Embarking on my Bucket List Trip #2

Well, it's been a long time since I've updated this blog (three years to be exact!)...and a lot of things have happened in my life...some sad, some happy and some in between. I've missed blogging on several trips including two of my bucket list trips...one was a three week trip to Alaska including going to Katmai National Park to see the coastal brown bears...truly a magical experience to see these magnificent creatures so close and not be in fear of them (well...except that one time we ran into a sow and her three cubs on the trail..that got our adrenaline pumping!). We also ventured to Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords National Park and the Kenai Peninsula...all magnificent places! The other was a trip to Maui in February to see the humpbacks and their calves up close and personal in zodiacs. Another crazy magical experience to hear them sing, see them breach, see them teaching their young to slap their fins, and see the males competing for the females...and all so close! A few photos from these two trips are below.

Anyway, I digress...  I am getting ready to embark on my #2 bucket list trip and thought this would be a good time to try to start up the travel blogging again. I'm about an hour out from heading to the airport and have a lot of mixed emotions going on. First, I'm heading to Yellowstone in the dead of winter on a small wildlife photography tour...only three other people (strangers...gulp). Never done anything like this before so I really don't know what to expect. I'm very excited for all the wildlife possibilities, beautiful winter landscapes, and learning as much as I can from our photography guide, however, never having spent this much time in really cold conditions (I see some negative numbers in the forecast!), I'm feeling a little out of my comfort zone (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but rather anxiety-producing for me). Also, packing for a photography tour is hard enough with all the gear involved, but add on negative temps and you have some interesting packing situations. Also, leaving my elderly cat is always a little hard to do, even though I have wonderful cat caregivers looking after her...she still prefers mom. Finally, I think I just have "stranger-anxiety!" What if I don’t get along with these people and have to spend a week with them in the park? What if we have nothing to talk about? I can come off rather reserved until I get to know people, so what if they don’t like me? Yep…a lot of fears (and a lot of excitement) going through me right now. I’m used to traveling solo for the most part, but a small group tour…this is something new! I’m ready…then again, I’m not…so I thought I would write about all my adventures each day…and hopefully add a few wildlife shots in with them.

Okay, better do one last check of the house...and then off to the airport. Here are a few shots from those trips I talked about earlier in this post. More blog post to come from Montana...