One more of Bermuda…I just can’t help myself!

We get the amazing opportunity to travel due to my husband’s occupation. Sometimes just Cody gets to go…sometimes just I get to go…but when we all get to go together it makes the trip a true family vacation. Cody is in the Center for International Studies magnet school program at his high school. He is required to travel to a foreign country prior to his 11th grade year and write a report on his experience. We all love to travel, learn about other cultures, and explore other countries. So the Root family hopped onboard a cruise and set sail from New Jersey to Bermuda where we stayed for two days and got to devour (in a good way!) the country of Bermuda from top to bottom.

• Bermuda is 21 miles long and 2.5 at its widest point.
• Bermuda sits atop a dormant volcano.
• Bermudas population is 62,000.
• Bermuda was discovered by a Spanish explorer.
• Bermuda was settled by the english in 1609.
• Bermuda is a colony of England.
• Bermuda citizenship is very difficult to achieve. Let me elaborate on this one…to become a citizen of Bermuda either your parents or yourself must be born in Bermuda or you must reside in Bermuda for twenty years before you can apply for citizenship. When you become a citizen of Bermuda you also gain citizenship to England.
• Bermuda’s capital is Hamilton.
• Bermuda’s largest industry is American insurance companies. Tourism is second.
• Bermuda citizens are allowed only one car per household-most people drive mopeds.
• Bermuda citizens use the ferry as a common form of transportation.
• Bermuda citizens are not allowed to own a gun-they are illegal as are most other weapons including knives.
• Bermuda beaches have pink sand-yep, saw it for myself.
• and yes…Bermudians do wear Bermuda shorts!

Sailing out of New Jersey-what an incredible view!

I graduated from Texas A&M University located in College Station, Texas and am an Aggie through and through. For those of you that do not know…Texas A&M is a university entrenched in tradition…very deep tradition. A few traditions that come to mind are Aggie Muster, Elephant Walk, Aggie ring, no walking on the grass around the Memorial Student Center, Reveilles’ graves placement so they can see the score of the game, the 12th man, Silver Taps, Gig’em, Howdy-and so many more. For those of you unfamiliar with the Texas college football landscape, the Aggies have a pretty hard core rivalry with the longhorns that reside at the University of Texas which shortens to UT (better know to Aggies as “tu”). I have only ever known one “UT” so it threw me off a little when I got a message from a Florida friend that she went to UT. I got this message while I was at the University of Tampa for a gig with my husband and came to realize that there is another UT! I had been to this other UT before when my husband performed there a few years ago and was excited to go back. The University of Tampa is a beautiful, peaceful and tranquil campus with some of the most amazing architecture. While my husband was setting up for his gig I decided to walk around and take in the campus. Here is a little of what I caught.

I have lived in Orlando since December 2005 but don’t really feel like I know too much about the city. We have done a few of the tourist attractions here, especially when we have friends and family come and visit but what I am talking about is really finding out what else is in Orlando besides Disney and Universal. We don’t plan on living here all of our lives but Orlando is now a part of our roots as a family so I would like to take some time to explore before I leave. My friend Ariel just moved here a few months ago so her and I decided to take a field trip day. I took her to a few places I have already been and explored like downtown and Thornton Park, we had lunch and then decided to go somewhere I have passed several times, but never “gone in”. So we headed north and went to Rollins College. Wow and amazing-what a beautiful and peaceful campus. As we walked around we observed that all of the coloring and architecture of the campus was similar so when we came across a large red sculpture that stood out amongst the neutral palette of the campus we had to stop and play! What are your favorite places in Orlando? I’m looking for my next field trip destination…