December 2023

To our family and friends,

We hope this letter finds you and your family happy, healthy and enjoying the holiday season! Continuing the Neader tradition, here is the 2023 Year in Review.

Scott and Laurie visited Europe twice this year. The first was a 5-week trip, from the end of March to early May, driving through Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium and The Netherlands. The second was a 5.5 week journey, in October and November, through England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Between the two trips, over 6,200 miles were put on the rental cars, with so many fantastic experiences enjoyed along the way!

The second trip almost did not happen. Scott started experiencing occasional chest pain this summer and before the problem could be narrowed down, he experienced a minor heart attack in mid-August. The doctors found two major arterial blockages — one was resolved immediately with a stent. The other blockage required a specialist, who put in another three stents a month later (just three weeks before our planned trip to the UK/Ireland). Fortunately, the second heart procedure went perfectly, and he was given the go ahead to travel. Everything went OK during the trip, and he is still feeling perfectly fine after the procedures.

An update on the kids… Cameron is 26 years old and living in the Manhattan area of New York City. Last summer, he was part of a downsizing at the company he was working for, Ardoq. The good news is that he recently accepted a job at Trilliant Food and Nutrition, as their Sales Analyst. While the company is based near Appleton, Wisconsin, he will be staying in NYC and working remote. As a bonus, he will have the opportunity to come back to Wisconsin more often! Trilliant is best known for their Victor Allen’s Coffee product line. Cameron was able to do some traveling this year, including trips to Norway, Denmark, Spain, England, Austria and Canada.

Ashlyn is 23 years old. She graduated from UW-La Crosse in May with majors in Interpersonal Communication and German, and a minor in TESOL (teaching English as a second language). In October, she moved to one of her favorite places in the world, Vienna, Austria! She is sharing an apartment there with a friend she met while on Rotary Student Exchange, back in 2016. Ashlyn is doing some English language tutoring, as well as bartending at a “travelers / international” bar, while she awaits a full-time job opportunity. She is also having a lot of fun and meeting new people in a pinball league she has joined in Vienna.

Macy is 20 years old. She is currently living in an apartment in Downtown La Crosse with her boyfriend, Ryan, and their kitty, Miso. Macy has many artistic talents, but this year she has really wow’d us with the wire-wrapped jewelry she is creating. She hopes to be selling her jewelry locally and/or online in the near future.

Well, that’s the 2023 Year In Review. Until next year… Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Scott, Laurie, Cameron, Ashlyn & Macy Neader

Midhope Castle, near Edinburgh, Scotland. It’s used as “Lallybroch” on the Outlander TV series.

Visiting the Stone Henge prehistoric monument, near Salisbury, England

Enjoying some whisky samples after our tour of the Old Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, Northern Ireland.

On the Marienbrücke bridge, overlooking the Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Germany

Canal Cruise in Llangollen, Wales. The boat is being pulled by a horse!

Gin tasting experience in Stirling, Scotland

Hafelekarspitze mountain, overlooking Innsbruck, Austria.

Enjoying a beer with our friends Alex & Paul, in Norwich, England. Alex attended UW-La Crosse and we hosted him as an exchange student.

View from our hotel room in Triesenberg, Liectenstein

While in Luxembourg, we happened upon Princess Alexandra and her fiancé, on her way to her civil ceremony. The royal family (Grand Duke & Duchess, etc.) are behind them.

Scott in hospital after surgery to place 3 stents in his heart arteries

Click photos to enlarge

Visiting a tulip bulb farm near Voorhout, in the 'Dune and Bulb' region of The Netherlands.

Crossing the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, along the Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland.

On Schilthorn Peak, in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland. The 'big 3' peaks of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the background.

Cameron and his boyfriend, Chris, at the Tower Bridge in London.

Ashlyn receiving her diploma at the UW-La Crosse graduation ceremony in May.

Macy with her boyfriend, Ryan, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse.

Enjoying a beer and giant pretzel at the famous Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany.

At the 'Grand Place' central square in Brussels, Belgium

Rainbow at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.

View from one of the towers inside Conwy Castle, in Conwy, Wales.

Enjoying beers with some 'new' friends we met while in Bruges, Belgium.