The minute I stepped out of the van and set foot on the clay-rich soil of Chuaquenun, I felt like I was in a different world. I'd been there before—to Guatemala that is, and even to other poor, rural, indigenous villages on mountainsides just like this one—but it felt like I'd been transported to another place and time.

This was a place where people live differently than I do, where they wear different clothes, use different words, sing different songs, eat different foods. But I was reminded again and again that their stories are still part of my story, and that our stories together are part of the human experience, the past and present and future that make up the beautiful and complex mosaic of our lives.

We spent three days building houses and building relationships in Chuaquenun, then brought medical care and supplies to two other rural villages and visited several orphanages. A busy week away from the office? You could say that! But my mission trip to Guatemala a few weeks ago reminded me of something key about Conner Prairie that I often take for granted: I don't have to go to another country to be transported to another place and time. It's right here, in my own backyard!

Our shared history is all around us—and Conner Prairie is one place where you're guaranteed to experience it every time. Visit Prairietown for a taste of the 1830s. Ask questions, learn, think about how the people there are different or the same as you. Or take a flight in 1859 Balloon Voyage and be awed by the landscape of Hamilton County, landscape that has been here for many, many years and is also a part of our history.

Our outdoor areas open in a few weeks (on March 27, to be exact), and I hope this year you'll come visit us with fresh eyes. I hope you'll look at Conner Prairie as an opportunity to live a piece of your own history—OUR own history. See you soon!