Yes, as my blog title might suggest, lately I'm afraid John Denver's been crooning non-stop in my head. With good reason though since next Tuesday I'll be flying out on a very large jet plane, bound for Reykjavik, Iceland.

I know, I know... who goes to Iceland? There are countless beaches and sunny tropical locales at which to enjoy a perfectly good vacation. So who would want to head to a chilly volcanic island covered in moss?  I would!!  (Hey, I used to live in Canada – I love the North.)

And the best part is that while I'm there, I get to bead. Yes, I've figured out how to combine my two favorite things: jewelry-making and travel. Well, actually I didn't figure that part out, Cheryl Cobern-Browne did.

Cheryl runs a company called Beadventures. She created it back in 1994, offering weekend beading retreats. That good idea grew, and now the company boasts extensive workshop-trips to over 14 countries. They aren't all just beading either. There are "Ventures" in knitting, painting, lampworking, and literature, just to name a few.

The goal is to pair students with expert teachers, in a culturally rich and stimulating environment. For instance, on my upcoming Icelandic journey, we'll (the other dozen or so students and myself) be meeting up with Laura McCabe. She'll be teaching us a Norse Encrusted Collar she designed, which I'm sure will be as stunning as it is intricate.

So that's the scoop. After two stop-overs and a red-eye flight, I'll be landing in Iceland at 6:20 next Wednesday morning to begin my beading journey. Be on the lookout for blog entries all week with plenty of photos. Hmm, that reminds me, I still need to grab a voltage/plug converter for my laptop.