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As a travel writer, I've explored a variety of destinations and activities over the years – from RV-ing down Interstate 40 to snorkeling in southern Florida – but I certainly haven't gone everywhere or done everything I've wanted to. Horseback riding in Costa Rica, sampling wines in southern France, exploring the Great Barrier Reef... the fantasy list goes on and on. Perhaps it's that kind of dreaming – and curiosity about other folks' wish lists – that inspired today's “What If?” blog post on Come In Character.
So, where would you go if you had endless amounts of time, money, and, perhaps most importantly, energy?
Here in America – and the rest of the northern hemisphere – today is the summer solstice: the longest day of the year, the official beginning of summer, and a great time to plan a summer vacation. If you're looking for a coastal getaway, you should consider the northwestern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, an area rife with beaches, dunes, lighthouses, wineries, golf courses, and resort towns. Besides featuring this region – which happens to be one of my favorite parts of the Great Lakes State, where my husband and I spend our summers – on my American Nomad blog, I've also covered it for My Itchy Travel Feet as well as National Geographic Traveler. So, read all about it, enter the Moon Michigan giveaway at My Itchy Travel Feet, and pack your bags for this incredibly stunning and diverse place.
I can't believe that it's been almost seven weeks since I last posted something here. Without intending it, I'm afraid that my poor blog is, as with so many others, at risk of becoming obsolete. Unfortunately, that's what happens when you allow work to get in the way of your non-paying interests. But, even with impending deadlines for my current guide, Moon New Orleans, I've found time for sources of relaxation, such as biking, hiking, yoga, swimming, going to the movies, and reading on my in-laws' hammock.
As for movies, my husband, Dan, and I have recently seen X-Men: First Class and Super 8 – both of which we enjoyed immensely. As for books, though, I'm not at all embarrassed to admit that I recently read A. A. Milne's beloved Winnie-the-Pooh, and I was shocked to discover that Tigger doesn't make an appearance in this first collection of stories about the Hundred Acre Wood. Even Dan was surprised when I told him that Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Eeyore, Kanga, and Roo meet Tigger in the second book, The House at Pooh Corner. How silly we both feel for thinking that Tigger and Eeyore – our favorite characters – had always been friends. But memory is a funny thing – childhood memories are especially susceptible to distortion and manipulation – and it makes me wonder if it's better to stay ignorant or realize the truth.
Perhaps, in the case of Winnie-the-Pooh, it's just better to enjoy the stories and forget all the fuzzy memory business.