Travel | All is Well

Friday Findings

August 10, 2018 By Shelly Durkee

Friday Findings

I’m a curious soul – with a wide range of nerdy and geeky interests, ranging from space exploration to theological concepts. I often find interesting items when stumbling about on the internet – and on Friday’s I like to share my findings with you!

Travel Bug

I love to travel – I am a homebody, but I have a wandering soul. As such, I’m always drawn to sites that contains lists of “must-see” locations. Time.com shared one man’s 22,000 mile North American journey, and his list of places he says everyone should see in their lifetime. Take a look at his list, and make yours: 25 “Must-See” Places

Mosquito Magnet

Mosquitoes love me. From the first sign of spring until the little buggers die in the late fall, they feast on my feet and ankles and legs and arms and shoulders and even my face. I’ve always thought it was because I was sweet. Turns out, its not. It’s either because I sweat a lot, or it is my Type O blood. How about you? Are you mosquito food? If so, check out this article over at Time, and see if you can narrow down why: Darn Blood-Suckers

Cathedrals, Huts and Homes

Church buildings have always fascinated me. Some day, my husband and I hope to take a trip through the Northeast, photographing and researching old churches, in hopes of publishing a book some day. I also love to see pictures of places of worship across our globe. The International Mission Board (SBC) recently featured an online photojournal of “cathedrals, huts and homes” throughout the nations: Places of Worship

Lava vs. GoPro

I don’t think I’ve shared this video before – but, even if I have, it is worth sharing again. Watch as a GoPro camera goes up against Lava…and wins. Not only is it super cool, the angles of the lava flow are amazing – I could watch lava all day long. Check it out below (and don’t try this at home, kids.)

Friday Findings

January 12, 2018 By Shelly Durkee

I often file away interesting tidbits that I come across while meandering (um, wasting time) on the internet. Here are a few things I’ve come across lately, that I’ve found interesting or helpful.

The Antilibrary

Very interesting article from Inc.com – the idea is that those of us who buy more books than we can possibly ever read, shouldn’t feel guilty about it, because it will keep us intellectually hungry and curious, as those books stare “menacingly” at us.

I have mixed feelings about this – I pride myself on not being a hoarder – but the area of books is my downfall; and I’ve always felt guilty about that. So many books that I hope to get to, some day (thought really the percentage of books on my shelf that I’ve not read is quite less than those I have read – which, I guess, is also a terribly prideful sentence. Golly day, pride gets me every time.) I often think, “Maybe someone else needs that biography, or would benefit from that book about weather, or do I really need a second copy (ok, 3rd) copy of “Surprised by Joy”?

But I also see that there is a grain of truth in what the author says – seeing the books on myself creates an anticipation and eagerness in me – to learn more – to read more. So, read the article for yourself – what do you think? : Antilibrary

More Graphics

I enjoy visual graphics; particularly when they relate to scriptural and literary topics. Chris Harrison (along with a friend) has created some fascinating graphics – the one below depicts all of the cross-references found in the Bible. Visit his site to see some of the others he has designed: Graphical Representations

How Airlines Price Their Fares

Since I’m writing this from 30,000 feet this evening, after changing a flight today, to come home early, and also spending some time booking my next work trip, I found this article interesting, on how airlines arrive at their pricing: Fly the Friendly and Expensive Skies

18 in 18

Our pastoral staff at Seaford Baptist Church has challenged our church this year, to read 18 books in 2018. As a part of this, they put together a fantastic list of 40 book suggestions.

As a part of that, we’ve launched a Facebook Page to discuss these books (and others) throughout the year. We will be posting reviews, questions, polls, links to reference materials and other related items.

Are you a reader? Feel free to join in the fun! You can find the Facebook Page Link here: 18 in 18 Reading Challenge

Best Christmas Present

Goodness. This video.

I’m not sure what gets me more – the thought of this wife who, as a young girl, had to sell her beloved Cabbage Patch Kid when her family immigrated to the United States, or the fact that her husband searched high and low to find the same exact doll, to give it to her for Christmas. It brings so many thoughts to mind – of the thousands of children-now-adults who left behind so much in their escape from poverty, cruel governments, starvation and wars – to find their way to our shores, in hopes of not only a better life, but in some cases survival. Thoughts of the incredible kindness of the husband, to do this for his bride. Tears in watching her joy, tears and gratitude in having her doll back – she even called the doll by the name she had given her as a child.

Watch this and try not to cry. I failed, miserably.

2015 Superlatives….2016 Thoughts

January 4, 2016 By Shelly Durkee

2015 is over. 2016 is 3 days in.

I always get squirrel-ly at the beginning of a new year. I shouldn’t; it’s really just another day on the calendar. But I was (am) also the kid who loved the first day of school, and adored new school supplies. Fresh start, and all that.

2015 was a good year.

I’m not sure what I mean by that, really. I’m not entirely sure how one quantifies a “good” year vs. a “challenging” or “difficult” year. In a sense, should we as Christ-followers evaluate our years based upon God’s grace, which is sufficient in both joyful events and tough events? Or, probably more than likely, I am overthinking. As I am prone to do.

Anyway, 2015 was a good year.

So, I thought I’d take a moment and do some reviewing, if you will so indulge me, dear reader. I’d like to share some stats, and then some fun Superlatives, and then a brief note on the year to come.

First, some stats:

This Website

I have, once again, thoroughly enjoyed throwing my thoughts here, and continue to be ever so grateful for those of you who read–whether you visit here occasionally, or you have happened upon here by accident. I’ve received several emails from you, and have met some new friends as a result. Thank you for your encouragement, thank you for your questions, and thank you, even, for your debates and differing viewpoints. It has been fun, is fun, and as of today, I foresee continuing to share my very imperfect and floundering attempts to define life in the shadow of the cross here on earth.

This little corner of the internet was viewed approximately 33,000 times in 2015, with visits from 155 countries. That amazes me. I know the vast majority stumbled upon this site while looking up information, but some of those stumbles have resulted in some very interesting conversations. I am grateful for each and every visit.

Fitness Goals

Another fun “end-of-the-year” stat email report I received had to do with fitness goals. I’ve worn a FitBit all year long, and have worked hard to achieve 10,000 steps most every day. Fitbit tells me that the following things were accomplished:

Number of Steps Taken: 2,857,208 steps
Number of Stairs Climbed: 978 floors
Number of Miles Walked: 1,237.24 miles

That’s crazy. We will see how things look at the end of 2016.

Family Highlights

Tim went to Navy Boot Camp, and graduated from “A” School (IT Specialist)
Bethany started violin lessons, and sang a few times with me (there is nothing like getting to sing with my girl)
Mark got his first “job”–as bagger at Kroger (the boy apparently knows all there is to know about the grocery business now)
Keli (with a friend) bought her first condo–and did an amazing job of renovating it and turning it into a perfect first “home”. They also are the proud parents of a new puppy, Baxter.
Me: I traveled quite a bit for work—Mostly to GA, LA and Northern VA. More travel is on the horizon, starting with Phoenix next week. I had articles published in a couple of journals (US and UK), and completed a children’s book.

And, now for some fun Superlatives….

What’s that? Well, remember in high school when the year book came out, there were things like “Best Cheerleader” and “Most likely to Succeed”? Well, I’ve captured some of the “Best’s” from 2016–at least, from where I’m standing. Here they are:

Best Movies

Star Wars (Ok, ok. So maybe that seems way too pop culture driven. But I’m telling you, when Han Solo and Chewie showed up on that big screen, on the Millennium Falcon, and Solo said “Chewie, we’re home….”; yeah, I got the feels. So, Star Wars it is.

Honorable Mentions:

Selma
The Good Lie
Avengers Age of Ultron
Everest

Best Documentary:

Finding Vivian Meier

Best New (to me) Words

Scripturient: Having a strong urge to write (this, my friends, is the me in a nutshell)

Honorable Mention:

Pluviophile – Lover of rain (I do love the rain; but really I love the sky more)

Best Sermons

Maybe it isn’t right to label a sermon as “best”. So, instead I’ll qualify this category as a list of sermons that I found to be particularly important and that I think others would find as helpful as I did (you can click on the titles to hear recordings of each of the sermons):

All Lives Matter (Preached by Michael Howard on 1/18/2015)
Preaching to the Heart (by Tim Keller on 4/14/2015–this is actually a workshop he taught, but I found it as impacting as a sermon)
Words That Restore (Preached by Gene Cornett on 7/26/2015, on James 5:13-18)
God’s Plan for Husbands and Wives (Preached by Michael Howard on 10/4/2015–best sermon I have ever heard on this subject, even though it absolutely wrecked my soul. Ephesians 5:19-21)

Best Books

2015 wasn’t a great year for me in the realm of reading. I didn’t read nearly as much as I usually do, and I wasn’t as thrilled with the selection of books that I did read. Still, of course, there were some gems that I read. Here they are:

Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression by Zack Eswine
Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More: Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist by Karen Swallow Prior
Lila by Marilynne Robinson (My Top Pick)
The Knowledge of the Holy: The Attributes of God: Their Meaning in the Christian Life by A.W. Tozer

Best Music

O My Soul, Arise by Sovereign Grace captured into words so much of what my mind and soul ached to express this year. It was a huge gift to be able to sing this for my church family earlier in 2015:

O my soul, arise
Behold the risen Christ
Your Great High Priest
Your spotless sacrifice
O my soul, arise
God owns you as His child
Shake off your guilty fears
My soul, arise

My God is reconciled
His pard’ning voice I hear
He owns me as His child
I can no longer fear
With confidence I now draw nigh
With confidence I now draw nigh
And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry

Honorable Mentions:

What Wondrous Love is This by King’s Kalaidoscope
Chris Stapleton: Ok, this guy’s music is excellent. It’s old-time Country stuff. It’s gritty, it’s real. His song “Tennessee Whiskey“, sung at this year’s CMAs, was my first introduction to his music. Since then, I’ve had his album “Traveler” on replay. A bunch.

Travel Superlatives

Best Restaurants (’cause I love food):

Create Your Own Cheesesteak and Cheesecake (I found this place in Chicago. Oh, my goodness. Create your own cheesecake. MMMM)
Giordano’s Deep Dish Pizza (also in Chicago, cause you can’t go to Chicago and not eat deep dish)
Hook and Plow (Hermosa Beach, CA–definitely wins for the best food and atmosphere)
Tin Roof Bistro (Manhattan Beach, CA–another fun place with great atmosphere)

Best Hotel

The Beach House in Hermosa Beach, CA (what’s not to love about an oceanside hotel with quaint rooms that have fireplaces? This is where my work team meets each year for our team meeting. Great fun.)

Looking ahead to 2016

I don’t know quite what to think. I’m oddly uneasy about the year ahead. A bit unsettled. 2015 was so good; that I am irrationally a bit fearful of the 12 months that lay before us. That’s silly, I know. And I don’t much like this odd sensation. Surely it is unfounded. But, what I do know for sure is this: There will be many joys, and some sorrows. There will be successes and failures and challenges. We do not know what tomorrow morning holds. But what is truth, what has to be truth, what I pray is truth, is this: there is enough grace from God, our father, for all of it.

Every. Single. Second.

Travelin’ Travelin’ ~~~ Best Travel Apps

November 18, 2015 By Shelly Durkee

I’m on work travel again this week–Northern VA first part of the week, Southern North Carolina at the end of the week.

So, I thought today would be a good day to share out some of my favorite travel apps that make things a bit less painful and difficult.

Flights:

Delta App

I generally only fly Delta, because Delta flies out of my nearest airport, so I can really only speak to their app. However, I do think that all major carriers now have mobile apps. There really is no reason to use paper tickets any longer–let the app do the work. Using my Delta app, I can do everything I need to do, almost instantaneously. It saves my ticket as a scannable code, making going through TSA and boarding easier. I can change seats, change flights, order internet connection in-flight, and–if I wasn’t a cheapskate–I could upgrade my seat. It gives me up-to-date gate information, which comes in handy–particularly in ATL where gates seem to change every 2 minutes.

I’m sure all major carriers offer the same, but in case you use Delta, you can click here to get their App: Delta

Seat Guru

I’ve only started playing around with this site, but it looks to be interesting–offering you a wide variety of seat maps and seat selection advice. If it will help me avoid that dreaded middle seat, I’m all for it. Seat Guru

Rental Cars

I’m not much help here. There doesn’t seem to be one app or website that offers a comprehensive solution to the search for decent rentals. That said, I’ve had the best luck with RentalCars.com. But truly, your best bet is to choose a national chain and build up a relationship with them–that is the most effective way to earn free upgrades and good rates. Bonus advice: Avoid small unknown rental car companies in major metropolis areas, at all costs. Yes, you may get a cheaper rate. But I have also seen them do some shady things, and provide lousy service. Don’t do it.

Navigation

I am lost without GPS. Absolutely lost. Especially when I am on travel. I was using Google Maps almost exclusively, until I finally gave Waze a try. Yep. Fantastic. Gets me where I need to go quicker and alerts me to things such as construction, accidents, police activity, etc. etc. Plus, it has character. Lots of character. For instance, in my brain I drive a race car, so my little Waze car is a race car. Nice. Fantastic; ditch Google and move Here: WAZE

Hotels

This is the same situation as airlines—most major hotel chains now have apps. For work, I tend to stay in Hilton properties, and I’ve found their app to be adequate–not fantastic, but it works. I can pre-check-in and change reservations as necessary. Not much more that I need than that. Oh, I can also add my itinerary to my calendar, which automatically adds it to WAZE, so when I’m ready to navigate from an airport or from my home to my lodging–boom, it is already there. I don’t have to look it up. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Here is the link to Hilton’s app; I’m sure there is one for Mariott and Choice Hotels as well: HiltonHonors

Dinner/Lunch Locations

It is not unusual for me to be on travel and need to find a good location for a dinner with the customer, or a team dinner. Yelp remains my best option. I get honest reviews of local options, along with hours, phone numbers and the ability to open up in Google Maps. Yelp has saved me time and time again: Yelp

Travel Tools

And to finish this off, here are some of my favorite travel tools and accessories.

D-Park Pivot Power Strip with USB

Want to be the hero at your next meeting? Or at your gate at the airport? Throw this into your backpack: The D-Park Power Strip is great because it will wrap around a table leg out-of-the-way, plus has two USB ports. Perfect for powering laptops and charging phones. Good stuff.

WizGear Cell Phone Car Mount

I rely on my phone for navigation, and if I am in rental cars, I need a way to view my phone easily. This little gadget is something I keep in my backpack so it is ready to go if I need it. There is a magnet that is attached to my cell phone case. This Car Mount attaches to the air vent on my car, and has a magnet to hold my phone. Very cool.

Velcro Cable Ties

I also throw these in my backpack and find uses for them all the time, while on travel. Cord management, emergency repairs–and dozen of other uses. Cheap, easy to use, and compact.