The potential passenger list for our super-awesome trip keeps growing. Now we've added cousin Sierra. Hopefully everybody will start adding their blog posts as the planning shapes up.
For now, various members of the group have decided to invest some time in learning useful languages. Matt seems to think Romanian is what he wants to try, while Brian is leaning towards German. Patte, Ken, and Sarah all know a little German. Probably enough to order beer, but not enough to find the bathroom after consuming said beer!
Before we invest money in language learning though, we're going to try out http://www.livemocha.com, which is a free internet based language learning tool. As I understand it, it's only free up to a certain point, but that's at least a start. They have many languages and they match you up with native speakers who will critique both your written and spoken work. It looks easy to use, is free to start with, and seems like a good starting point. Heck, I got a perfect score on my first Spanish vocabulary test! Though that's only going to be useful if we get lost and end up in Spain ....
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Next stop: Europe?
In 2010, we planned and executed a fantastic trip to Alaska. It started simple and expanded. It was tons of fun and we had a great time, even though Sarah's much loved sleeping bag got left behind.
Now, a trip to Europe seems to be shaping up. Sarah got the idea to visit the towns and villages of our Doran and Weigel ancestors. Jon wasn't super excited about accompanying her, so she asked Ken if he wanted to go. After being momentarily speechless, he said yes. So now, the quest is on to save up enough frequent flyer miles to get them both to and from Europe in business class.
In the meantime, other family members, including Patte (Ken's sister/Sarah's Aunt), Matthew (Ken's grandson/Sarah's nephew), and possibly Brian (Ken's son/Sarah's brother) have expressed an interest in going. The trip is likely to take place in June 2014, after Matthew is done with school for the year. It will probably be about a two week trip and will hopefully cover all of the areas on this Google Map. The map changes periodically as I find new ancestors and their associated towns.
So stay tuned for updates from the various participants, who will hopefully post their thoughts and preparations over the next couple of years. A logo should be forthcoming as well!
Now, a trip to Europe seems to be shaping up. Sarah got the idea to visit the towns and villages of our Doran and Weigel ancestors. Jon wasn't super excited about accompanying her, so she asked Ken if he wanted to go. After being momentarily speechless, he said yes. So now, the quest is on to save up enough frequent flyer miles to get them both to and from Europe in business class.
In the meantime, other family members, including Patte (Ken's sister/Sarah's Aunt), Matthew (Ken's grandson/Sarah's nephew), and possibly Brian (Ken's son/Sarah's brother) have expressed an interest in going. The trip is likely to take place in June 2014, after Matthew is done with school for the year. It will probably be about a two week trip and will hopefully cover all of the areas on this Google Map. The map changes periodically as I find new ancestors and their associated towns.
So stay tuned for updates from the various participants, who will hopefully post their thoughts and preparations over the next couple of years. A logo should be forthcoming as well!
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