Last year (2015), I started this blog on my birthday. I had a few posts, then on September 1st, we started our “Journey to the East,” a circumnavigation that went more or less from here to NYC to Europe to Asia to Australia, then home. At first the posts were short, but as I (or WordPress) got better so were they, well, at least longer.

With a few exceptions, the blog was mostly a photo journal. I engaged in several posts of commentary, and usually explained the pix & clips, and eventually I started to add study questions at the end with the idea that in the future I’d turn it into a curriculum tool. The premier version of WordPress costs money, as does the extra storage – necessary for video and the vast quantity of media it now has – but I hope to keep it up for a few years so that our kids Charlie & Veronica can check it out occasionally, show friends, and be reminded of our epic adventure. (The “Contents” page on the nav bar has all my posts in chronological order, and is most useful.)

I had intended to start a new round of “Reflections” and I still may. I’d also intended to do more with my media and develop curriculum around it. However, being swept up in work and life back home, the hours necessary have not been available. Moving back into the house, now maintaining it, and getting the yard under control have been one challenge.

Another has been my work schedule – 5 preps in 3 departments. I teach “Intensive English” (honors level, mixed grades 6, 7, 8), all Middle School Social Studies classes (Ancient Civ. in 6th, Medieval & Modern Times in 7th, and US History in 8th), and one class of PE (grade 6) on Mon., Weds., Fri. Then, shuttling our own kids to and from school and cross country, not to mention catching up with dentist & doctor appointments and car issues, well, too much to do, no time to do it.

Nonetheless, I plan to squeeze in some reflecting and have worked up a couple new slideshows from the trip. They’re kinda fun to make, and there were a lot of pix, especially at the beginning, that didn’t get into the blog. There were also sections of the trip where the wifi was bad or there were other complications that precluded thorough posts. In addition to looking back on our journey, I want to document some of the present.

So time & timing permitting, I’ll be continuing to post here, and randomvail may get even more random. Relax & enjoy!