserve

Monday, September 17^th
Fly to Dubai via Johannesburg

Tuesday, September 18^th
Fly to Seattle

My Sabbatical Project - Reading!

Since starting my sabbatical at the end of April I've read 17 books going on 18 with many more in the queue. That's averaging about 2 books a week and I love ever minute of it :)

Some of my favorites include:

- Micro by Michael Crichton finished by Richard Preston
- Insurgent by Veronica Roth - Book 2 of the Divergent Series
- The Forest of Hands and Teeth Trilogy by Carrie Ryan - my first foray into zombie books
- The Last Survivors Series by Susan Beth Pfeffer
- The Declaration Series by Gemma Malley - about what would happen if we find the cure for aging - yikes!
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - Since I work at a cancer research center this was super interesting!

Just to keep a record of what else I've been up to:

- Took an official horse back riding lesson using an English style saddle. Totally intimidating at the beginning but a lot more comfortable by the end and could tell the horse to back off when he'd get fussy.

- Gone wine tasting a couple of times.

- Went kayaking on Lake Union.

- Went on a few more hikes.

- Caught up with friends and co-workers.

- Starting playing tennis again - forgot how much I enjoy it!

- My brother and sister and law came into town with Maxwell.

- Finally went to my first Solstice Day Parade in Fremont to watch the bicyclists (and apparently roller bladers too)!

Tomorrow Reilly and I are off to Europe for 3 weeks - so excited!