“A” is for Arranging an ABC Adventure

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Debbie

The ABC Adventure is meant to encourage you to explore deeper and is intended to assist you with documenting your journey, You are using your camera and language skills to document a story while adding some creativity to both.

An ABC Adventure is part personal guidebook, part word game, part photography challenge and part Scavenger Hunt. It is all fun.

“Rules” of the Game

The first rule is that there really are no rules! There are however a few missions. The purpose of the ABC game is to live more deeply and to document the journey, but mostly to have fun along the way.
The game is similar to a Scavenger Hunt. It may be played by yourself, with a group, or in teams. You will take one photograph representing a word or phrase (that you choose) for each letter of the alphabet. You do not need to complete the alphabet in order. There is no time limit to the game (unless you choose to set one).
Begin by choosing an anchoring theme for your game. Put your anchoring theme at the top of the page. This offers a little confinement to your mission. ABC games are not limited to travel. Here are a few themes we have used:

Art in an Airport
Birthday Celebrations
Date Nights
Exploration By Country
Exploration By the City

You could also do an ABC food tour, an ABC cruise ship tour, an ABC art in the airport tour, your ABC Adventures are only as limited as your creativity.

Write out the alphabet leaving blank space next to each letter. Each letter will represent a single word or phrase. Once you assign the word or phrase, you will take a photo to represent it (or you can take a photo first and then assign it to a word). There are no limits to how creative your photography or word choices may be. In fact, the more creative, the more interesting the game becomes.

The choice of creating a guide before you begin a game is entirely up to you. You can follow our process below, or jump straight to the Scavenger Hunt section.

Creating a Guide (Wordplay and Personal Guide)

The value in making a list is to see where you are going to be challenged. Some letters are more difficult than others to represent. Write out the alphabet leaving blank space next to each letter. We generally create our lists on the computer because the word list can become very long. By having all the options, you can quickly see where an alternate word or phrase choice might exist. Mostly the guide is a long series of questions.
Where are you going? What is the mission of this ABC Adventure? If you are doing a travel themed ABC Adventure, this may be continents, countries, states, cities, towns and/or villages. If you are limiting your exploration to something like the cruise ship, then you might write “C” for cruise or “I” for Island Princess (or whatever specific ship you are on). If you were looking just for art in a museum then you might just record the name of the museum. In our example below, My theme is ABC’s By State. We knew we would be visiting several Hawaiian islands but I began with H-Hawaii then added K-Kauai since I knew we would be experiencing at least that much. My list will eventually expand to include Maui and Oahu as part of an overall Hawaiian Adventure.
Next ask yourself who is going to play the game/travel with you. In our case, it will just be Alan and I, so I will add and “A”-Alan and “D”-Deb to my list.
How will you get there? (example A-airplane, C-cruise, “R” Rental car etc). Do you know of any other transportation you would like to experience? *Since much of Kauai inaccessible by road, it is recommended to see from a sailboat “S” , “C” catamaran and/or “P” plane. Do you already know if certain tours use a specific kind of transportation? You could use “K” for kayak.
Next, begin to research tours or activities you might be interested in. This is your “what will we do question”. I often visit Trip Advisor or Pinterest to find fun things to do. We knew we wanted to take a flight tour over Kauai so our abc list began to look like this… A-airplane, F-flight tour etc. Always list multiple terms for each word, this is how you will eventually fill the entire alphabet with options. Move from broad to specific. You could also begin to get creative here…what about the letter “U” for Up (as in up in the air). Each guide will be personal to your interests, activities and goals.
Begin to fill in things you will likely see on the tour. For example, as we researched the flight tour we knew we could use “N” for Na Pali coast and “W” for Waimea Canyon. These were both included on the tour. As we read about these places we noted that Waimea Canyon was also referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We cross referenced the list with a “G”. We knew these areas would be “L” -lush. Our words were beginning to get a little more descriptive. We knew that we would be seeing “W”-waterfalls and “R” rainforests. We noted that the Na Pali coast was undulating. We added these words. Hint, words spark creativity of photos and vice versa.
Stay open to discovering new things to explore. As we researched our options, we also discovered many other things we might be interested in exploring such as “F” for Fern Grotto and “R” for Riverboat cruise, if we had time. My mind raced with the possibilities of how we could spend our time. What restaurants are recommended? What sites are top to see? You likely won’t “do” everything on your list but writing down everything which interests you, means that you will have numerous options when it comes time to actually going on your personal journey. If it were raining, you might need to move an activity indoors, you will already know where to go. This is the personal guide portion of the game. Think of it as a travel guide.
Now imagine the culture. What foods, games, dances, music, language etc do you want to discover. Your abc list might begin to look like “H”-hula and “U”-ukelele. Is there a traditional dress which people wear? For example, “A” Aloha Shirts.
Begin to add other categories which interest you such as A-architecture, animals, B-boats, beaches C-churches etc. Continue to move from broad to specific for example you could add A-animals but research showed that we would likely see C-chickens and W-whales on this trip, so they were also listed.
Keep asking questions and adding to your lists. What foods are eaten? Example “M” Macadamia nuts, “S”-shave ice. How do they taste or smell? Sweet, sour, pungent? What time of year is it? What season are you in? What month is it? Is it dry, arid, wet or humid? Sunny or cloudy? What do you hear? What colors could you add? What emotions are triggered? Do you expect to stand in awe?
*The more descriptive terminology you add, the more interesting your writing will become when it comes time to tell your story. This may also give you some interesting ideas for photography.
Keep building your alphabet lists with creative exploration of language. For example “C” could be coffee (which Kawaii is famous for) but perhaps you already have a “C”, you could also use “J” for Java.
Add some colors to your list. Kawaii is very “G”-green but dig deeper and add interesting words like “V”-verdent.
Did you know the “Y”-Yellow Hibiscus is the state flower? Build, build, build on the ABC/word list before you begin playing the game. The more time you spend here, the more options you have once you begin the game.

Scavenger Hunt

Use your blank alphabet list. The goal is to try to represent each letter of the alphabet with a word or phrase and a photo. Hint: take more photos than you think you need.
You are using your camera and language skills to document a story. Add some creativity to both. How do you document words like yellow? Did you know that the state flower of Hawaii is yellow? Since my theme is ABC’s By State (Hawaii), this would be a great way to document my “Y” for yellow. This can often be a tough letter to find, so it will be high on my list to get this photo. if I see the word pineapple, I might choose to photograph a pineapple plantation, a single pineapple growing, or a wonderful pina colada (or all of the above). I might also try to experience the local pineapple french toast with coconut dressing, all would be wonderful ways to represent the word pineapple.

Detours-Sometimes you won’t have an idea for a letter. This is your chance to become very observant. Words and opportunities are everywhere. Detours are what create the adventure, don’t be afraid of them.

Did you see a sign which begins with your needed letter? Detour.
Could you find a quote which begins with your desired letter and fits the theme of your adventure? Detour.
Could you rearrange your photos/words to be able to use something somewhere else? Detour.

Share Your Story

By the time you finish this game, you are sure to have had some grand adventures. It is likely that you took more photos than just those that you selected for the Scavenger Hunt. It is likely that you imagined more words and phrases than you used (you did save your list didn’t you?). I know that I will have tried to capture every single word on my list. I will have let my creativity flow through my photography and word choices. It is now time to use these to put the words and photos together because a photo without explanation is left to interpretation and words with no pictures means it never happened. By the time you complete an ABC adventure, your photos and descriptive writing should represent who, what, where, when, why and how of the adventure you set out to enjoy.

We experience the world one letter at a time and discover our world one word at a time, but we write our legacy by one story at a time.

The Overall Kauai ABC List

Here is how our Kauai, Hawaii list eventually shaped up. (Yours may look different based on personal interests/goals).

Allerton Gardens/Aloha shirts/ Aloha/Airplane/Alan/animals/Awe
Blow Hole (Spouting Horn)/Beaches/Botanical Gardens/blue
Chickens (thousands occupy the island)/coffee (see also java)/coconut/crater/chocolate/cruise
Deb
Eucalyptus trees (Tunnel of trees on way to Koloa Town and Poipu Beach)
Fern Grotto (lava cave overgrown with ferns-about 2 miles up the Wailua River-accessed by kayak or boat trip)/Flowers/Forbidden Island (Ni’Hau)/Flight
Grove Farm Sugar Plantation Museum/Grand Canyon of the Pacific (Waimea Canyon Park)/gardens/ green
Hanalei (shopping)/Hanalei Bay/Hanakapi’ai Beach/Hawaii/Helicopter tour (Island Helicopter Tours are the only one which land at a waterfall)/Hula Dancers (Sheraton Kauai Resort, Grand Hyatt Kaui and Kilohana Plantation estate)/humid
Island Plane Tour
January/Jurassic Park Falls/Java (see also coffee)
Kalaheo Coffee Co (breakfast/baked goods)/Kawaii/kayak/Kilohana plantation/Koke’e State Park/Kalalau Trail (first half mile)/Koa wooden bowls/Kauai coffee/Kilauea Point/Kilauea Lighthouse/Koa wooden bowls/Kipu Kai/Kalapaki Beach/Kalua (the act of cooking a pig in the ground for hours)/Kauai/Koloa Town
Lighthouse (Kilauea Lighthouse)/Luau/leis/Lanai/Larsen’s Beach/lava cave/lush
Mountain tube/monk seals/Moreton Bay fig trees/McBride Gardens/Mount Waialeale-(wettest spot on earth)/Mahaulepu Beach (monk seals/beauty/hiking)/Macadamia nuts/ Moloa’a Beach/music/ Mountains/mango/mai tai
Na Pali Coast/Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Gardens)/Ni’Hau (Forbidden Island)
O
Pineapple/Pineapple French toast with coconut dressing (at the Kalaheo Coffee Co)/Passionfruit/Pupu Platter (cross between tapas and bar food)/Poipu Beach (Tunnel of trees and spouting Horn)/Pu’u O Kila Lookout (Kokee’e Park)/pottery/passionfruit/Polihale Beach/palm trees
Queen’s Bath (Kalapana)/Poke (Hawaiian sushi)
Rainforests/Red Dirt Falls (Grand Canyon of the Pacific-located in Waimea Canyon Park)
Shave ice/Spouting Horn/Shop/surfing/seashells/Shipwreck Beach/Smith Family Luau/Sticky rice pudding/Spouting Horn (blow hole)/sunset
Tunnel of Trees (see also Euclyptus trees)/Tidepools
Ukulele/Undulate
Vintage train (Kilohana plantation)/volcano/verdent
Waterfalls-Wailua Falls& river/Waimea Canyon/Wailua River/Wai’oli Hui’ia Church (Hanalei)/Whale watching (winter only when Pacific humpbacks migrate to mate and give birth), wasabi mustard, wooden bowls/ Wai-ale-ale Crater/wet/winter
X
Y yellow
Zen/Zipline (Skyline Hawaii)

The words above words also give me an opportunity to expand my language as I write the descriptions and stories of each experience. How interesting does a story about cooking a pig in an underground oven (Kalue) become when I use local terminology and/or language? How much more authentic does the experience become when local culture is infused into the adventure?

The ABC’s give us structure but this is your adventure to design in any way which you choose. Enjoy the journey!

“Q” is for Quote-Our Pacific Island Adventure

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Debbie

“Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes.”

We are just about to set sail! We are so excited to share our upcoming Pacific Tour with you. Follow along as we spend the next 43 days exploring the Southern Hemisphere.

“P” is For Pacific Island Tour-ABC World Travel

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Debbie

“P” is for our “Pacific Island Adventure.

Our bags are packed! Very soon we set off on our 42 day, Pacific Island Adventure. We have been planning for six months and I think we are ready for our next ABC Adventure! The list below includes geographical areas, countries and states, as well as the cities we will visit along the expedition.

At each location we will be attempting additional ABC Adventures. In the coming weeks, we will be sharing our adventures in real time, as we experience them. Be sure to check back often to see our immersion into the cultures and beauty of this part of the world.

Here is our ABC List for the areas we plan to visit:

A-American Samoa/Australia/Auckland (New Zealand)

B-Bay of Islands (New Zealand)

C-Cairnes (Australia)

F-French Polynesia

H-Hana (Maui)/Hawaii (USA)/Honolulu (Hawaii)

K-Kauai (Hawaii)/Kahului (Maui, Hawaii)

L-Laie (Oahu, Hawaii)/Los Angeles (California, USA)

M-Maui (Hawaii)/Moorea (Society Islands)

N-New Plymouth (New Zealand)/New Zealand

O-Oahu (Hawaii)

P-Pago Pago (American Samoa), Papette (Tahiti), Port Douglas (Australia)

S-San Pedro (California), Society Islands, Sydnee (Australia)

T-Tahiti, Tauranga (New Zealand)

U-USA ( just because Hawaii is also part of this tour)

W-Waikiki (Hawaii)/Wellington (New Zealand)

“R” is for Ruby Wedding-ABC Celebrations

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Debbie

Forty years we have been married! I was just 17 when we met, he was 21. In a nutshell, we spent every minute together of that first three weeks after meeting. It was an intensive, accelerated summer romance. Then he proposed.

We knew we would be separated by distance. He had a year long contract in the Middle East to fulfill. I was about to start University.

Before he asked the question, I remember walking on the beach one night, holding hands. I had a strong vision of an old married couple doing the same thing. Somehow I knew it was us. I had found my best friend that summer. Somehow I knew to trust myself and hang on.

We would spend the first year of our engagement in different countries, We were about as far apart physically as we would ever be.

This was a time long before cell phone and facebook had made it possible to communicate. At $8 per minute, even phone calls were a luxury, so we wrote. Every day, we would talk about our lives, although looking back at it, it is really funny to see more “I Love You’s” scrawled across the pages than any substance to what was happening in our days.

This is what young love is, pure passion. Yet there has always been something deeper with Alan and I. Even in those early moments, if one of us had a headache, the other was experiencing the same. Our roots have always intertwined until we could no longer tell where one of us starts and the other ends. We are symbiotic.

We were married just 18 months after meeting for the first time. Since then there have been 3 children, all boys. We have had 3 cats and 2 dogs, numerous fish and a couple of lizards. We have been self employed for most of these years.

So now it is forty years later and we are indeed that old couple walking hand in hand on the beach.

What would my letter look like to him today? What do you say to someone who is your entire world? To that person who knows you almost as well as you know yourself? What do you say to a man who has held steadfastly to love and upheld ever vow he made?

If I would write a letter today, I would still probably fill it with “I love you’s” but there would be so much more depth to the words as we both reflect what they really mean.

I often ponder what wisdom I can offer young couples. I think the most profound thought is that the words “I do” are very simple, but you can never really understand what it is to be a committed partner.

I do means you will still cherish the person, even on the days you don’t like them.

I do means you will stand by through the most difficult of challenges…babies, teenagers, menopause/manopause, job loss, career changes, financial challenges, body changes, illness…

I do means a respect an honor of the relationship.

I do means you will endure and endear through it all.

So today, as we celebrate our Ruby Anniversary, I am told that Rubies are as precious as diamonds. I believe this. We are so lucky to be here. We have been gifted 40 wonderful years together.

We skipped out of the church on our wedding day, we have overcome many of life’s challenges and somehow we came through it all.

The rest of the journey seems easy now.

Today we celebrated under the Marquee…him saying he wanted me to “see my name in lights”. I am incredibly blessed by this man. After 40 years, he is still my best friend. What an amazing adventure we have had together.

“B” is for Bucket List Goals-ABC Words & Phrases

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Debbie

What is a Bucket List? It is a list of all the things you hope to do in your lifetime. Since we are starting our Pacific Island Adventure in a few days, I thought I would make a list of the things we hope to do while we travel around the the Southern Hemisphere.

Of course we used the alphabet to design our Bucket List, because we love exploring “one letter at a time”! Be sure to check back to see if we fulfilled our mission. This is just a small sampling of what we plan to explore on our Pacific Island Adventure. Here are our goals so far:

A-Admire the ARCHITECTURE of the Sydney Oprah-house

B-Photograph the colorful BUSES of American Samoa

C-Complete a CIRCLE ISLAND TOUR of Papeete, Tahiti

D-DARE TO DRIVE the streets of Los Angeles

E-Cross the EQUATOR

F-Feel the freshness of a FERN GROTTO in Kauai, Hawaii

G-Gaze at GLOWWORMS in Bay of Islands, New Zealand

H- Play at HOBBINGTON & HOT SPRINGS in Tauranga, New Zealand

I-Experience the ceremony of crossing the INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE

J-

K-Kiss the KIWIS, KANGAROOS & KOALAS in Sydnee, Australia

L-

M- Marvel at the MOSSMAN GORGE & the Daintree Rainforest in Australia

N-Capture the NATURAL BEAUTY of New Plymouth, Australia

O-Get OFF THE BEATEN PATH in Moorea, Tahiti

P-Play all day at the POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER of Honolulu, Hawaii

Q- Sail on the QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND in Picton, New Zealand

R-Marvel at the ROAD TO HANA in Maui, Hawaii

S-Take in as many SUNRISES and SUNSETS as possible.

T-Travel by TRAIN in Cairnes, Australia

U-Get UP in the air in Kauai, Hawaii

V-View the sunrise over a VOLCANO in Maui, Hawaii

W-Witness one of the WONDERS OF THE WORLD (Great Barrier Reef) in Port Douglas, Australia

X the International Dateline

Y-Say YES again, as we renew our vows

Z-ZIPLINE above a forest in Auckland, New Zealand

“X” is For Xenomania-ABC Words

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Debbie

X is often one of my more difficult letters to represent when we are designing an ABC Adventure. I was so excited when I realized there are over 400 “X” words to explore! I was even more excited to find the word “Xenomania” as one of them.

Xenomania is found in the Urban dictionary. It is defined as “a passion for all things foreign and the customs associated.” This seemed really fitting to begin a new year.

Since our mission for this year is to stretch ourselves, we will soon be setting out on our Pacific Island Adventure.

We also needed an “X”, to represent our purpose.

Travel opens our minds to the differences between people. What better way for us to discover the Southern Hemisphere than to allow ourselves a full immersion in cultures and customs! We are excited to share the journey with you. In the coming days we will be exploring new foods, seeing new sights and fully embracing all things foreign. We plan to become “Xenomaniacs”! Tomorrow I will share the Bucket List of goals we have created for this trip.

“G” is For Getaway-ABC Relationships

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Debbie

It’s snowing in our part of the world. Winter is my least favorite time of year. This sounds like the perfect time for us to “get away”.

Where should we go? Somewhere warm.
What do we want to see? Something exotic and culturally different.

These were the criteria we used for planning our next adventure.

The ability to get away and travel has been hard for the past couple of years. With the shutdowns caused by a Pandemic, the regulations around Covid and the subsequent supply chain and employee shortages, it has seemed easier to just stay home.

We love to travel. Even during our early marriage, when we had no money, we prioritized getting away. For nearly each of the 40 years we have been married, we have traveled “somewhere”.

It has always been Alan’s desire to visit New Zealand and Australia. It was suppose to be his retirement gift, but that was two years ago, before the world shut down.

Now that things are opening up again, I have begun to dream.

When I found a super deal on a Pacific Island Cruise, I knew immediately that we would be booking it. At 29 days, this would be our longest cruise to date. We added on an extra couple of weeks of land exploration and suddenly realized we would be going on a two month journey. This was the longest we have ever been away from home and our family.

There were times that we questioned our own sanity about getting on a cruise ship (these saw some of the greatest challenges during the outbreak) but as the snow began to pile up, we grew more and more excited to travel to somewhere warm and exotic. Part of the travel experience is taking risks and overcoming challenges.

Vacations are a way to reset. Did you know there is actually a National “Plan For Vacation Day?” It is January 28th. It is humorous to me to realize that vacations are so important that there has been a full day set aside, to do nothing but plan for them! This trip has taken me six months to prepare for!

Vacations are so important that Alan and I prioritize them as part of our life. This is a big reason we became ABC Explorers.

Maybe your vacation will be to stay close to home, or perhaps you will visit someplace far away. Maybe you will camp, or travel by train. One thing is for sure, travel will have an impact on you. Here are a few things we have found to be true through our experiences:

Getting away breaks up the monotony of our days. Routine can lead to predictable (and boring) results and relationships. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (the same is true for Jill).
Travel gives us something to dream about, to aspire to save for. It gives purpose to earning money.
Travel creates stories.
Travel helps us to bond with family and form lasting memories. When days are busy with school activities, work responsibilities and day to day chores, there is little time to really “see” each other or to spend quality time together.
Traveling is a great way to make new friends. Travelers often have a lot in common. The bonus is you then have an excuse for visiting new people and places.
Travel gives you photos. Photos capture a tiny bit of life. They allow you to revisit your memories over and over. Remember, without a photo, it never happened!
Travel allows us to be creative in “how” we experience the world…we can sail, fly, or ride a train. You can go by tuk tuk or ride an elephant. You could choose to visit art galleries or hike a mountain. Our journey is really only limited by our imaginations.
Travel allows us broad introspection as we experience different cultures and traditions. We are more open to the differences in people as we understand the world which they live in.
Many parts of the world are impoverished, yet I have often found the people to be extremely welcoming and happy. We can return from a vacation with a great appreciation for what we have.
History, geography and anthropology come to life as one travels.
Travel allows the mind, body and soul to rest. Working can be very stressful. Sometimes we don’t even realize how much pressure we are under. Stress leads to illness. Sometimes you just need a moment to let some steam off.
Travel can allow you experiences you could never get at home. I do not live by oceans. I do not have penguins or elephants nearby. I do not have mountains to ski or climb. The USA is a young country, there are few monuments or buildings which date back to the period of the Roman’s or earlier.
Travel allows us to learn new languages. Communication is universal, language is our only barrier. There may be great humor and humbling moments in learning to ask where a bathroom is.
You don’t have to go far to “get away”. In fact there is always plenty to do, see and discover, even in your own back yard. Much of the time, this is an unexplored place.
Life is short. We have known so many elderly people who wish they had seen and experienced more. They waited too long until they “had time”, then found they were unable to travel due to illness (or the loss of a partner). There are only two things guaranteed in this life…taxes and death. Travel while you can.

So what is stopping you from designing your next adventure? Isn’t time to “Get Away”?

Continue checking back often as we get ready to set sail on our Pacific Island Adventure!

“A” is For Art at the Airport-ABC Air Travel

Posted on January 2, 2023 by Debbie

Airports are busy places. Often we rush around and miss much of what is offered there.

Have you ever been stuck at an airport and/or had a long layover and wondered how to pass time? Why not design a self paced art tour while you are waiting?

This was how we created our next ABC Adventure. Our mission would be to see as many art installations as we could, while traveling through airports. We wondered if we could complete an entire alphabet. The next time we find ourselves with some time, it will be a great excuse to walk around and get some exercise. On this day we passed 2 hours walking from terminal to terminal at Chicago O’Hare Airport.

In our quest to complete the alphabet, we have found paintings, sculptures, fiber art and so much more. Airport art rivals that of any gallery. The long walls, high ceilings and open spaces lend themselves to bigger installations of art.

The next time you are stuck in an airport, take a look around. Can you complete a full ABC adventure with art as your theme?

As we try to complete the alphabet tour, we will continue to add photos as we travel and the airport locations which we find them, so be sure to check back often.

A is For

Adler Planetarium Exhibit (Chicago O’hare Airport)

The Adler Planetarium has an exhibit in the Pedestrian Walkway on the way to the CTA O’Hare Blue Line Station. The Exhibit features many posters such as the one above offering views of beautiful constellations in the night skies.

After School Matters Benches (Chicago O’hare Airport)

Located throughout the Terminal 1/2 Bridge and Terminal 5, the After School Matters Benches depict various designs. All benches are hand painted by teen apprentice artists in the After School Matters art program. After School Matters is a non-profit organization that offers Chicago teens high quality, hands-on, project-based apprenticeship programs in a variety of content areas, including the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM.

B is For

Beacons by Steven Heyman

A large square “Blue Beacon” and a large circular “Orange Beacon” suspended above the “Meet and Greet” area in the lower level of Terminal 5. Illuminated with fluorescent lamps, they measure 16′ x 16′ x 4′. The artwork was commissioned in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs Public Art Program.

Boeing Mosaic

This mosaic piece, created by After School Matters teen apprentice artists, celebrates aircraft manufacturer Boeing’s 100th anniversary in 2016. The piece hangs in Terminal 3, in the hallway between the Rotunda and H1. After School Matters is a non-profit organization that offers Chicago teens innovative out-of-school activities through science, sports, technology,creative writing and the nationally recognized gallery program.

C is For

Chicago Sister City Flags (Chicago O’hare Airport)

Representing the nations of Chicago’s Sister Cities, the flags are presented with help from Chicago Sister Cities International. Public art in and around Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport; January 2020.

City Windows by Qiao Xiaoguang (Chicago O’hare Airport)

Created using ancient Chinese paper cutting techniques, City Windows depicts iconic sites from Beijing and Chicago. The piece commemorates the friendship and cooperation between China and Chicago. It is located near Terminal 1 Gate B19.

D is For

E is For

The Evolution of O’Hare (Chicago O’Hare Airport)

This gallery of aerial photos offers travelers a look at how the O’Hare airfield has evolved since it opened in 1945. A timeline of historical events accompanies each photo. The gallery can be found in the Terminal 3 L Stinger (Gates L20-24).

F is For

G is For

H is For

Here and There by Mitchell Egly (Chicago O’Hare Airport)

Created as a part of the City of Chicago’s 50 x 50 Neighborhood Arts Project and initiated during the Year of Public Art, Here and There is a visual representation of the many neighborhoods that comprise the 41st Ward, the Ward O’Hare is within. This piece was sponsored by by 41st Ward Alderman Napolitano’s office. It is located within the airport’s Bus Shuttle Center.

I is For

I’ve Known Rivers by Alejandro Ramero and Gallery 37 (Chicago O’Hare)

A 208-foot long mural painted in acrylics, that brings to life the words and spirit of the Langston Hughes poem of the same name. The mural, created by teen apprentice artists from After School Matters, is located in the CTA Pedway. After School Matters is a non-profit organization that offers Chicago teens high quality, hands-on, project-based apprenticeship programs in a variety of content areas, including the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM.

J is For

Jet Trails by Guy Kemper (Chicago O’Hare)

This sculpture measures 50 feet in length and 12 feet in height and consists of hand-blown painted glass in cool shades of blue, green and violet. The sculpture is suspended onto the window mullions directly across from Security Checkpoint 3 in Terminal 1 (past security).

K is For

L is For

M is For

N is For

O is For

On The Wings of Water (Chicago O’Hare)

A 35,000-piece Venetian glass and tile mosaic shows how air travel and water link cultures across continents and between cities, towns, and rural areas. It was completed with the help of After School Matters student artists and can be found in the Rotunda between Terminals 2 and 3 (past security). After School Matters is a non-profit organization that offers Chicago teens high quality, hands-on, project-based apprenticeship programs in a variety of content areas, including the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM.

P is For

Palimpsest by Nick Cave (Chicago O’Hare)

A dimensional tapestry constructed of hand-strung, beaded shoelaces woven with memory-steeped iconography and patterns through a nylon fishing net base layer. The piece represents a travel to understanding, the web of humanity, and future memories. Its colors come directly from Chicago’s unique skyline and is a continuation of the greeting a visitor takes in through their airplane’s window as they begin their decent for landing. It is located within the airport’s Multi Modal Facility.

Q is For

R is For

The Runners by Theodoros Papagiannis (Chicago O’Hare)

The Runners, a 16-foot sculpture, is located along the I-190 south side embankment and can be seen by motorists and CTA Blue Line riders exiting the airport. Donated by the Athens Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International and supported by Chicago’s large Greek-American community, the sculpture depicts five runners emerging from antiquity into the modern world. A maquette of this same piece is located within Terminal 5, behind the Arrivals Level information desk.

S is For

77 Neighborhoods (Chicago O’Hare)

This photo exhibit, located in the Terminal 5 corridor approaching the US Customs and Border Protection Federal Inspection Services area, showcases architecture, life, and popular scenes from across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods.

Skies The Limit (Chicago O’Hare)

A multi-sensory sculpture which extends above the walkway connecting concourse B and C in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The artist, Michael Hayden was commissioned by the airport in 1987 to design the 744 foot-long, neon kinetic sculpture which changes color in time to music.

Sister Cities by After School Matters (Chicago O’Hare)

Inspired by Chicago’s numerous Sister Cities, the mural depicts scenes from cities across the globe. Teen apprentice artists from After School Matters created the piece. After School Matters is a non-profit organization that offers Chicago teens high quality, hands-on, project-based apprenticeship programs in a variety of content areas, including the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM. It is located in the hallway between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

Student Frontiers by After School Matters (Chicago O’Hare)

Teen apprentice artists participating in After School Matters programs created this mural in 2016. After School Matters is a non-profit organization that offers Chicago teens high quality, hands-on, project-based apprenticeship programs in a variety of content areas, including the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM. This mural is located in the CTA Pedway.

T is For

Treasury of Petra by Sonia Twal (Chicago O’Hare)

A limestone and marble mosaic donated to the City of Chicago from its sister city Amman, Jordan. It can be found in Terminal 5 near Gate M14. The mosaic was inspired by the carved rock and stone facade of the red-rose city of Petra in the southern Jordanian desert. The limestone and marble used in Twal’s representation were obtained from the Petra region.

U is For

V is For

W is For

X is For

Y is For

Youth in the Loop by After School (Chicago O’Hare)

Teen apprentice artists participating in After School Matters programs created this mural in 2015. After School Matters is a non-profit organization that offers Chicago teens high quality, hands-on, project-based apprenticeship programs in a variety of content areas, including the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM. This mural is located in the CTA pedway.

Z is For

ABC World Travel-A List of Continents and Countries to Explore

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Debbie

We are on a mission to see the world! This ABC list is a great way to begin your own alphabet tour.

If a location is highlighted, it means we have visited the area and you can find the stories about that country or continent within the blog. You may also use the search bar to navigate to our adventures.

Where will you visit on your next adventure?

General World Tour

A is for Africa, Asia, Antarctica, Australia, American Samoa, Antigua and Austria

B is for Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Belgium, Belize and Brazil

C is for Canada, Chili, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba and Cyprus

D is for Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic and Dubai

E is for Europe, England and Egypt

F is for Fiji, Finland, France and French Polynesia

G is for Germany, Greece, Grenada, Grenadines and Guatemala

H is for Holland and Hungary

I is for Iceland, India, Ireland and Italy

J is for Jamaica and Japan

L is for Laos

M is for Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro and Morocco

N is for North America, Nevis, New Zealand and Norway

O is for Oman

P is for Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland and Portugal

Q is for Qatar

R is for Russia

S is for South America, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland

T is for Thailand and Turkey

U is for USA, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates

V is for Vietnam

W is for Wales

Y is for Yemen

Z is for Zambia, Zimbabwe

“W” is For Word of the Year

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Debbie

Welcome to a brand new year! I know it is cliche’ to say that today offers a fresh start and a clean slate. I often think of my life as a book which I am continuously writing. Today is the beginning of a brand new chapter, which is yet to be defined. The pages are still blank. This optimistic view is the way I think about the beginning of most years.

But, I am also realist. Yesterdays challenges soon begin to spill into today. Too many things pull at our attention, the chapters of our story become mundane, or they continue to be written in the same manner. Time, left with no direction, will fall through our hands and before we know it, years have passed and we remain stuck in the same patterns of behavior.

Today is a good day for reflection. How is your story of life unfolding so far? Are you longing for adventure, wishing you had more money or time? Are you in a good relationship? Would you like to learn a new language or change careers? Do you dream of losing weight or stopping smoking?

The New Year always seems hopeful. Most people make resolutions at the beginning of each year; to lose weight, to give up bad habits, to learn something new and to spend more time doing things they love, seem to be the most common. By the end of the second week of a new year, most resolutions have already been forgotten as we slide back into old routines.

By the end of the year, when we realize we have not met our goals (again), we think back to our resolutions and feel like failures, yet every year we return to the same pattern of goal setting. This self deprecating behavior has a negative influence on our psyche.

What if a small shift in attitude could redirect how you experience your days? What if we no longer set resolutions? How freeing would that simple act be?

Years ago our family gave up this New Year tradition, instead we began choosing a single word on New Year’s Eve. This word would still be reflective of the things we wanted to change, the growth we aspired to and the direction we hoped to go.

The word would touch all areas of our lives (relationships, personal growth, goals etc). Our word could be carried with us throughout the year. We could interpret the word in any way which made sense to us. By choosing just one word (or a few), we could focus on change. Anytime we honored our word, we would succeed.

The word of the year is a positive, inspirational and hopeful message, that change is possible. These little words simply focus our intentions, inviting more of what you need or what you hope to achieve. They can reflect your ambitions, give you purpose, set goals and more. These little words define and lead you to your best self.

I see the word as a kind of compass for the coming year.

For example a resolution might be to lose weight but our word choice instead became “healthy”. How much more positive it became as we shifted our focus just a little. With this tiny word in front of us, we could give ourselves credit for every action we took throughout the year towards healthy living. Maybe we drank an extra glass of water, or took a walk, or went to bed at a reasonable hour, or chose to skip dessert.

When we offered ourselves this positive feedback, we wanted to continue. Perhaps the next day we did a little more, perhaps in a week we noticed we had lost a pound or two. The goals were being met, but there was no pressure…just a little word reminding us of our intentions.

Intentional living is the underlying mission of this site. Living your best life will always be the goal, it does not require a single day to begin, however New Year’s Day is the perfect time for change. If you are reading this today and it doesn’t happen to be New Years Day, then just jump in. Small incremental changes, lead to lasting results.

How to choose your word

1. Ask yourself questions. What is it you want to change, learn or discover? What would you do differently than last year? Is there something you want to continue doing? What do you want more of in life? What do you want less of? What is holding you back? (Think of an opposite word. For example fear becomes brave.)

2. Brainstorm. Jot down as many words as come to mind. These should be positive and affirming. Think about where you want to direct your life this year. It is okay if you have several or many words at this point. If you are stuck, there is a list of over 450 words below.

3. Narrow your list down. If you are left with more than one word, consider breaking the year down into quarters or in half. You could even choose a different word each month!

Keep your word visible

Keep your word in front of you and make sure you can see it every day. Make a cute graphic and put it on your phone. Write it out in big letters and post it on a wall. Put your word next to a place you use routinely…the coffee maker, a mirror or the back door. Write it on a small pebble or piece of paper and carry it around in your pocket. Make a plan(s)to bump into your word frequently. Each time you do, it will remind you to live your word.

Put your word into affirmations. Affirmations are powerful messages. They are written, spoken or meditated upon in the first person. For example, my word in 2019 was “expand”. Every decision I made in that year, I asked myself if I was expanding. This year in particular was a year of mental growth, as I immersed myself in learning. I was focused on learning to: garden, preserve food, write and improve my photography. Here are a few of my affirmations:

” I am expanding my knowledge.”

“My relationships with people are expanding”.

“As I expand, I feel connected.”

Rules

As with all our word games, there are no rules, except those we define for ourselves. If you want to choose a new word each month, go ahead and do so. If you want to use more than one word at a time, that is okay too.

Our words

Here are the words I have chosen for the past few years:

2019 Expand

2020 Embrace

2021 Adapt

2022 Revive

After years of being stuck at home, not seeing family, missing celebrations, struggling with shortages of every kind and numerous challenges we have developed a bit of negativity about how the years are unfolding. We have been very blessed in this life so we have decided it was time to find the silver lining in the moments. We have worked hard throughout our lives and now have the means to travel and rest in our retirement. We are surrounded by good people. Our 2023 word gives us an opportunity to reflect on all the many, many things we still have to be thankful for.

Our word for this year is “Appreciate”. We move forward into the unknown with an appreciation for all which we have, all which we create and an abundance of joy.

What word will you choose this year?

450+ Word of the Year Ideas

Absolve
Abundance
Abundant
Accept
Acceptance
Achieve
Act
Action
Adapt
Add
Advance
Adventure
Affect
Affluence
Alert
Align
Alignment
Alive
Allow
Amaze
Amazing
Ambition
Amplify
Anchor
Appreciate
Articulate
Ascend
Aspire
Attention
Awake
Awaken
Aware
Awareness
Awe
Awesome
Bad ass
Balance

Balanced
Be
Beautiful
Beauty
Become
Begin
Behold
Believe
Belong
Best
Better
Big
Birth
Bliss
Bloom
Bold
Boss
Bounce
Boundaries
Boundless
Bounty
Brave
Breath
Breathe
Bridge
Bright
Brother
Build
Calm
Capable
Captivating
Capture
Care
Caring
Celebrate
Center
Centered
Challenge
Change
Charisma
Chase
Cheer
Cheerful
Cleanse
Clear
Comfort
Commit
Committed
Communicate
Communication
Community
Compassion
Complete
Completion
Compose
Compromise
Confidence
Connect
Connection
Conquer
Conscious
Considerate
Consistency
Consistent
Contemplation
Contribute
Courage
Create
Creation
Creative
Creativity
Cultivate
Daughter
Declutter
Decrease
Dedicate
Dedication
Deliberate
Delight
Depth
Determination
Determined
Devote
Diligence
Direction
Discipline
Discover
Dream
Ease
Ecstasy
Education
Elevate
Elevation
Embody
Embrace
Emerge
Empathy
Empire
Empower
Encourage
Energize
Energy
Engage
Enhance
Enjoy
Enjoyment
Enlighten
Enlightenment
Enough
Enrapture
Enthuse
Enthusiasm
Enthusiastic
Environment
Epitome
Escalate
Examine
Excite
Excitement
Expand
Expansion
Experience
Exploration
Explore
Extraordinary
Faith
Family
Fast

Father
Favorite
Fearless
Finish
Fitness
Flourish
Flow
Fly
Focus
Force
Forgive
Forgiveness
Forward
Foster
Foundation
Free
Freedom
Friend
Friends
Fulfill
Fulfilling
Fun
Future
Gain
Generosity
Generous
Gentle
Gently
Give
Giving
Glisten
Glorious
Glow
Glow-up
Go
Goals
Grace
Gracious
Gratitude
Grounded
Grow
Growth
Habit
Happiness
Happy
Harmony
Heal
Health
Healthy
Help
Helpful
Heart
Here
Higher
Hold
Home
Honest
Honesty
Hope
Humble
Humility
Hustle
Ignite
Imagination
Imagine
Immerse
Improve
Improvement
Increase
Indulge
Infinity
Influence
Innovation
Insight
Inspiration
Inspire
Integrity
Intent
Intention
Intentional
Intimacy
Intimate
Intuition
Invest
Journey
Joy
Jump
Kind
Kindness
Laugh
Laughter
Lead
Leader
Leadership
Learn
Less
Liberate
Life
Light
Limitless
Listen
Live
Love
Luxury
Magic
Magical
Manifest
Maximize
Meaning
Meditate
Memories
Metamorphosis
Mindful
Mindfulness
Mindset
Minimize
Moment
Moments
Monetize
Money
More
Mother
Move
New
Nature
Nirvana
No
Nourish
Now
Nurture
Observe
Open
Optimistic
Organize
Overcome
Pardon
Partner
Passion
Patience
Pause
Peace
Permission
Persevere
Persist
Perspective
Play
Playful
Pleasure
Positivity
Possibilities
Possibility
Possible
Power
Powerful
Practice
Pray
Presence
Present
Prime
Prioritize
Priority
Process
Probable
Progress
Progression
Prosper
Purpose
Question
Quiet
Radiant
Re-brand
Receive
Reclaim
Reflect
Reflection
Relax
Release
Renew
Renewal
Reset
Resolve
Respect
Rest
Retreat
Revive
Rich
Rise
Rise
Romance
Satisfaction
Satisfy
Seek
Self
Self-care
Selfish
Self-love
Self-worth
Serene
Serenity
Service
Share
Shift
Shine
Siblings
Simple
Simplicity
Simplify
Sister
Sisterhood
Slow
Small
Smile
Soar
Son
Soul
Soulful
Space
Spark
Sparkle
Speak
Spirit
Steady
Still
Stillness
Strength
Strengthen
Stretch
Strive
Strong
Succeed
Success
Successful
Support
Surrender
Surround
Surroundings
Survive
Sympathy
Teach
Tempest
Think
This
Thoughtful
Thoughtfulness
Thrill
Thrilling
Thrive
Today
Touch
Transcend
Transform
Transformation
Transparent
Travel
Treasure
Trust
Truth
Try
Unchained
Understand
Unleash
Unique
Unlimited
Unstoppable
Value
Vibrant
Vision
Visionary
Vitality
Voice
Vulnerability
Vulnerable
Wake
Wander
Wealth
Wealthy
Wellness
Whole
Wholehearted
Why
Wild
Win
Winning
Wisdom
Wise
Wish
Wonder
Work
Worth
Worthy
Wow
Yes
Zenith