NOLA for professional development and FL for family time! 😎

This September, I went to New Orleans for some professional development. The conference was full of professional development, puppies, and so.much.food!! (There was literally a different kind of bread pudding at each snack break!)

After the conference was over, I was able to explore New Orleans a bit before I left town (and it got too hot in the afternoon!). I walked down to the French Quarter and of course, the famous Cafe Du Monde.

The next day, I left my lovely New Orleans-themed hotel on the river and got a rental car to drive to the Florida panhandle to visit my parents. On one of the hottest days of September 2022!

I stopped in Biloxi, MS to see their cute lighthouse and have an amazing crab cake lunch in an old filling station.

Later that afternoon, I took one final pit stop in Alabama to check out my first Buc-ees!

After thinking September in Florida would be mild, it was so.hot! Relaxing on the porch, at the pool, and eating Chick-fil-A helped with the heat though!

We made it to the zoo one day and had a blast! It was such a great time with Mom and Dad!!!

After Hurricane Ian avoided the panhandle, I spent the last day wading in the hammock and we had a ridiculously delicious dinner at the harbor. 

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Fall in Alaska 🍂🍁

 Fall has hit in Alaska. 

We finally got a break in the rain, so we took a drive north to Eureka to enjoy the colors and lunch at the Eureka Roadhouse.

Fall also means volleyball season is back, so we had to take in one of UAA’s many wins!

It also cleared up enough one evening to see the Northern Lights - without staying up super late!

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Girls' Road Trip to Seward

At the height of fall in Alaska, I got to take a day road trip to Seward with my sister and niece (my mini-me - who's now taller than me)! We took our time on the drive down, sightseeing since they hadn't been down to Seward in a long time and taking some fun fall photos.

We first stopped at the Beluga Point parking area.

Then after a bit more driving, we pulled off at another pullout on the Turnagain Arm.

We have a photo of Abby as a toddler in this same pose at this pullout - she's grown a bit!

We then continued on into the Turnagain Pass, and pulled off at a parking lot along the river. We got out to take some more pictures along the river bed and a riverside trail that had some steep drop-offs!

Close to the edge!

She loves me, I swear!

She's growing up!

Auntie learning how to selfie...

We pulled into the wonderful town of Seward and had some lunch and walked around some shops.

I get my photo taken with this local (a.k.a. "Amber's boyfriend") every year since I was in middle school (the 1990s!)

We walked around the harbor a bit, and also drove to the end of the road (Milepost 0 of the Seward Highway)/Lowell Point/Miller's Landing.

Mother and daughter at the harbor

Before we left town, we spent some time on the beach and took some photos of Resurrection Bay, and saw some jellyfish!

As we headed back north, we got a few more photos outside of Seward and in the town of Moose Pass. It was a gorgeous sunny, fall day!

Another selfie attempt...

Reflections on Trail Lake in Moose Pass

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