It’s a beautiful morning in Dover NH, a bit chilly and brisk, but sunny and fresh. Dover is just a short distance from Durham, home of the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. After our college visit expedition, we head home today, UNH is now on the top of Amy’s list. So yesterday we decided to stop here on our trek back to Boston just to spend some more time walking the campus and exploring the area.

I have been a fan of New England for many years. It started back in the 80′s (does that make me sound old)?) when we came out to visit my wife’s sister who lived out east for awhile. Then we came out here on our camping expeditions for many years to visit other friends who live here. I’ve often said, “If I couldn’t live in Minnesota, I’d live in New England”. So I’m excited that Amy is interested in venturing out here for college.

Now the bad news, selfishly, I’m not so interested in sending my oldest daughter so far away to school. With some rough math, that’s almost 5000 miles away from her brother Pete living and going to school in Fairbanks AK. Sometimes I wonder if we did something wrong that has caused our kids to want to go so far away. But I know in my heart that we did something right, something that has let our kids seek adventure in places away from the safety and comfort of home. There is a great line in the book “Alaska” by Michner, it says something like “Adventure and a safe haven, that’s a good mix.” We’ve tried to live by that motto, and maybe it has rubbed off on the kids. I know that they know, our haven, The Carlson home, on .82 acres, in Shorewood MN, next to Mike’s 2.5 acre pumpkin patch and sled dog training track, will be a haven the can always come home to.

Well it’s time to get going. We are off to Logan Airport to drop off the rental car, check our bags, then spend a few hours in downtown Boston before flying hom tonight. It has been a great adventure, but I am looking forward to returning to the haven. And no matter where Amy goes. I know that she will feel the same until she finds her own haven.

Take Care.

Well I’m sure you will all be happy to know that the tire warning light hasn’t created a problem (as of yet anyway).  I think it’s just an out of balance light, it’s hard to know since there is no manual in the car. Anyway…..

We had a great day yesterday!  It is amazing how visiting a place can change your perspective of a school.  You look at schools on-line, in brochures, talk to people, see pictures and you think you have a pretty good perspective on what you will see.  Looking back (you know that hindsight thing) and I can see we were looking at things we wanted to see, not necessarily how they actually were.  Hmm, maybe a lesson on life and spiritual fitness here?

Well we learned a lot, fell in love with one of the schools, not so much the other, but both great in their own right.  Met some good people, experienced the New England we remember from many visits here in the past, a very good day of learning and experiences.

Today we head north to Waterville to visit Colby College.  Looks like a great school but unless there is a financial aid package of substance, really out of our league financially.  But we want more perspective, and if today is anything like yesterday we should get some.

Gotta run, I mean drive,

Take Care.

This morning I write from The Holiday Inn Express in Lawrence MA.  Amy and I flew out of Minneapolis yesterday for a father / daughter college visit trip.  Three years ago I started an on-line travel journal, when Pete was also a high school senior, and we took a trip to Alaska and the Yukon for some sled dog racing and college visits to the west and northwest (way northwest!).  The big difference is that I wrote about the last trip in my Eden Prairie Police Chief Weblog.  This time I write as a chaplain and seminary student exploring his own educational future as we explore my daughters.

Today we head north (hopefully, there was a tire warning light flashing in the rental car as we pulled into the hotel last night) to the University of New Hampshire in Durham, then up to the University of Southern Maine in Gorham ME.

Stay tuned, I’m gonna refresh on posting photos so you can see some of the sights we do.

Take Care!