Kim McMahill

Vienna, Austria is known as one of Europe’s most elegant cities. It is brimming with history and culture. The architecture is simply amazing, and it seems like the number of artistic and cultural treasures beckoning to be explored are endless.

“And if travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, in dimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.”  - Pico Iyer -

Regensburg is one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval cities, and the oldest city on the Danube. Walking through its cobble-stone streets makes you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time, and a glimpse of the Gothic spires of St. Peter’s Church leave you in awe.

Here’s what was happening this month in History. February 6, 1935- The board game Monopoly first went on sale February 8, 1910- The Boy Scouts were founded February 28,1692- The Salem Witch Hunts begin

Inspiration from Zig Ziglar

Have a happy Valentine’s Day. I hope you enjoy this special occasion with someone you love, and don’t forget to tell them how much they mean to you. 

“There is nothing so American as our national parks. The scenery and the wildlife are native. The fundamental idea behind the parks is native. It is, in brief, that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us. The parks stand as the outward symbol of the great human principle.”  - Franklin D. Roosevelt- 

I had the opportunity a number of years back to accompany a volunteer group on a mission trip to Mexico. We started out working with its “sister” church in Juarez before heading further into the interior of Mexico to help with some projects at their educational facility in the Rio Chico area. Before leaving Juarez, our local counterparts wanted to go out to dinner at their favorite restaurant and invited some Canadian volunteers to join us. I don’t know why it surprised me, but when we pulled up to a Chinese restaurant I had to smile. Here I was with a group of Canadians, Mexicans, and Americans eating at a Chinese Restaurant in Juarez, Mexico.  I had expected Mexican food, but to the locals that would be like going out for “home cooking,” so if they’re in the mood for something different and ethic I’m sure Chinese food made perfect sense.

Not only does the arrival of February make me feel like spring is just around the corner, the month is filled with holidays and many other unique events . February 2nd was Groundhog’s Day. Sunday is Super Bowl 50, which is especially exciting for me this year. Go Broncos! This February has a Leap Day, which won’t occur again until 2020. And no discussion of February is complete without a mention of Valentine’s Day, a day to be celebrated with the one you love.    Here are a few others of interest: February 8 - Chinese New Years It's the Year 4714! February 9 - Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) February 10 - Ash Wednesday February 11 - 12 Lincoln's Birthday February 15 - President's Day  (always the third Monday of month) February 15 - Singles Awareness Day February 22 - Washington's Birthday February 28 -  Oscar Night 2016 

“The last stop on the tour will be at the sacred well. The sacred well is a sinkhole about sixty-five feet across and is located a half mile from here. Legend is that the sacred well was used for human sacrifices. Skeletons of about fifty people have been found at the bottom, giving credibility to the story. It’s a magnificent feature of the ruins, but if anyone is not up for the hike, you can wait here or meet us back at the bus.” This tour guide spiel in Marked In Mexico is close to the narrative I heard while visiting the sacred well at Chichén Itza in Mexico many years ago. Chichén Itza is home to some of the most magnificent Mayan ruins I’ve ever seen and a perfect place for the action, adventure, and danger to begin in Marked In Mexico .