Happy Martin Luther King Day Jr., all.

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. … Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. So when Jesus says “Love your enemies,” he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition. … The chain reaction of evil — hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation

January

Started work at Forum One Communications in Alexandria, VA

February

West Seattle smooches

March

My brother’s band Lions Ambition performing at Neumos

April

Ryan holding Ezra up during the Easter egg hunt at my parents’ house

May

Taking the ferry with my visiting cousins to go to our Lola’s 90th birthday party

June

Sailing in San Francisco, CA with my colleague Kate during a team event

July

Stunning 4th of July weekend in Kauai, HI

August

Hanging out poolside at my cousin’s house in Las Vegas, NV

September

My father-in-law’s retirement party at Minneapolis, MN

October

Visiting a pumpkin patch with the E. family

November

Night out with friends at the Ballroom after 20something in Fremont Studio

December

Prayer before meal at my family’s annual Christmas party – Ryan’s first!

WINTER
January 25-28 Alexandria, VA
February 4-6 San Francisco, CA
February 10-12 Washington DC
February 13-19 Alexandria, VA
March 10-16 Austin, TX
March 22-25 Alexandria, VA

SPRING
March 31 – April 4 Rome, Italy
April 5-8 Florence, Italy
April 7 Cinque Terre, Italy
April 9-10 Amsterdam, Netherlands
April 18-22 Alexandria, VA
April 27- May 1 Las Vegas, NV

SUMMER
May 26-30 Lahaina, HI
June 20-21 Queenstown, MD
June 22-24 Alexandria, VA
July 22-25 Eden Prairie, MN
July 30-August 10 Eden Prairie, MN

FALL
September 6-10 Alexandria, VA
September 22-26 Eden Prairie, MN
September 27 – October 4 Paris, France
November 1-4 Alexandria, VA
November 23-26 Eden Prairie, MN
December 29-30 Grand Canyon National Park
December 28 – January 1 Las Vegas, NV

Travel stats recap:

• Spent 106 days away. Flew nearly 2x as much as last year, including two trips to Europe.
• Visited 16 cities and fulfilled my new year’s resolution in 2011 to visit 3 new countries!
•  Was most often found working in the DC area and spending time with family in Minnesota.
• Did more personal travel this year with 58% for leisure, 42% for business (based on days).
• My Dopplr Travel Profile with Flickr Photos

2012 Resolution - Visit 3 new international cities!

Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France. Photo by Ryan Prins.

Over the last 5 years, I’ve been on 117 trips. Feeling tremendously blessed to have had travel be a regular part of my life and for the people I’ve gotten to know better because of it!

 “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”

– Bill Bryson

Past Travel Cities Posts: 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks – all those sentences that began with “When we’re married” and continued with “I will and you will and we will”- those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe”- and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed–well, I meant it all, every word.”

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you.

For after these vows, you shall say to the world -

This is my husband. This is my wife.

- Robert Fulghum

@ Via Tribunali

@ The Garage

@ Skillet Diner