A Personal Curriculum for 2026

Something I touched on and wrote about in 2025 was course curriculums. In the Autumn, I had really big plans of diving deeper into some topics that I’ve found great interest in and structuring it out and sharing it…and then life took on a whole new level of busy. I struggled to balance it all and a bunch of things fell through the cracks- the curriculum plans included. So, here we are, trying this again. But this time I am going to try and plan the whole year out…we’ll see how this goes. 

I like to think that I am a lifelong learner- I seriously just love learning about new things, or diving deeper into things that are known, but maybe looking at a different angle. This whole concept of “personal curriculum” really just gives a structure to what I already want to do and gives me a chance to have some output (because if you think I’m not going to share about this as I go along- well you would be very mistaken). 

Ultimately, I’m trying to divide this up into 3 or 4 semesters of study. While I think we could find an overarching theme to what I’m looking at, that’s not what I’m going in with. I’ve just found a couple of things that I want to dive deeper into over the past 6 months or so and I’m creating curriculums for that. 

With all that said, let’s get into my course plans. 

The first course I’ll be working on is the one that I started but didn’t finish- The Titanic “Aftermath”. I’m looking through the media coverage of the disaster, the ensuing congressional hearings, and the perception during the initial year or two following the disaster. I’ve got several books, including a collection of the testimonies from the hearings and a first-hand account of the disaster, that I’m reading. I’ve also got several documentaries and podcasts on tap to go along with my readings. I plan on checking in halfway through and then at the end- just to give an overview of what I’m learning and my thoughts around that. 

The second course I’ll be doing is a Reality Television course. More specifically- a course touching on our general obsession with Reality Television, what it is that brings us in and keeps us hooked to the shows we love and crave. I know I’m not the only one out there who loves to sit down and watch just a good reality tv episode- whether it’s Real Housewives, Members Only, or Sister Wives- I LOVE it all. And I wondered- what is it about these types of shows that just draws us in. What makes it work and last. Now, obviously outside of the books, I’ll have to watch some reality TV as well, maybe rank some shows (or seasons of shows in some cases) and discuss what works for me throughout the course. 

The third course I’ll be diving into will be a course around NASA disasters. I will be going disaster by disaster, examining what happened, what was published, how was it handled, and what changes came from it. I am most excited to read some of the transcripts from mission control and find out what went wrong and where the human factor comes in to play. I’m still early into figuring this curriculum out, so I’m still adding things as I go. NASA does fascinate me (though I don’t want to go to space nor care super strongly about space), so I’m looking forward to getting into this! 

I do have a couple ideas for a final curriculum, but I don’t want to commit just yet as I want to be gentle and not push to much onto my plate. So, we’ll stop with the three for now and I’ll share if/when it changes. Now my focuses aren’t only on the above items, I’ve got other random bits that I’m learning about (such as building an organization from the ground up, learning about different facets of our school district and funding and legislature/advocacy, along with general knowledge about our area and advocacy geared toward that), BUT this is the specific things that I want to cover outside of that. 

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Fall Semester Course Curriculum

There’s a trend going around (or gone around- I’m a little late as I waited to get all of my things set before sharing) about creating our own course curriculums for learning. It is basically a bunch of women giving themselves permission to learn further about the things that intrigue them for nothing more than enjoyment of learning. This was really pushed out be a creator called Elizabeth Jean (@xparmesanprincessx on TikTok) and I’ve not only enjoyed her videos but watching everyone else also come up with their own curriculums. I’ve found some new things to look into for the future!

For me, what I want the course curriculum to be is something that I am interested in, potentially know at a basic level, but want to dig deeper into. I’m trying to steer away from topics that I might have immersed myself in prior (Henry VIII and co I’m looking at you), but I’m also not going to close myself off to them if the desire to go down a path strikes. I’m trying to keep them at the “semester” schedule- so studying across 3 months or so, just to keep myself realistic and have it be enjoyable. 

For my first curriculum I’m going to be engaging on topics that has kind of been at the forefront the past few years, is a big part of history and hoping to tie the two courses together in the coming time. I’ve given myself a syllabus and any writing or research or knowledge I gain over this period I’ll share on here 

So, first I’ll be studying the Titanic- but not the initial disaster, I think we are all very aware of what happened. I’m going to focus on the aftermath, the testimonies, the judgement, the way the news then handled this great disaster. I might try and tie in some other facets (like looking at our modern obsession with the disaster and where that stems from), but I’m not sure about that yet. I’ve picked up some books and done some initial research for this course- which I am titling Witnesses & Headlines: Testimony and Media Coverage of the Titanic Disaster. 

For my reading for this course, I’ve picked up: The Truth About the Titanic by Archibald Gracie IV, Titanic 1912: The Original News Reporting of the Sinking of the Titanic, The Titanic Disaster Hearings by Tom Kuntz, and Titanic on Trial: The Night the Titanic Sank Told Through the Testimonies of her Passengers and Crew. I plan on re watching a couple of more recent documentaries about the Titanic to go along with the course as well.

The second course I’ve picked for myself is a bit of a Gilded Age overview, titled- Class, Power, and Persona: Social Hierarchies of the Gilded Age. I’m going to be looking at social roles, gender dynamics, and class division during the Gilded Age. I think we’re all on the same page when it comes to the Gilded Age (in that we know about it, and we all watch the HBO show, but what was the day to day like? What were the true dynamics? What would it have been like to live in between Mrs. Astor and Mrs. Vanderbilt?). I’m enthralled with learning about the social dynamics and the day to day of era’s long past, much like I imagine someday in the future people might want to know our day by day (ooooofffffff). 

For my reading for this course, I’ve picked up: When the Astor’s Owned New York by Justin Kaplan, A Season of Splendor: The Court of Mrs. Astor in Gilded Age New York by Greg King, The Social Graces by Renee Rosen, and Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart. I am working on trying to find some documentaries or podcasts to go along with these books- if you know any, please let me know!

I do plan on doing all my normal reading during this time period as well and I have added some…topic specific fiction books to read during the time just to enhance the experience. I’m hoping to tie both of these together in a future curriculum covering our obsession with these eras and disasters as well as how they compare to the society of today. Alternately I could tie both these subjects together with the Belle Epoque of Paris and look at the time period as a whole leading up to the disaster of the Titanic.  But who knows, at the end I could completely move on from the subject matter!

I’m really looking forward to spending a bit more time learning this Autumn and just digging deeper into some topics that I want to learn more about. If you could study anything, create your own curriculum, what would it be? I might grab some ideas for future curriculums. 

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A Cuppa Cosy Summer Holiday 2023 – Halifax, Nova Scotia

I know I said that we really loved everywhere that we stopped on this year’s Summer Holiday, but I feel like Halifax might…just might have topped the list? I don’t know, so many good stops, but this one was just…stuck with me. Maybe it’s because of timing and what we did, maybe it’s the vibe of where we were, maybe it’s just a magical thing that Halifax has. Regardless, I am so excited to talk about the few days we spent in Halifax. 

We arrived in Halifax on Canada Day. And everyone has asked (especially with our timelines of summer travel), what Canada Day is like in Canada. Is it similar to America’s Independence Day? Is it wildly different? What is it like?

And I am here to say- it’s by and large probably about the same. You have some people who are loudly pro Canada and choose Canada Day to proclaim it, but honestly, for the most part people…calmly celebrated? I don’t know how to explain it. For us in Halifax, everyone was wearing red/white, there was a massive block party on the pier, but it was also just chill. Some of that was possibly due to weather- it was overcast day with low hanging clouds (so no plane show or fireworks), but I do also wonder if this is just the way the people of Canada celebrate. 

So, we had a delightful first afternoon/evening in Halifax. After checking in, we headed over to the Halifax Citadel. But let’s talk a little history first. 

Halifax is the capital, and largest city, in Nova Scotia. Originally known as Mi ’ kma ’ ki it is the ancestral home of the Mi ‘ kmaq people- something they acknowledge and honor very well. The “Town of Halifax” was established in 1749 and marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre’s War. The establishment of Halifax the British violated their treaties with the Mi’kmaq. To bolster the town defenses, the British built the Citadel in Halifax, along with several other fortifications in neighboring areas. 

Halifax Citadel was initially fortified in 1749 intended to not only serve Halifax defensively, but also as a counterbalance to the French Louisbourg. It was small, part of a western perimeter wall and was protected by five stockaded forts. The city of Halifax was raided four times during that initial war; however, the Citadel was taken care of, and by 1761 it had deteriorated so much that the British built a new one…in 1776 (thanks to the Seven Years War). This second fort was a permanent fortification. There were redans, a blockhouse, and 72 mounted guns. This Citadel gave the Royal Navy the most secure and strategic base in North America. Halifax became known as the “Warden of the North”. It is also thought that this presence is why Nova Scotia stayed loyal to the British during the Revolutionary War. However, permanent these fortifications were intended, by 1784 they were once again in ruins and with the French Revolutionary War coming (and parts of Canada very much French), a new Citadel was designed and built. With the Third Citadel, they levelled and lowered the ground to allow for a larger fortification. We see the initial signs of the current set up, with four bastions surrounding the barracks and magazine. In 1803 the Halifax Town Clock was opened to keep time for the soldiers (this was a real issue then). This third Citadel is also where we see the system of flag communications come into play. While it didn’t fall into complete disrepair, it did need a new magazine and a slew of repairs when the War of 1812 came around. However, in 1825 they decided to scrap most of the citadel (due to disrepair) and rebuild. After 28 long years of construction, the Citadel as we see it today opened in 1856. The overall history of the military AT the Citadel has been quite varied. It’s seen a fair number of soldiers, but never an attack. The British Army pulled out in 1906, with Canada taking over. 

While the hill and fortifications were designated historic sites in 1935, there was still quite a bit of talk about tearing it down. Thankfully that was struck down, and in 1956 it opened some of its’ doors to the public. Over time it has been repaired and in the 1990’s it became fully restored to the Fourth Citadel appearance. Nowadays it is fully open to the public, with it transforming into a living history museum during the spring/summer months. There is a noon-time canon firing, a war museum, ghost tours in October, and reenactments throughout the year. We always enjoy walking through military history- especially if it’s from another country, with a different insight. And in this case, it was a defensive fort that never really got attacked. 

While in town we also wandered over to the Old Burying Ground. The cemetery was founded in 1749- with its’ first burial taking place the same year. Intended as a common burial ground it remained open for burials until 1844, when Camp Hill Cemetery was established. If you’ve read enough of my travel blog posts, you’ll know we find it interesting and cool and just a piece of history to wander through older cemeteries. In the 1980’s the site was restored by the Old Burying Ground Foundation, who now not only maintain the cemetery, but also work to restore the grave markers. This particular cemetery is said to hold 12,000 graves, to include the British Major General who burned the White House during the War of 1812. The monument at the front of the cemetery is the Welsford-Parker Monument. This is the first public monument in Nova Scotia, and the fourth oldest in all of Canada (and the only monument to the Crimean War in North America). Built after the cemetery closed, it commemorates British Victory in Crimea and serves as the last grave marker in the cemetery. 

I would say the real highlight of our entire Summer Holiday occurred on our second night in Halifax. We were able to attend the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. And honestly, before I go any further, if you are ever able to make it to an International Tattoo- go. It is incredible to watch.

The Tattoo is intended to serve as a theatrical experience where military bands and display teams are able to showcase their abilities. The Halifax one has been taking place since 1979- ever year. Aside from being able to showcase a variety of military bands across the world, there is also a theme of friendship and bonds between countries in each year’s performances. The Halifax Tattoo was given the “Royal” designation from Queen Elizabeth II in 2006. This past year we were able to watch acts not just from the United Kingdom, America, and Canada, but also from Germany and South Korea- which was really cool! Germany was a hilarious performance, and the boys loved the Sweet Caroline singalong as well as the bagpipe rock n roll. My personal favorite was the Switzerland Drummers. For a little insight into the performance- check out my Instagram where I’ve posted a video. It was incredible- a real highlight. 

Our last day in Halifax we started off back at the Marina and checking out the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Located at the HMC Dockyard, this is the first known maritime museum in Canada and also includes a visit to the CSS Acadia.  The Museum has a large number of artifacts and photos, but also charts and rare books. You can see everything from the artifacts to replica’s that are being worked on (and the workshop where they get worked on!). You can wander through numerous exhibits, and the boys got to learn how to spell their name in Morse Code. There are actually two truly notable exhibits in the museum- one on the RMS Titanic and one on the Halifax Explosion. 

The Halifax Explosion was one of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions (and is actually a standard of measurement for other large blasts). In December of 1917 a French Cargo Ship collided with a Norwegian Ship in the harbor. This is actually quite a tragic, but fascinating event in their history. The Mont-Blanc was carrying quite a high number of explosives (unannounced too so only those on board knew), which upon the crash caught fire and exploded. The explosion destroyed almost all the immediate radios buildings, and anything that wasn’t immediately destroyed by the explosion was then destroyed by the pressure wave and tsunami.  1600 people were killed instantly and 300 of the 9000 injured succumbed to those injuries. A good amount of the city ended up burning due to the gas stoves and lamps, and if you had been watching the fire? You surely lost your sight when the explosion blew your windows out. In fact- there is an exhibit of replacement eyeballs. 

To make matters worse- the day after a blizzard dropped 16 inches of snow on Halifax the next day. Not only stalling recovery efforts and supply deliveries, but also making it incredibly difficult for those trying to find shelter. 

While it was a horrifying event, it did lead to some good- quite a few medical advances came from the months post explosion- specifically in eye care, public sanitation, and maternity care. It also helped deepen the bond between Boston and Halifax (which dated back to the founding of Halifax). Boston was such a help that every year Halifax sends a Christmas Tree to Boston- which is the official Christmas Tree of Boston and is on the Boston Commons every year. 

The Titanic Exhibit is equally fascinating as it has the foremost collection of wooden artifacts from the Titanic (including one of those infamous deck chairs). Nova Scotia and Halifax in particular played a large part in the collection of bodies from the Titanic. As the only unfrozen port, they were dispatched to help provide assistance. I’ve already mentioned the deck chair, but they’ve also got the shoes that were used to identify the “unknown child” of Titanic, an original copy of the senate hearings/testimony from after the sinking, and so much more. We were at the museum not long after the situation with the Titan, which made it all the more real and sobering for the kids (who followed what was happening with the submersible). 

We did two more things during our time in Halifax, one being a wander through the Halifax Public Gardens. This is a Victorian-era public gardens dating back to 1867. The Public Gardens are 16 acres, landscaped in the Victorian style, with all the standard garden fare, but also three fountains, two stone bridges, three ponds and a concession stand. There is a public bandstand that allows for concerts in the summer, and we spent a lovely hour or so wandering through the gardens. 

And how did we find the gardens? Well, yes, it’s on Trip Advisor and such, but also by taking a Duck Boat tour of the city. Yep, we finally did a ride along tour of a city. The boys saw these vehicles that would drive around on land, but also head into the water and they were obsessed. Since the weather wasn’t entirely cooperative during our stay (though we still loved it), we decided why not. It was actually a really interesting time, and we enjoyed learning a little bit more about city and some little bits and pieces we probably wouldn’t have learned. And of course- the boys loved when the truck turned into a boat, and they got to ride along the harbor in the water. 

And that basically sums up our time in Halifax! In just looking at the length of this post, I think you could probably tell how much I enjoyed our time there, but in case you can’t- we really did like it. There’s only one more post coming about our Summer Holiday- I’m sad to say a farewell to it, but it was a good one. 

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