H.A. Larson's Blog, page 3

2024: The Year in Review

 

It's hard to believe it, but here we are at the beginning of a new year. This past year was my best year since 2019, and honestly, it is my best year to date—which is exactly what I said last year. I hope that means I'm on an upward trend and that 2025 will blow this year out of the water. We shall see.

 Let's get into it, shall we?

1. I tried and failed a No-Buy Year but successfully completed a few No-Buy months.

2. In June, I completed my first, only, and last foray into homeschooling when I graduated my daughter from high school. I also successfully helped her get into college and have watched her blossom from a teenager who didn't see the point in living to a beautiful, intelligent, motivated, kind, and funny young woman. 

3. I deepened my knowledge and love of wine and charcuterie. I even found something that serves well as a mobile charcuterie board, so I can take it with me.

4. I went to Kansas City in April to attend the annual Kegs & Eggs at the KCRF grounds.

5. I took some really stellar day trips this year where: 

a. I explored Whiterock Conservancy & the Templeton distillery with my Dad, stepmom, and daughter.

 b. My bestie Rebecca and I took a day to explore down the I-29 corridor where we saw four states from the top of my beloved Iowa Mountains. 

c. My son and I went to Vala's and took an Autumn drive to celebrate his birthday and hit up some old favorites. 

d. My folks, my son, and I explored Kettelston Hogback WMA, Spirit Lake, and Lake Okoboji the day after Thanksgiving.

6. I also went on a few overnight/weekend trips where: 

a. Rebecca and I explored Nebraska using the Wander Nebraska Passport where we visited a Lewis & Clark VC neither of us had been to, explored a tiny town full of shops, a carnival, and life, spent the night in Beatrice, and visited Homestead National Monument before heading home. 

b. I took my daughter to Kansas City over Labor Day weekend as a birthday/graduation gift. We spent the afternoon at City Market which we loved and were impressed by. We ate hot pot for the first time. Last but not least, we went to the Kansas City Renaissance Faire where we met up with my friend Audrey.

7. And of course, we can't forget about my return to Europe with a 9-day trip to the United Kingdom. My first post about the trip is already up here, but I will definitely be posting more as time goes on. It was a lifelong dream to visit England and see Stonehenge as well as the Roman Baths. The day I got to visit them both was on par with my day at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. There's nothing like world travel to really change your life. 

8. I started tracking my expenses annually this year, wrapping up 2024 a week ago. It's nice to see where and how I spent money and if there are areas I can improve upon and make adjustments.

9. I moved up into my fourth position at the university where I work, finally landing in my perfect role. I not only got back to my favorite job ever, but I finally make the money to match. This will be my final role until I retire....I think. I hate to say anything's final, but that's how I'm currently feeling. Only time will tell!

10. I've slowly worked my way back into better health. To that end, I've lost some weight and am more active. I won't get into all the details now as I'm saving all that for a separate post.

2024 was a great year and I have higher hopes for 2025. The biggest thing I've taken away from the past year is that I finally have the life I dreamed of for decades. It took a lot of hard work and determination, but I persevered and claimed it. That made the year even better than it already was. 

Which leads me to my final thoughts. I am, and always will be, incredibly grateful for my life. I am fortunate in so many ways and I never take that for granted. I'm thankful for the opportunities I've been given, the wonderful friends & family I have, a job that I love, a home that I love, a nice, dependable vehicle, the ability to travel far and wide, how I never need for anything, and, of course, for my ability to manage my money in a way that makes so many great things possible.

2025 can only be better and I have many plans & goals on the fire to make it all happen.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, a joyous New Year's Eve, that you have something to be thankful for, and that the new year holds the gift of promise.

I'll be back soon with fresh, new posts.

Much love,

H.A.

United Kingdom Trip Days 1 and 2: London, England

The Shard - a famous London building in our Airbnb neighborhood.

Before I begin, a disclaimer: we were in the UK for 9 days and 8 nights. We did three big things each day with little stops peppered in here and there. Because of this, I'm going to do a post for each day otherwise I'd end up with 30 posts. As a result, each post will feature a BUNCH of photos. Enjoy!

We landed in London on October 2nd. Our plane was delayed by nearly an hour, shortly before Keith was set to arrive, so Audrey and I made it through Customs and then waited for him. We were both bummed to find out that they don't stamp passports anymore. My childhood dreams of filling up my passport with stamps from all over the world were dashed. After reuniting, we took a series of rides on the Underground (aka "The Tube) until we reached the Elephant & Castle neighborhood, where our Airbnb was. 

We left our luggage in our room, then walked a few blocks to Sainsbury's to grab groceries (and instant coffee). London is expensive, so I had no plans to eat out for every meal. We put our food away and then headed off to the dinner reservation I had made a few months before. Our reservation was at Pick & Cheese Seven Dials Market which was one of Audrey's picks for the trip.

Located in a trendy food hall in the Seven Dials neighborhood, it's one of many restaurants located within.

 You pay a set price for which you get to sit and each as much off the conveyor belt as you want for 75 minutes. Basically, it's just a big rotating charcuterie.



We were each given a menu/guide that explained what was on each plate. There were three colors of plates and numbered picks on top of each dome so we would know what we were eating. Audrey got a mixed drink and I bought a bottle of champagne for Keith and me. 
It was late in the evening at this point and we were still figuring out the public transportation system. We had also traveled for a solid 12 hours and had crossed time zones, so we headed back to the Airbnb to crash. We stopped along the way to grab a few single beers/ciders so we enjoyed a few of those before calling it a night.



The next morning, October 3rd, we headed to the London Mithraeum. 



In 1954, city workers found an ancient Roman temple under the streets, dedicated to the Roman god Mithras. They preserved it and turned it into a museum. Now, you all know how big of a Roman history buff I am, so this was a must-see for me.



Before you're allowed to go down to the lower level where the Temple is, you can wander the street level which has an art gallery. On the wall next to the entrance to the lower level are objects that were found in the Mithraeum.



The Temple is roughly 1,784 years old! Many signs give information about the Romans and their god Mithras. We read through these while we waited to be let into the Temple.
We walked into a dark, temperature-controlled room. After explaining that they would turn low lighting on, run a fine fog through, and play authentic religious chanting in the background, they turned all that on and just left us to gaze upon the wonder of this ancient site for a short while.



The foggy mist wrapped around carefully placed blocks of wood and strings of wire suspended from the ceiling. Set against the darkness of the walls and minimal lighting, the scene gave the perfect illusion of actually being in the temple - you can see the Temple "walls" and "columns". You can see the altar in the back in this photo I took.



And here I am behind the altar. 



While much of the temple is gone, the sturdier parts remain - like this ancient brick altar wall.



Here's a great closeup of the altar with its original cement and stonework.

After our time at the Mithraeum, we got on the Tube and headed to Baker Street. If you don't know, Baker Street, 221B to be exact, is the home of the fictional character, Sherlock Holmes - one of my favorite literary characters of all time.



Even the Tube station at Baker Street plays up to this fact.



Now, 221B Baker Street (aka The Sherlock Holmes Museum) is not a "real" place but something capitalized on. I wanted to avoid paying the admission fee for a rather underwhelming museum, but I was perfectly content to take pictures of the outside.



On the property is a detached gift shop where we perused and picked up a couple trinkets.



Had to snag a photo of the street sign.



Audrey was hungry and wanted to stop in The Volunteer, a pub a few doors down. Keith and I weren't hungry but I'm always down for a cold pint. Audrey got fish and chips (very British) while Keith and I split a sticky toffee pudding (also very British) - a food on my England bucket list. It was just as delicious as I always imagined it would be.
Later that day, Audrey and I had long-reserved tickets for an evening cruise on the River Thames. We had to book it to the landing by London Tower to make it on time. Which we did with about one minute to spare!



We sat inside initially until I realized there was open seating up top, so off we went. The cruise came with one free glass of bubbly and a few rounds of canapes. There was a bar where additional drinks could be purchased - and purchased they were.



Our journey began here, at the Tower Bridge. Sitting up top, out in the open, was a much better idea. It afforded us fresh air and clear views of the city.



Audrey is sipping on her glass of bubbly.



Once again folks, The Shard.






A lovely shot of Elizabeth Tower. No, it's not actually called Big Ben. I was corrected on this point as I was told that Big Ben is the name of the mechanism inside the clock. At any rate, it looked stunning from my vantage point.



The Houses of Parliament.



One of many cool shots I got of the city skyline.



As it got darker, it got more beautiful.



The Chelsea Bridge all lit up.



The London Eye, lit up, as seen from inside the enclosed main deck of the boat.



We ended back where we began, The Tower Bridge. This time though, it was a bright beacon in the night. We spent one hour going west along the Thames and an hour back. This was another of Audrey's picks and, I must say, it was worth every pence. 

What a great first two days of a trip of a lifetime.


Hopefully, I'll get a post up for this trip once a week but don't count on that...you know me. Until then, I hope you enjoyed Days 1 and 2!

United Kingdom Trip: London, Days 1 and 2

The Shard - a famous London building in our Airbnb neighborhood.

Before I begin, a disclaimer: we were in the UK for 9 days and 8 nights. We did three big things each day with little stops peppered in here and there. Because of this, I'm going to do a post for each day otherwise I'd end up with 30 posts. As a result, each post will feature a BUNCH of photos. Enjoy!

We landed in London on October 2nd. Our plane was delayed by nearly an hour, shortly before Keith was set to arrive, so Audrey and I made it through Customs and then waited for him. We were both bummed to find out that they don't stamp passports anymore. My childhood dreams of filling up my passport with stamps from all over the world were dashed. After reuniting, we took a series of rides on the Underground (aka "The Tube) until we reached the Elephant & Castle neighborhood, where our Airbnb was. 

We left our luggage in our room, then walked a few blocks to Sainsbury's to grab groceries (and instant coffee). London is expensive, so I had no plans to eat out for every meal. We put our food away and then headed off to the dinner reservation I had made a few months before. Our reservation was at Pick & Cheese Seven Dials Market which was one of Audrey's picks for the trip.

Located in a trendy food hall in the Seven Dials neighborhood, it's one of many restaurants located within.

 You pay a set price for which you get to sit and each as much off the conveyor belt as you want for 75 minutes. Basically, it's just a big rotating charcuterie.



We were each given a menu/guide that explained what was on each plate. There were three colors of plates and numbered picks on top of each dome so we would know what we were eating. Audrey got a mixed drink and I bought a bottle of champagne for Keith and me. 
It was late in the evening at this point and we were still figuring out the public transportation system. We had also traveled for a solid 12 hours and had crossed time zones, so we headed back to the Airbnb to crash. We stopped along the way to grab a few single beers/ciders so we enjoyed a few of those before calling it a night.



The next morning, October 3rd, we headed to the London Mithraeum. 



In 1954, city workers found an ancient Roman temple under the streets, dedicated to the Roman god Mithras. They preserved it and turned it into a museum. Now, you all know how big of a Roman history buff I am, so this was a must-see for me.



Before you're allowed to go down to the lower level where the Temple is, you can wander the street level which has an art gallery. On the wall next to the entrance to the lower level are objects that were found in the Mithraeum.



The Temple is roughly 1,784 years old! Many signs give information about the Romans and their god Mithras. We read through these while we waited to be let into the Temple.
We walked into a dark, temperature-controlled room. After explaining that they would turn low lighting on, run a fine fog through, and play authentic religious chanting in the background, they turned all that on and just left us to gaze upon the wonder of this ancient site for a short while.



The foggy mist wrapped around carefully placed blocks of wood and strings of wire suspended from the ceiling. Set against the darkness of the walls and minimal lighting, the scene gave the perfect illusion of actually being in the temple - you can see the Temple "walls" and "columns". You can see the altar in the back in this photo I took.



And here I am behind the altar. 



While much of the temple is gone, the sturdier parts remain - like this ancient brick altar wall.



Here's a great closeup of the altar with its original cement and stonework.

After our time at the Mithraeum, we got on the Tube and headed to Baker Street. If you don't know, Baker Street, 221B to be exact, is the home of the fictional character, Sherlock Holmes - one of my favorite literary characters of all time.



Even the Tube station at Baker Street plays up to this fact.



And here it is. Now, 221B Baker Street (aka The Sherlock Holmes Museum) is not a "real" place but something capitalized on. I wanted to avoid paying the admission fee for a rather underwhelming museum, but I was perfectly content to take pictures of the outside.



On the property is a detached gift shop where we perused and picked up a couple trinkets.



Had to snag a photo of the street sign.



Audrey was hungry and wanted to stop in The Volunteer, a pub a few doors down. Keith and I weren't hungry but I'm always down for a cold pint. Audrey got fish and chips (very British) while Keith and I split a sticky toffee pudding - a food on my England bucket list. It was just as delicious as I always imagined it would be.
Later that day, Audrey and I had reservation tickets for an evening cruise on the River Thames. We had to book it to the landing down by London Tower.



We sat inside initially until I realized there was open seating up top, so off we went. The cruise came with one free glass of bubbly and a few rounds of canapes. There was a bar where additional drinks could be purchased. 



Our journey began here, at the Tower Bridge. Sitting up top, out in the open, was a much better idea. It afforded us fresh air and clear views of the city.



Audrey is sipping on her glass of bubbly.



Once again folks, The Shard.






A lovely shot of Elizabeth Tower. No, it's not actually called Big Ben. I was corrected on this point as I was told that Big Ben is the name of the mechanism inside the clock. At any rate, it looked stunning from my vantage point.



The Houses of Parliament.



One of many cool shots I got of the city skyline.



As it got darker, it got more beautiful.



The Chelsea Bridge all lit up.



The London Eye, lit up, as seen from inside the enclosed main deck of the boat.



We ended back where we began, The Tower Bridge. This time though, it was a bright beacon in the night. We spent one hour going west along the Thames and an hour back. This was another of Audrey's picks and, I must say, it was worth every pence. 

What a great first two days of a trip of a lifetime.


Hopefully, I'll get a post up for this trip once a week but don't count on that...you know me. Until then, I hope you enjoyed Days 1 and 2!

Life Lately

As usual, life doesn't sit still for me, and I'm more than fine with that. Life is best when you're actively living it, after all. The first two weekends of October saw me in the UK (or recovering after the trip) but the following weekends have been just as busy.
As I mentioned in my last post, I am signed up for several email newsletters, one being the Nebraska Game & Parks. I saw that they were collaborating with Glacial Till Vineyard. 



The collaboration is a limited-edition tangerine-flavored cider called Slow Poke, in honor of the Ornate Box Turtle, Nebraska's State Reptile. In honor of the occasion, a special event open to the public was held at Glacial Till Cider House on Friday, October 11th. I asked my friend Libby if she wanted to go, so we headed out after work. 
We saw that the event was going to be more of a presentation and we didn't want to get stuck there because we had a second event we wanted to attend. Still, we drank a glass of Slow Poke and each bought a 6-pack to take home. It's a delicious and refreshing cider. So, what was important enough to take us away? 



Oh, only Hector Anchondo playing at the Soaring Wings Friday night concert series! If you don't know who Hector is, he's a world-famous blues musician from Omaha who got a start in a rock band aptly named Anchondo. This was the next to last weekend of the Friday night concert series at Soaring Wings and I was sad to see so few people in the crowd - unusual for this place. 



It was a beautiful night and Hector's voice weaved a bit of magic into it all.

The next night, I had tickets to a metal show (my favorite) where I was excited to see all the bands,



 but in particular Kublai Khan (hardcore), and



Lorna Shore (deathcore). I used to be like other metal elitists and make fun of deathcore, but I have to admit that deathcore has come a long way and Lorna Shore is the best of the best. The whole evening was great, but these two bands in particular made my night.
That Tuesday, my son and oldest child, turned 25 - no joke. Remember here, back in the day, when I referred to him as "The Teen"? LOL Time sure does fly.
Anyway, since I give my kids experiences now instead of gifts, I had talked with my son to see what he wanted to do for his birthday. He took work off the weekend after his birthday to come down to Omaha. 



I hadn't seen him in like two months (except briefly) so I was quite ready to spend some time with my boy. In anticipation, I picked up some of his favorite wine, a cake, and a nice charcuterie spread. He, myself, and my daughter greatly enjoyed this over a nice conversation. After a while, my son was like, "I want to go do something." So, I asked, "Soaring Wings?" 



I loaded up the charcuterie in my "on-the-go-charcuterie-board" which in reality is a pie-carrying, locking-cover tray that I bought earlier this year from Dollar Tree. It just so happens to make an excellent mobile charcuterie board which is the reason I bought it. Anyway, since it was the last Soaring Wings Friday night concert series of the season, it was nice to get out and enjoy the weather and some live music. The two of us enjoyed wine, while my daughter (who's 18) had a few mocktails.
The main event for the weekend was that my son wanted to go to Vala's Pumpkin Patch, so after a leisurely Saturday morning we headed there for the evening. 



He convinced me to buy their food pass in addition to tickets, and that turned out to be a great idea. When we went to the Sip Nebraska event in May, we got to sample some of Vala's hard cider, something they never used to sell. Since I hadn't been to Vala's in years, it was cool to see how much it's grown and the big Cider barn was our first destination, where we also got a pretzel using the food pass.



Drinking and using a map to figure out our game plan. Cheers!



We sat two different times to watch this band play, and they were pretty good.



We rode the tilt-a-whirl.



Watched a gorgeous sunset.



Took in a magician/comedy show.



And got to see the patch in all its evening glory.



I had never been there at night, and it was a completely different experience.



We loved it.

The next day, we were up pretty early and had planned on taking an Autumn Drive - something I do every year.



We headed down Hwy 75 so we stopped at Union Orchard for a glass of wine. We headed to Kimmel Orchard after this. It still wasn't great, just like the last time I had been there, but it was along the way. 



We then made our way across the border into Iowa, and over to Bodega Victoriana Winery. They had live music on this beautiful Sunday, which was a nice surprise, so we enjoyed our wine on the back patio.



Last stop of the day was Keg Creek Brewing. They moved locations from the last time I had been there. 
The following Friday, I started at my new position on campus and had a quiet weekend.

The Friday after that, I had a colonoscopy - oh the joys of getting older. It wasn't a pleasant experience for me so I spent the rest of the weekend sleeping and recuperating. On Sunday, I felt better and really wanted to get out. My friend Rebecca agreed to go with me an Autumn Drive, my second within a few weeks.



She drove so I got to sit back and take in the scenery. 
After a Lupper stop in Fort Calhoun, we drove North until we reached a place I wanted to check out.



Located on Omaha tribal land, this scenic overlook came across my radar the day before.



It has a sort of replica of what Native earth lodges would have been like.









There are a few trails that lead away from the lodge and that overlook the Missouri River over into the Loess Hills of Iowa.








And there you have it, my life lately. I have to say, Life is Good!

Enjoy your week, friend.


-H.A.







 

Three Fun and Free Events I Went to Last Year

 

I've talked about living a life without spending a bunch of money many times on this blog. As a single mom on a tight budget, my money has to accomplish many things. Even though I have more disposable income now than when my kids were young, I have made it a priority over the past handful of years to invest for retirement as aggressively as I can. This means I don't have much fun money to play around with, but I still want to travel, explore, and wring as much out of life as possible. 
To this end, I subscribe to many email lists that help me in this quest. I am subscribed to the email newsletters for Nebraska Game & Parks, Pottawattamie County Parks, Nebraska Wines, and Omaha Performing Arts, among others. Between these and scouring through events listings in the newspaper and social media, I can always find something fun to do.
As I've discussed in the past, this means taking advantage of things that are free or cost little. This mindset has assisted me in having fun and a life of small adventures throughout the year. Last year was no different, so I'd like to show you a few things I did that showcase this best.


1. Missouri River Expo - September 16, 2023
Every year for many years now, the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission has put on the annual Missouri River Expo. Free to the public and held at Ponca State Park, I have wanted to attend for a long time, so last year I asked my Dad if he'd like to meet me there. Neither one of us expected the fun and massive event that transpired. Covering three large areas of the park, there was the kid-friendly area where the Nature Center is, which showcased raptors, food stalls, a big animal show, and dogs that did diving tricks. Another area was devoted to old skills like axe throwing, bow hunting, animal skinning, and learning about metalworking. Another area had a Teddy Roosevelt actor who told stories (my dad loved that one). Some shuttles took you from area to area and there were plenty of vendors to peruse.
I didn't take much in the way of photos because I just enjoyed myself, but I did snap a few at the end of the day when we took in the Axe Women show. Earlier in the day they log-rolled across the Missouri River, but during their show, they log-rolled in the pool shown below, did some axe throwing, and made quick work of a chainsaw. It was as fascinating as it was fun.







We had planned to meet up again this year but my dad got sick, so we canceled. That's okay, there's always next year.


2. Porchfest - October 1, 2023

The past eight years have seen the wildly popular Omaha Porchfest. I heard about it for the first time last year, so invited a few friends to join me. It's called Porchfest because a neighborhood in Omaha opens its porches for musicians, poets, and dancers to perform. Also free to the public, it's a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.









The small downtown area of this neighborhood also hosts a bevy of food trucks, and one of the bars has a bar area in the empty lot next to it with a stage and picnic tables. After taking in some musicians and a poet on some porches, we took a seat at one of said picnic tables. We saw a musical duo and really enjoyed the Cajun band that played afterward. 
My friend Maggie, who I had invited along last year, asked if I wanted to go again this year. I had to say no, though, since I would be in the middle of my UK trip at the time.


3. Mt Crescent Ski Area Event - October 7, 2023
Pottawattamie County Parks, right across the border in Iowa, manages a chunk of my beloved Iowa Mountains - Hitchcock Nature Center. Next door to them is Mt. Crescent Ski Area. After many years, Mt. Crescent decided to sell, and after being unsuccessful in getting a buyer, PottCo decided to purchase it. They have big plans for it, so decided to open it up to the public one sunny Sunday in October. They had a series of posters showing their ideas, which they encouraged people to vote on, along with snacks, an open bar, free rides on the ski lift, and some live music.
I invited my bestie to come along, which she happily agreed to. Since her son lives in the Loess Hills not far from there, we stopped by his place first and took a hike in my beloved Iowa Mountains that rise up behind his home.



The family dog joined us and, I mean, who could blame him?



Just look at that view! It never gets old, no matter the season.



We made our way to Mt. Crescent after our little hike and I got this shot of the ski lift.
We enjoyed some free snacks, checked out the posters of PottCo's plans, ordered a few beers, and went outside to soak in the Sun.



We were serenaded by some folksy guitar playing by this guy. They had a few fire pits going as well, but the Sun was shining mightily and I quickly got warm sitting by the open flame.



So, we moved a few tables over to enjoy our appropriately-chosen beers. It was October, after all. This was the first time I had ever been at Mt. Crescent so it was cool to finally do so. While skiing isn't my thing, I'm glad PottCo is going to keep it alive for people whose thing it is.



After we left, we weren't quite ready to call it a day, so I mentioned we should go get a drink at Lumen Beer Co., located in Little Bohemia, south of Downtown Omaha. Rebecca likes dark beer, so got their porter, while I picked the Rule of Thirds. Brewed with raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, this fruited sour is delicious!


I can't believe it's been over a year since I attended the last event on this list. Time really does go by in the blink of an eye. It seems like Spring was here not long ago, and now we're in the last half of Fall. I digress, though, as I'm proud of myself for finally getting this post out. Now, I'm off to enjoy the last day of the weekend. I hope you enjoy yours.


-H.A.

Coffee Talk: My Trip to the UK, my Favorite Season, and a Big Announcement

Good morning! I have returned and getting back to the swing of things, recovering from my big trip, and facing a new life journey. There's a lot to cover, so let's get into it.



I returned home at nearly midnight on October 10th, nine days after boarding a plane for the UK. It was an AMAZING trip, everything I had hoped it would be, but it would be an understatement to say it was exhausting. I spent my last three days of vacation lying in a puddle in my home, barely able to move. I tore the bicep in my left arm picking up my backpack suitcase when I got dropped off at the airport - although I didn't know that until I returned home; I caught a sinus infection halfway through the trip; and I walked 20k steps a day while I was gone as I ran all over London and elsewhere just getting to places, so I was dead. Combine all three of these and I felt a level of exhaustion I have never felt before.
Regardless, it was worth every bit of the aftermath and I feel reinvigorated in a way I haven't felt in a long time. The picture above is from my day at Stonehenge & Bath, arguably one of the best days of my life. I saw so many things that I had always wanted to see, ate things I always wanted to eat, and just soaked in every second of what life presented me. 
To seeing London from the 38th floor, taking an evening cruise on the River Thames, checking out Sherlock Holmes' digs, partying with the locals in Cardiff, viewing an ancient temple to a Roman god, following in the macabre footsteps of Jack the Ripper, to eating Sticky Toffee pudding, the UK will not soon be a place I will forget.
I will have a series of posts about the trip but that will be at a later date as I have other posts on the fire that need to come first.





Overnight, Autumn arrived and I couldn't be more excited. You all know it's my favorite season and this year it, literally, happened overnight. It was in the 80s for the two days following my return and, then, the next day we had 60s during the day and 30s at night. I had to scrape my car windows this morning. It was wonderful to put on long pants and a light jacket again. Soon, the leaves will begin to change and it will be time for my annual Autumn Drive to soak it up. Of course, a trip to the pumpkin patch is also on my horizon.



Now I come to my big news. On the morning I flew out to the UK, I had an interview for another position at my employer. While I was gone, they offered me the job and I accepted. On the 1st of November, I'll be moving back out of student financials and back into academics. I'm excited, to say the least, and I'm gaining a big pay increase. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. This will be my fourth position with the University I have worked for, and I really feel that I can now consider this my final one before I move into retirement.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind and I'm still amazed how it all came together. I'm ready for the future, both personally and professionally. Look out world, I'm finally back - I mean really back.









 

How (and How Much) I Paid for a Trip to the UK on a Low Income

 

As of the time of publication of this post, I'll be on a plane bound for England. I've been planning this trip for two years and the excitement is palpable! Until I return home, I thought I'd share the nitty gritty about this trip. Enjoy!


For a long while now, I've talked about surviving and thriving on a low income. Today, I'd like to focus on the thriving part. As you know, I'm currently (as of post publication) on the way to the UK with my friends, Keith and Audrey. I'm sure you're wondering how on earth I managed to pay for such a trip on a low income. Well, I'm about to tell you.
As you also know, I've been credit card churning for a handful of years now. As I got more used to it and did more research, I started to think about what I wanted to gain from credit card churning. Did I want to earn cash or did I want to travel? Well, if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you're well aware of my burning love of travel - and Europe as well. So, a few years ago, I decided to concentrate on travel. With my smaller income, and because I'm single (meaning I can't build up points as quickly as if I were in a partnership) I figured I could build up the miles/rewards/hotel points every other year. This is exactly what I did.
Now, I'm not going into all the details of credit card churning as I've done that here before. How I operate it is that I just use a credit card in place of using my debit card or cash. I strictly use two kinds of cards: one that earns airline miles and another that earns hotel points. I utilize other cards when/if needed, and that did come into play for this trip. So, here's how I did it.

1. Airline Miles
I used a Delta Amex card for airline miles. Once I decided on my destination for 2024 back in 2022, I researched to see approx. how many miles I would need for a flight to London. Once I figured that out, I used that card exclusively to cover my flight. I used some additional credit card churning to make it happen. In early 2023, Amex emailed me about my other Amex Card, the Everyday Card. They offered me 25,000 reward points if I spent $1,000 in three months if I upgraded to Everyday Preferred. I happily did and after I reached the $1,000 I got the 25k points which I immediately converted to Delta miles. This was perfectly fine as both cards are Amex. I then canceled that Everyday card because Preferred has an annual fee and I wasn't using it before nor after this. 


2. Hotel Rewards
Once I had the miles I needed for a flight to London, I put that card aside and began using a card that gave me hotel rewards. I ended up churning three different credit cards to build the points/cash-back rewards I needed to pay for lodging.
A. I'm a fan of Choice Hotels and own a CH credit card. I've stayed at many CH brands in the States and loved them, so was happy to see that there are CH hotels in London as well. Unfortunately, rewards points using the CH branded card build up reward points very slowly. I needed to find a way to build (more) points faster.
B. After some research, I discovered that my Citibank Double Cashback card reward points - which accrue much more quickly - could be converted to Choice Hotels rewards points at a 1 to 1.5 ratio. This means that I not only build up points faster using Citi, but I can exchange my Citi points for Choice Hotels and get 1 1/2 times the points. Ex: 1,000 Citi points = 1,500 Choice Hotel points. Additionally, I could redeem my Citi ThankYou Points for cash if I needed a different choice in lodging. As a side note, I did need to actively use my Choice Hotels card to keep it active so I attached it to my lone subscription (YouTube Premium) to pay that bill automatically each month. So, I earned a few points every month with my CH card.
C. London is mainly a cashless town now, so I set about to find a good card to use that wouldn't charge foreign transaction fees with every swipe or tap. I happened upon Bank of America's Travel Rewards credit card. They were offering a signup bonus of $250 in travel credit, so I jumped on that. I figured that might come in handy for something.
When I was finally within the date range to begin booking hotel nights, CH had increased the amount of points I needed to book. After pondering on it a bit, I started looking into Airbnb. After all, I can exchange my Citibank points for cash. I carefully perused the website and found hostel-like lodging that also happened to be in the dead center of London at a cost of about $64/each per night. I happily booked the first three nights paying for my half with my Citi cashback rewards.
The 4th night was in Cardiff, Wales - a request of my friend Audrey - so she paid for a night at a hostel there for the two of us.
For the 5th - 8th nights we decided to book the same hostel-type Airbnb we stayed at the first three nights. I paid for my half using more of my Citibank cashback rewards.
During the planning phase of the trip, I mentioned to Audrey that we should split a hotel at Heathrow for the last night. My logic was that it would be easier to do that (plus we could stay in an actual hotel with free breakfast) on our last night and we wouldn't have to travel clear across London on the day we flew out. She agreed, and I paid for my half using the rest of my Citibank cashback rewards and shored up using a few of my Bank of America Travel Rewards. 


3. Spending Money
One of my many sinking funds is "Travel". I put enough in there each paycheck to build up more than $1,200/year. On my off-year vacations, it pays for the whole two weeks, and on my main-year vacations (like this one) it covers things like public transportation, entry fees, food, drinks, and if I want to pick up any mementos.


4. Purchasing Things in Advance
I get two extra paychecks a year. The first one of the year, since I didn't have to pay any bills with it, I used the opportunity to purchase some things in advance. Things like:
A. Day Trip to Stonehenge/BathB. Jack the Ripper Walking TourC. Evening Cruise on the River ThamesD. Train to Cardiff and backE. Entry to Greenwich ObservatoryF. Entry to Highgate Cemetery



Now, let's talk overall cost:



Flight
Delta won't let you get away with paying $0 for any rewards flights, whether domestic or international. I had to pay $203 on top of my miles. The flight without rewards was $900 so I saved almost $700 using the miles I earned by paying my monthly bills. Not too shabby.

Cost: $203


Lodging
By far and large, lodging is the MOST expensive cost of traveling. Finding ways to offset that cost is incredibly helpful. I used a combination of Citibank Thankyou Points and Bank of America Travel Rewards to pay for 8 out of the 9 nights. Audrey paid for night number 4 at the hostel in Cardiff. After I cashed in all my points, I had extra money to offset against other purchases - detailed below.

Cost: $0


Additional

I did need to renew my passport - which also required purchasing a passport photo - because it expired two months before the trip. I had to get my picture taken and purchase stamps to mail the passport renewal. Why am I sharing this information? Because it was a necessary cost for my trip. 
Cost: $155.97

On that thread, I decided to be a minimalist traveler so I bought myself a backpack suitcase and some packing cubes.
Cost: $56.69

I also had to buy a charging converter so I could charge my phone and some earplugs. If you've ever stayed in a hostel, or even just in a room with a group of friends, you know how important earplugs are. Luckily, Audrey had earplugs so I just bought the converter - which had enough plug-in capacity for all three of our phones.
Cost: $12.83

 Padlocks and a towel are a must for hostels, luckily I already have two padlocks and a quick-dry towel that I use for backpacking.
Cost: $0


Advance Purchases

All prices reflect the exchange rate at the time, which was 1.29 USD to 1.00 GBP.
After redeeming my Citibank ThankYou Points and Bank of America Travel Rewards to cover lodging costs, I had money left over. It was enough to pay for A and C. 
A. Day Trip to Stonehenge/Bath ($176.66): $0B. Jack the Ripper Walking Tour: $25.00C. Evening Cruise on the River Thames ($49.42): $0D. Train to Cardiff and back: $141.58E. Entry to Greenwich Observatory: $25.60F. Entry to Highgate Cemetery: $23.00
Cost: $215.18


TOTAL COST 
$643.67
Of course, that includes one-off purchases that I wouldn't normally have to make (as listed in the "Additional" section), so I can leave those off for a more accurate cost of the trip. So, the:

TRUE COST 
$418.18
Considering that I will be spending 10 days/9 nights in the UK, visiting a bunch of fun sites, and eating out for most meals, that's cheap.
Now, what would it have cost had I not employed credit card churning? Well, I've calculated it for you:
$2,625.78

That's a savings of $2,207.60!! 

That's simply AMAZING! Of course, I have my $1,200 in spending money for the trip that I saved up little by little by putting aside money each paycheck in my Travel sinking fund. Will I spend it all? Time will tell.


Last, but surely not least, I would be remiss not to mention that I don't have to do all of these activities to have a good time in London. London is a city where almost ALL museums and parks are free (world-class and fantastic ones at that), and you can do plenty of other free/inexpensive things. Since I could indulge a little bit, I did - this is part of the MAGIC of credit card churning mixed with consistent saving and careful planning. 
While I'm splurging some, I plan on doing plenty of things of the free and cheap variety, which you'll get to read all about in coming posts about the trip. Stay tuned for those!

A Life Without Friends is No Life

I'm the kind of person that makes friends easily. After all, what is life without friends? 
All too often, I see older people, especially married ones, who do not really have friends. They don't have people they can go out and do things with who are not their spouses, and that's a bad idea.
When you're married, you are a unit, but within that unit are two separate individuals with different interests. You didn't quit becoming who you are just because you got married. Besides, what happens when something happens to one person in the married unit? I'll tell you: the other person becomes isolated and alone. So, so lonely.
While I haven't been legally married in four years, I always maintained my friendships through my marriage. Now that I'm single, I still prioritize time with friends as much as I do with other important people in my life. I also prioritize time for just myself. It's a healthy balance that impacts me emotionally and is a net benefit.
I couldn't imagine a life without friends in it. Who are you supposed to confide in, whose shoulder can you cry on, who can you laugh heartily with, and who knows you more than anyone else? That's right, your friends.
You might be single your whole life, or your marriage will end one day in divorce, death, or illness. You might not have children, or your children will grow up, have kids, and a life of their own. The same with any siblings you might have. Your parents will pass on.
If you don't have friends....the loneliness will consume you.

I'll never forget watching an episode of On the Road with Steve Hartman. In it, Steve met an elderly gentleman who, having lost his wife six months prior, was depressed, lonely, and ready to die. Enter a chance encounter in the grocery store with a little girl around four years old who felt the urge to hug him. This started a beautiful friendship where the little girl (and her family) would visit every week, they would bring him over for holidays, and he went to all her school events. He told Steve that after his wife died he had no purpose, but the little girl had given him that again. That elderly gentleman was a changed, and happy, man. Link if you'd like to watch the story. Be warned, you'll get choked up.

Keep your friends, no matter how old you get, and keep them close.




 

Day Trip Adventure: Something Old, Something New

 

Today, I'm back with another fun Day Trip Adventure. My bestie and I - both struck with a bit of wanderlust - were anxious to get out for some adventure. Since I am the Day Trip Queen, I began planning the most out of a June Saturday. As usual, the goal was to see stuff, hike a bit, and have a good time, all while spending very little. 
Here's how it all went down.




We set out early and headed south on I-29. If you're a longtime reader here, you'll know that many of my DTAs include driving on this interstate, mainly because it runs the breadth of my beloved Iowa Mountains. Lately, I've been spending more time on the north corridor, so I decided to head south this time. There were a couple of places that I've wanted to check out now for almost a year, as well as revisit other places I haven't been to in a long time that all run south. 



Our first stop wasn't far into Missouri: Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge. This is a place I've been to a handful of times over the years. While I've never been able to catch the visitor center open, I have climbed the trails many times.



We started with a light snack breakfast and were disappointed to discover that the Visitor Center was closed, even though Google said it was open. A quick look around, however, revealed that the entire refuge is worn down and not maintained. Still, we thought we'd try hiking the trails.



Unfortunately, the trails didn't appear to be used, much like the entire refuge. We didn't get far before we had to give up as the amount of debris and a barely discernable trail stopped us from going any farther.
Still, we had other stops that day so we continued north to our next stop, Mt Hope Cemetery.




This cemetery came across my radar when looking for points of interest in southwest Iowa/northwest Missouri. Located near Corning, Missouri, Corning Mt Hope is an old German immigrant cemetery that hasn't buried anyone new in a long time. This is evidenced by the fact that numerous headstones have fallen and the grass was waist-tall in some areas. 



Running up the side of one of my beloved Iowa Mountains, we had to bushwhack through the overgrown grass. This was the only mausoleum-type grave we found here.



As eerie as it was fascinating, we wandered up and down the hillside, checking out the graves of those who lived and died long before us.






Ellsworth Griswold died in 1871, as many of the inhabitants did.






This got me wondering, "What happened in 1871?" Turns out it was smallpox, as I discovered during some research later that week. 
We left and resumed our journey back north on the backroads instead of the interstate. 



Which brought us to Star School Hill Prairie, a place I've wanted to check out for a year.



It was quite the climb up, but the day and the scenery were gorgeous, so there was nothing to complain about.









We were greeted with this view when we first reached the top. Beautiful.



We kept going, though, as our destination approached.









From up here, you can see four states: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. This shot is Missouri and Kansas.


You can see Nebraska up in the right-hand area.



This view is of Iowa...and my lovely bestie, Rebecca.



A long view of the ridge. 
After admiring the views from the top of my beloved Iowa Mountains, we climbed back down to the car, where we changed out of hiking clothes and into some nicer garb. We were close to the border and Hamburg, Iowa, where we stopped and ate a nice picnic supper in the city park. I didn't realize that they had their county Freedom Rock here. 




From here we continued on the backroads until we reached Bodega Victoriana, only one of two wineries left in Western Iowa. It is the only winery I know of that closes at 5 pm on the weekends, and we strolled in at 4:30 - just enough time to have a glass of wine (or two).



We decided to enjoy it on the back patio.



Cheers!



I had to take a shot of their gorgeous pond area. I've only been here in the colder months so have never seen it in full bloom.



We continued on until we made it to Keg Creek Brewing, a place I visited one other time, in February of 2023. I can't believe it's been that long, honestly.



Mmmm, beer.


As usual, this was quite a fun day. We left about 9 a.m. and arrived back at 7 p.m. Needless to say, I fell in bed tired but happy that evening. Taking day trips is an excellent way to get out and explore - both the old and the new, inject some much-needed adventure into life, and embrace the world with open arms. Since this trip, I've done another day trip/overnight trip and a weekend away elsewhere. I'll get those posted in the near future.
Until then, friends, enjoy your life.

Things Come, Things Go

 

In my 52 years on this planet, I've learned a thing or two. One of the biggest is the impermanence of life. Things change, buildings are built, buildings are torn down, processes are upgraded, people enter, people retreat, and hobbies shift.
That's just the way it is.
When you're young, these things are troublesome, but the older one gets, the more laissez-faire the attitude becomes. After all, change is inevitable.
I can look back on my own life and see just how much things have changed, how much I've grown, all that I've learned, and the speed at which it all happened. The tough times in life felt like they were never going to end, but those times are nothing but a distant memory now.
When I got divorced and moved on to the next chapter of my life, I was excited. I knew something monumental would occur, yet nothing big has materialized. Instead, life has shifted in bits and pieces.
This is apparent in many aspects of my life, but none more evident than my writing life. While I have a seemingly never-ending stream of thoughts and ideas for tales to tell, the drive to lay them out just isn't there.
Trust me, I've tried. If the ideas are there, they'll surely flow out onto a medium at any time. Right? Honestly, I just don't know.
Blogging is a dying form. People just don't read blogs anymore, not with the astronomic rise of social media. Still, I still enjoy blogging. Sometimes. While I can't quite bring myself to quit posting here, it can languish to the side for long periods. And, when I do get the urge to post, I find it to be more of a chore and I hurry through it quicker. I'd like to say that it's because I've never had a massive reader base that warranted me spending so much time and effort on it. But that would be a lie. I enjoyed it.
Or at least I used to.
Don't get me wrong, I do still like writing - to an extent - but it's not like it used to be. 
Remember when I planned on motivating myself back into it and I even said I'd have my book of short stories out by Autumn? Not going to happen. Will it ever happen? Again, I just don't know.
That uncertainty used to bother me so much, but now, que sera sera. 
You might be wondering if I'm hinting at something, or bringing this all around to an announcement of some kind. No, not really.
No, I think I have just made peace with so much in my life, writing included. I'll still be posting here, as the urge strikes me - no different than it has been for some time now - but I can't say for sure when (or if) I'll put out another book. And you know what? 
That's okay.

See you soon, friends.

- H.A.