Genealogy Holidays: 2014 and 2015 Booked Up!
Recently I’ve been planning my holiday trips for 2014 and 2015, and strangely enough they all revolve around genealogy events … surprise! surprise! But considering I rarely take any time off, the trips in 2014 and 2015 will be quite a novelty.
So here’s what I’m planning at this stage …
February 2014 – 4th Unlock the Past Cruise
First up I’m going on the 4th Unlock the Past Cruise which is a eight day/nine night cruise next February. This one travels around the bottom of Australia (from Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Sydney). So no exotic islands this time, but since I tend to spend most of my time in the conference rooms anyway that’s no big deal. I’m going for the genealogy. I’m going for the friends. I’m going for the food. I’m going for the ship (it really is a mini-city on water). And I’m going to learn from the awesome lineup of speakers. This will be unlike anything else I’ve ever been to, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a big long break afterwards to recover from trying to soak up everything I can. Alas I know that won’t happen, as there will be a backlog of work waiting for me. Seriously I can’t believe it is now less than four months away! That’s just going to fly by. More on this cruise …
the Voyager of the Seas cruise ship, and yes, that is a golf course on the ship!
the Voyager of the Seas, which I’ll be on for the 4th Unlock the Past Cruise
July 2014 – 5th Unlock the Past Cruise
My next trip after that will be in July 2014, when I get to go cruising again, (yes, it’s becoming a bit of a habit). This will be on the 5th Unlock the Past Cruise, and it’ll take me the to the UK, a place that I’ve never been before. Travelling from London, to Scotland, to Ireland, to Guernsey, to France the back to London this 10 day cruise will have plenty of sightseeing, and plenty of genealogy. And it was the guest speakers who sold it for me. More on this cruise …
map showing the route of the 5th Unlock the Past Cruise
February 2015 – RootsTech
This is one that I’m really hanging out for, RootsTech 2015! I went to RootsTech in 2013, and had a ball (well, all except for the L-O-N-G flights to and from Australia to the US, they’re no fun). Held in Salt Lake City (aka genealogy central), this is one event that if you ever get the chance to go, do so. They have a stack of talks, and a huge exhibition. I didn’t go to any of the talks, as I was there to meet people, so I just hung out in the exhibition hall for three days and still missed catching up with a number that I’d hoped to. The transport in Salt Lake City made it so easy to get around, and everyone was so friendly, it was just a great trip. And I made so many overseas friends from that trip … and as an added bonus I got to do a little research at the Family History Library! That is one seriously amazing place. 😉 More about RootsTech 2015 … and some memories of RootsTech 2013
part of the RootsTech Exhibitor Hall 2013
Later February 2015 – Who Do You Think You Are? Live
As a possible (hopeful) add-on to my trip to the US, I’m thinking of then heading over to London to “Who Do You Think You Are? Live” in London, which at least going my previous dates, is potentially not long after RootsTech finishes. It’s one of those things that has been on my must-do-one-day lists (aka bucket list), so I thought well if I’m already over in the northen hemisphere, and there’s only a week or so timing between them, WHY NOT!! For those who are not familiar with Who Do You Think You Are? Live, this is THE biggest genealogy event in the world. It’s held in a ginormous indoor stadium over three days, and it is largely exhibition, with some talks. With numbers something around the 15,000 each year, this is something we’ve never seen the likes of in Australia. More about Who Do You Think You Are? Live …
part of the Who Do You Think You Are? Live Exhibitor Stadium
So as you can see all my coming holidays have a genealogy theme … not that that’s a bad thing in any way at all. But I do find it interesting. And you know what the wierd part is? I’m not great big on crowds (I am short, so I have a tendency to get lost in the crowd), and I am shy – yet I’m wanting to go to the two biggest genie conferences in the world! In saying that I went to RootsTech this year to meet people, and that’s what I did … and having my autograph book helped me with that too. And I shall be taking it with me on future trips, and getting more genie peeps autographs as I travel.
In the meantime I shall be saving my dollars as getting the to US and UK is not cheap, but I’m already looking forward to my trips. And hopefully I’ll see some of you at them.
3 Responses to “Genealogy Holidays: 2014 and 2015 Booked Up!”
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You’re more organised than me but I’ll be seeing you on the cruise in February and definitely at Rootstech 2015.
Darn, I’m off a year from you, Alona. RootsTech 2012 and 2014. I missed you in 2013 and probably will miss you there again in 2015, since I’m also likely on a once every two year cycle.
Maybe we can get together on the Feb 2016 Australia & New Zealand cruise.
Louis
Ooh, I’m sorry that I’ll miss you Louis. Mind you if I wasn’t cruising in Feb 2014, I’d be heading to RootsTech, but alas cruising it is for next year. And I’m sure we’ll catch up somewhere around the world, sometime. 😉