It was my first visit to Brussels and I loved it. Was only there for a full day, but took a 3 hour bike tour and enjoyed the city.

Attended the World Journalism Education Congress (WJEC). It was so inspiring to meet journalism educators from all over the world. There were some great sessions too. Incidentally, my session - the WJEC Ignite! session - was quite motivational in terms of ideas for assignments in journalism.

Aaah, my hometown! This place is just big enough to know a lot of people but to meet some new and cool folks too.

My daughter got married this summer! It was a really great time and so nice to see my fam and friends. Blessed are the newlyweds. They're just a great team.

Toward the end of my time in Akron, I got very sick. Something bigger than a cold. It was nasty. Point is, by the time I got to DC I did not have much energy. But still a birthday must be celebrated. And my sis got me some strawberry gelato from Pupatella in Arlington, VA. Love that!

Last summer we took a quick weekend trip to NYC. And somehow we ended up there again this year. Last year was hard to top, but we have a swell time, and yes, I said swell. Love this view from the Empire State Building.

On the day that I was scheduled to fly from NYC back to Cairo, the government in Cairo decided to disperse the sitins on the squares. As a result, I decided to divert my travel route and visit Berlin. I was still a bit ill, jet lagged and stressed about the situation in Cairo, but biking in Berlin can substantially improve ones outlook.

I don't want to forget about my friends in Cleveland, Ohio. Though I did not hang out there as much as I would have liked to. Overall, it was a wonderful summer.