Totality in Tennessee

Ever the astronomy nerd, I was looking forward to the total solar eclipse for months but wasn't sure how or where I'd watch it. Thankfully, my travel friends were also committed to totality, and had a gracious friend in Nashville willing to host all of us. It was a long drive for a short tip, but we spent more time there than in the car and the eclipse alone was totally was worth it.

We made the most of our Saturday with a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum, complete with line dancing lessons in its Taylor Swift Educational Center.

Outside the museum

Shakin' it off with line dance lessons

Edley's BBQ was a fantastic meal before the Saturday night show at the Grand Ole Opry. Our time at the  museum was great preparation for their performance of "Rocky Top" (to be fair, I'd learned that song from the Country Bear Jamboree attraction at Disneyland), but my personal highlight was seeing Crystal Gayle, one of the only country music singers I knew as a kid, perform "Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue"--and her hair still hangs to her knees. Afterward we strolled down lower Broadway people watching and listening to music pouring out of all the honky-tonks. We'd heard that this was a popular spot for bachelorette parties, but it was still a surprise to see that many--either some were faking it or every wedding in the tri-state area was out there.

Dinner at Edley's

Grand Ole Opry

Honky tonks on lower Broadway

Our friend's ward was right next to the Nashville temple, and it was a pleasant surprise to run into DC friends who were also there for the eclipse. After church our group split up so I could connect with family while my friends continued sightseeing. I'd been to Nashville several years ago to visit my cousin Brad, but when I was planning this trip it was unclear whether they'd still be there as their house had sold and they were moving to Florida. As it turned out, they spent the weekend preparing their house and dropped off the keys with the realtor before we met up for dinner. It was great that the solar alignment allowed for a family alignment since I don't know when I'll see them next.

Nashville temple

With cousin Brad and family

The day of the eclipse, we started our drive back to Virginia to still be within totality but a few hours closer to home. Jay manged to find a small park in a small town in Cookeville, TN--and even that had other people like us from out of state there to watch the eclipse. But it had plenty of space to spread out, and we opted to be near a reservoir for a greater view of the horizon. I came as prepared as possible--glasses from my friend at the Air & Space museum, and the plain white back of folded maps to see the shadow bands right before and after totality.

Testing our eclipse glasses

As the eclipse got closer to totality, the shadows started changing shape. Everything--leaves, our hands, etc. all had crescent-shaped shadows.

Crescent-shaped shadows from the tree overhead.

Our view right before totality

I'd read up on totality, but still wasn't prepared for it. There was a significant difference between 95% and 100%, and even knowing it was coming I still gasped when the moment of totality began. The sky was instantly significantly darker, the air cooled, I could see stars, and it was the twilight of dawn/dusk but all along the horizon. Hard to describe how powerful it felt.

Totality!

And just like that, it was all over. It had felt so significant in the moment that I almost felt disrespectful not sticking around and observing it at least going back to 50%, but there was traffic to beat...or get caught in. These 2-lane interstates were clearly not designed to have the entire eastern US descend upon it, so I checked out all the state license plates while we were stuck in gridlock most of the way home. Despite that, I'm already looking forward to April 2024 when the next total solar eclipse crosses North America. Looks like the beaches of Mexico will be an option for that one..

July: GIS ConferenceS, Seattle, and sibling time

Despite my diagnosis of a torn ACL, my July was packed with West Coast travel beginning with
San Diego
The annual Esri conference didn't disappoint, and it was great to reconnect with a classmate while nerding out about GIS.

This map of the solar eclipse's path got me excited for future travel.

A sweet treat with Holly

Thursday night party at Balboa Park

After another quick weekend at home it was off to Monterey for the SCGIS Conference, where I presented on CI's use of GIS in our coffee work and visited the family graves just up the road.

I brought a few plumeria from home to put on my grandparent's headstones.

The beach right by Asilomar

Monterey sunset

From there it was up to Seattle to visit an old friend and see the city. The weather was gorgeous, the museums interesting, and I was able to visit the zoo to see an old colleague. She's working to protect the tree kangaroo in Papua New Guinea on a project I'd helped create maps for several years ago.

view of their boat museum

view from the Space Needle

signing their guest book--almost to 60 million visitors!

close-up of the Chihuly exhibit

I didn't realize how much of a fan I was until realizing I've seen his work in multiple cities; it was great to finally see it in his native state.

It was cool to see his work blend with the gardens (and with my T-shirt)

The famous market, complete with fish-tossing

Tree kangaroo. After all the maps, it was nice to see the species in person.

Dr. Lisa Dabek, who studies them at the Woodland Park Zoo and in PNG.

Watching the salmon swim upstream at the locks.

view of Mt. Rainier from UW's campus

reading room in the library at UW

The grand finale was sibling time in Vancouver, Washington. We ate David's amazing cooking, picked wild blackberries to our hearts content, took a day trip to Portland, and enjoyed each other's company.

Katie watering the garden

Devan bonding with Jayne

sushi night

me and my awesome brothers

Looking forward to getting back to these places (some sooner rather than later).

Paris, Madagascar, and Mauritius

Crazy to say it, but this trip was taking me back to familiar territory: Madagascar. I'd carefully planned to arrive a day early and attend church, but I did not plan on having a leg be so delayed I would miss the connecting flight and be stuck in transit. On the bright side, that meant I was "stuck" in Paris. Just a few weeks before I was diagnosed with a torn ACL so I needed to take it easy, which somehow in my head translated to visiting the Catacombs. What I'd failed to consider was how long I'd need to stand in line or how many stairs you have to take to get down there, but in a morbid and fascinating way it was worth it. Wouldn't want to be stuck down there alone, though!

Making the most of my unexpected layover in Paris by waiting in line for the Catacombs

One of the artistic arrangements of bones in the catacombs.

And then it was off to Madagascar for my workshop, which went well and allowed me to see my familiar sights and favorite restaurants. It did involve a new experience, though: one night we took a cab back to the hotel only to have a policeman pull us over and demand to see our passports (which were safely back at the hotel). What he really wanted was a bribe, but playing the naive American for a few minutes eventually led to him sending us on our way. I also had a small-world experience while picking up a few souvenirs (i.e. chocolate) before heading to the airport. Foreigners generally stand out in Madagascar, but foreigners in short-sleeved white shirts stick out like a sore thumb. I knew this shop was near the mission home, but didn't expect to meet the mission president and his wife or that they'd be good friends with someone I know in DC. What are the odds?

My small-world moment

While there's still so much in Madagascar I haven't seen, I left immediately for a special event: a coworker's wedding happening in the "neighborhood." By sheer coincidence, the last day of our workshop was the day of Monica's wedding in her husband's native country of Mauritius. I missed the ceremony but arrived in time to head straight to the reception from the airport. I even primped during my layover, which is the classiest I'll ever appear on an international flight. It was a fun night celebrating a wonderful couple .

with the bride and groom

The next day I was fortunate to have Pawan's relatives give me a quick walking tour of downtown Port Louis, the capital.

This view captures the diversity of Port Louis--the old and new architecture, a Chinese gate with a mosque behind it, etc.

Sampling some delicious Chinese street food during our walking tour

A quick shot of what I was enjoying

A traditional medicine stall in the marketplace

View of the marketplace

The next day we were treated to a chartered boat to a nearby island that's a nature reserve. The seas were a little rough (it is their winter, after all) but the weather was gorgeous and so was the island. We snorkeled, picnicked, and explored a bit of the island.

Ahoy!

view of Flat Island Nature Reserve

A little bird watching

guarding the nest

Having fun with my new friends

This about sums up my day

Back at the house, Javier and Pawan's mom created some tropical concoctions.

The next day we were treated to a home-cooked feast by all of Pawan's aunts.

Some of the food in prep

The experts at work

my guides, buddies, and food samplers

a sampling of all the goodness

"just a small gathering"

They have a street named after me! (actually a bit surprising, given that no one here speaks German)

Pawan's niece was so thoughtful and created this floral arrangement as a gift to me.

All too soon it was time to fly home, but I was grateful for the hospitality and all I experienced.