Would I be traveling like this if I didn’t have a partner?
I cannot believe how lucky I am to have this life partner in my husband.
Glenn and I met in 1975. I was 17 and he was 18, and we had both started at the drama department at Carnegie-Mellon University.
Over the ensuing decades we saw each other at friend’s houses and gatherings. Then we finally started dating at the end of 2018.
We got married 2 years ago, in April 2022. I had sold my house, had a hysterectomy, and we flew off to travel for a year, all in 3 weeks time. It was one of the hardest times and the most thrilling. Anyone who has sold and moved out of a family house they have been in for a couple of decades understands this. I never doubted Glenn was my soulmate. We knew it right away.
Two years later we are still traveling. I thought we would be settled down by now, but neither one of us is ready for that. So now, after I have made good progress on recovering from my hip replacement, we are off to the otherside of the world for the next year or so.
Would I be doing this, at 66 years of age, if I were by myself?
I think so.
But it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. And yes, I can be unnerved and get lonely and feel weird in alien countries all by myself. But I usually find my way.
I am much braver with Glenn by my side. I rely on him. I feel more confident because of him. And it’s amazing to share everything with my ‘Person’. Just incredible.
Part of what makes it all so amazing is that we have all the feelings. We get stressed and frustrated. There are times we have felt uncertain or not enjoyed the place we ended up.
But it all adds color plus appreciation for the beauty and sweetness of all the rest.
We can make big audacious plans and know we have each other and can figure things out as we need to. I am very lucky.
I was going through my photo album from our first leg of the journey in April 2022. We started in Hawaii, Big Island. We love the Big Island and have dear friends there.
Next week, we head back to Hawaii on our way to the Philippines. It just worked out that way. Very auspicious!
I’ll be journaling for you in real time.
One of my ways of looking at the places we end up is through the wildlife. Birds and animals, fish and ocean life, just mesmerize me.
Glenn and I are PADI scuba divers. Together we have explored the ocean off the Big Island, the Red Sea, and next the seas around the Philippines.
I am excited to share with you what we discover along the way.
What is the lens you like to see a region or country through? Food? Adventures? Art and Museums?
BTW, Turkey wins the award for Best Domestic Cat Life. The Turks love their kitties and honor them by caring for all cats. And cats are everywhere! I carried cat treats with me and remember all my kitty friends I met outside mosques, in massive plazas, in restaurants, on every street, in every shop! It was awesome.
Runner up: Greece! Kitties in all the ruins and near every shop and restaurant. The Greeks take care of their cats too.
Happy Trails!
