The previous three years, I volunteered as a Baldrige Examiner for the National Institute of Standards and Technology within the Department of Commerce. Working for the government as an Examiner just destroys your summer. Examiners refer to the experience as the “lost summer”. The reason you choose to lose your summer is that the experience, learning and knowledge gained is amazing. It’s like cramming a Masters Degree into 4 months. At the end of those summers, I was exhausted.

So when I decided not to participate as an Examiner this year, I was excited about the opportunity to have some fun, travel and not be exhausted going into October. Well…..I probably went to far the other way this summer. Moderation wasn’t in my vocabulary…. I’ll admit that I am tired going into this fall. Between work, everyday life and all our travel, I am very very tired.

As summer transitioned into fall, I’ve taken a few moments to reflect on all the great, exciting, enriching, exhausting, and fulfilling moments MJ and I had during all our recent travels. I’ve enjoyed visiting with our family and friends, seeing new cities, and experiencing new cultures. Looking back on everything, Iceland was the highlight of the summer for me. In Iceland, both of us really enjoyed our time with the Puffins. So thinking back on those moments, I decided to post a picture of these beautiful birds.

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