The first time I went on an airplane was in ninth grade during a school trip to New York City. I was 14 years old, had only visited three other states aside from Minnesota (Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana) and was petrified of flying. After I made it through the initial terror that was TSA (What if I forgot to take my shoes off? What if my liquids were too large or the bag didn’t zip?), I felt a sigh of relief. And, once I saw the whimsical and beautiful clouds from the sky, it was love at first flight.
Since that first flight, I’ve had a desire to see as much as I can. Although COVID-19 may have slowed my travels, I still have many trips on the proverbial books. At the top of my list to visit? London, England; Banff, Canada; Reykjavik, Iceland; Sydney, Australia.
In this travel-themed issue of St. Croix Valley Magazine, my colleague Amy Overgaard and I had the pleasure of talking with Airport Foundation MSP and Arts@MSP—two, intertwined nonprofits working to create memorable moments through arts, music, film and more throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Read Creating Place Out of Space at MPS here.
Also in this issue of St. Croix Valley Magazine, we’re welcoming a couple of new columnists—join me in our Noteworthy section for our Grow and View columns. In Grow, Hudson Flower Shop owner Shelli Erck shares her gardening and landscaping tips and experiences; and in View, Stillwater Art Guild Gallery owner and photographer Bob Lyksett shares beautiful artwork with us.
Share your spring break travels and more with us, readers! Tag us on Instagram (@stcroixvalleymag), or use the hashtag #StCroixValleyMagazine to be featured. Happy traveling!
-Hailey Almsted
