On my old website, I used to have a map and schedule that showed where and when I was traveling to next.  You’re probably thinking, “Wow, you must have traveled a lot.”  In 2004, I did.  I went to nine different cities in 14 weeks. I’d leave on Wednesday and come back on Sunday.  And, then do it again the following week.  As you can probably imagine, traveling got really old really quickly.

At first, I was really excited to travel, especially to some of the cities I went to.  But, then after not having any time to spend with Corey or to relax, I started to get burned out and homesick.  Plus, I traveled alone most of the time so I was very lonely.

Luckily, my traveling died down and I didn’t go nearly as often.  I started to travel only once every few months rather than every week.  And, then I didn’t travel really at all.  In fact, the last business trip I went on was about two years ago.

There’s a small part of me that misses traveling because I really enjoyed going to a lot of the places I went.  I just wish I could’ve gone with Corey and I could’ve spent a little more time seeing the sights rather than spending most of the time working.

So far, I’ve been on 24 business trips.  And, I’ve had a chance to go to Chicago, Anchorage, San Diego (twice), Albany, Kona, Omaha (twice), San Francisco, Atlanta, Nashville, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Tampa, Manhattan, Portland, Carbondale (IL), Phoenix (twice), Honolulu, St. Louis, Charlotte, Kansas City, and Seattle.

One of the things I enjoyed doing while I was traveling was visiting the temples.  I’d try to work out enough time so I could participate in a session.  If I didn’t have the time to do a session, I’d try to visit the temple grounds at least.

I’ve had the chance to participate in sessions at the San Diego, Portland, Mesa, and Seattle temples.  Doing a session at the San Diego temple was a dream come true! I had always wanted to go inside because it has been my favorite temple since I saw it for the first time almost 15 years ago.  It’s so beautiful, both outside and in.  I’ve also had the chance to see the Laie, Kona, Houston, and Winter Quarters temples.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to participate in a session while I was there.

The other thing I enjoyed while traveling was the chance to visit family and friends.  When I went to San Antonio, I drove the three hours to Houston so I could spend the weekend with my sister LeAnn and her boys.  When I went to St. Louis, I had the chance to spend a few hours with my brother Jared and his family. Also, Jared was in Manhattan at the same time I was so we were able to have dinner together and spend some time in Time Square.  It was a lot of fun! When I went to Phoenix, I was able to spend an evening with my niece Brittany and her girls.  I even helped my great-niece Tori with her math homework.  And, when I went to Seattle, I had the chance to stay and spend an extra day with one of my best friends, Angie.  It was great to see them and helped make the traveling more fun and enjoyable.

The Mall of America and the Empire State Building were the two most memorable places I was able to visit, other than the temples.  The Mall of America is huge!  There’s an amusement park in the center of the mall and over 200 stores. I want to go back to it when I have more time to peruse all the stores and maybe even enjoy the amusement park.

The seminar I taught in Manhattan was actually held in the Empire State Building so I had a key to one of the rooms. I also had the chance to go to the top of the building. I really liked seeing the city from that vantage point and got a “small” glimpse of the Statue of Liberty from up there.  Other than spending some time in Time Square with Jared, it was the only sight I was able to see.

The most memorable experience I had was while I was in Kona.  I went a couple of days early because I wanted to spend some quality time since I was going to be in a place as beautiful as Hawaii.

While I was walking down one of the streets, I decided to go into a snorkeling rental shop.  I wasn’t planning on going snorkeling since I was traveling alone, but I felt like I should go in.  The shop owner started to talk to me and asked me where I was from.  After I told him I was from Utah, he told me his daughter had gone to BYU and his family was LDS.  He invited me to go to his ward on Sunday if I was still going to be in town.  He said they were having a “special” guest.

When I went to church that Sunday, I noticed Elder Nelson and his wife sitting on the stand.  I enjoyed listening to them speak and had the opportunity to shake their hands after Sacrament meeting was over.  Even though I was so far away from home, I felt at home while I was listening to them talk.  I think that’s the main reason I loved going to the temples while I was traveling.  I didn’t feel as lonely or as homesick while I was participating in something spiritual.

Next week, I’ll take my 25th business trip.  I’m not expecting anything huge or extremely exciting to happen while I’m in Las Vegas.  But, I’ll get another magnet to put on my overhead bin at work.  (I buy a magnet from all the places I travel while on business.)  But, more importantly, I get to see four of my really good friends: Alice, Cindy, Jamie, and Jen.  I can’t wait for that!