Summaries
“Dream dreams and write them aye,
but live them first.”― Samuel Eliot Morison
We've got a lot of stories to share, so we've organized the last two decades of our life by our tour assignments. Each tour assignment summary contains the trip summaries for our travels during that time, but you can also find the bigger trips listed farther down on this page.
Pro Tip: List all our summaries in chronological order by clicking on the Summary tag/label.
We're just starting the first year of our tour in Cyprus, so check back here after all the dust has settled from unpacking.
And if our stories recounting the adventures we had in the region aren't enough to satisfy your interest in learning more about the local culture, religion, and history, we recommend these books and movies about Saudi Arabia.
Our first post in the Foreign Service was actually a domestic assignment. Greg was assigned to support projects in Europe, so he got to travel quite a bit.
There is a reason why they are called the "Quiet Professionals." This was Greg's last assignment in the military, so it also covers his military-to-civilian transition preparations.
Our first military assignment together. Lots of travel around Europe. Became a family of three.
Greg's 1-year unaccompanied tour. Kacey joined him for a month long excursion through Australia and New Zealand.
Greg's first assignment in the military, along with his first deployment.
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4 weeks, 1 van, 3 kids, 16 different lodgings, 5400+ miles, X States, 12+ National or State Parks & Monuments: 1 Epic Adventure
Beirut, Baalbek, Byblos, the Cedars, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Rosh Hanikra Grottoes, and Caesarea
We drove from Albuquerque to the Grand Canyon, stopping along the way to see the Petrified Forest, the Painted Desert, canyon cliff dwellings, volcanic fields, and several other interesting places.
Oman was our favorite destination on the Arabian Peninsula. We sailed up fjords on a dhow, hiked through the Wadi Shab canyon, and enjoyed the old world feel of Muscat.
Safaris to spot leopards and elephants, swimming in the Indian Ocean, sipping tea in the mountains, and several more!
Starting in Cairo, we sailed to Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Aswan.
Highlights included tracing the steps of Indiana Jones into Petra, following Lawrence of Arabia into Wadi Rum, and floating in the Dead Sea.
Greg had a short assignment to Ashgabat that gave him the opportunity to visit the Gates of Hell, make a stop on the Silk Road, and ride the same breed of horse that the Turkmen cavalry rode to fight the Russians near the border with Iran.
We emersed ourselves in Istanbul, explored the white travertines of Pamukkale, and traced history through Laodikeia, Hierolopolis, and Cleopatra's Baths.
Sydney, Alice Springs/Uluru, Cairns, and the diving the Great Barrier Reef.
Auckland to Queenstown and many places in between on the North and South Islands.
Greg and Kacey's first international trip together. We visited Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.
Greg's first deployment to Qatar, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Greg's solo trip to Germany, Austria, Czech Republic
Greg's trip to with fraternity brothers Andy and McG to Iceland, Netherlands, and Belgium
Greg and his fraternity brother Chris spent the summer of 1999 in Hong Kong on an internship. During that time, Greg also visited Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Beijing, Macau, and Bali.
Greg's solo trip to Paris, Normandy Beaches, Bayeax, Bern, Genoa, Milan, and Marseilles.
Greg and his fraternity brother Micah visited London, Cardiff, Stonehenge, and Amsterdam during their Spring break in 1997.

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