“So what are your stories going to be, from Barbados?” Richard and I were swapping accidental travel stories: my participation in a parade and horse race in Italy, his in a small French village’s wine festival; my travels on a local water taxi on Aberdeen harbour in Hong Kong, his line dancing at a small-town … Continue reading Not a Tourist any Longer
For the second time since I was 11 years old, I did not stay awake to see the old year out. My only other missing of the countdown was 7 years ago, when my flu turned to bronchitis turned to pneumonia. I canceled the party and went back to bed. I still remember my first … Continue reading Ringing in a New Year
“This is a really good place to stop for lunch, if it was open.” “You’ll have to come back when St. Nicholas Abbey is open— It’s worth seeing.” “When it’s open, you’ll go down these steps and be able to swim inside the caves.” Animal Flower Caves The situation has changed dramatically since our first … Continue reading Barbados, (Mostly) Open for Business
The four of us meet online, laughing and catching up. I’ve known these women for almost 20 years. They were the ones who kept me going when my life fell apart a couple of years ago, and although they had known each other before, through me, that time formed a group bond that is still … Continue reading Zooming away
I was on my website and realized I had a welcome sticky post that was seriously out of date! “Newly retired and newly single, I’m embracing inevitable change and setting out on a year of discovery” It’s been 16 months since my husband walked out the door the final time. I’ve cleared out and sold … Continue reading Welcome to my Brave Travels- Year 2
The snow comes down, 10 inches, 20 inches, the skier's dream of endless powder, and I am terrified. As a West Coaster, I have no idea how to ski in this. The avalanche guns echo as I go up the chair. Skiing in Vermont at New Year's, I reconnected with my love of the sport, … Continue reading Big Sky Country: Skiing in Montana
A drink in my hand, I look out over the New York skyline from the One World Observatory, watching as the sun sets and the city lights start to shine. I've been in almost this same place before, on my first trip to New York in the late '80s. I don't remember what I was … Continue reading New York, New York! Then and Now
How many countries? Twelve: Israel, Jordan, Egypt, England, Germany, India, Japan, USA (5 separate entries, 26 states), Iceland, Finland, Russia, Peru. I'm not counting transit countries (Turkey, UAE) or Canada, although I did some traveling in my home country, too. Other Stats? 14,000 kilometres driven in my car, plus quite a few in tour buses … Continue reading A Year of Travel FAQ
I step. I breathe. I wonder again why I thought I could do this. I step. I breathe. The Inca Trail is a 4 day, 45 km, high-altitude hike in Peru that ends at Machu Picchu, a UNESCO world heritage site. Google South America and likely the first photo you see will be this iconic … Continue reading Doing it the Hard Way: Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail
I presented a possible plan for our stay in Denver, that we should stay at a hotel instead of with the new friends who had offered a room at their house. There was no reply. Nervous, I came up with another suggestion, for a different hotel in a different location. Still no reply from the … Continue reading Opening my Heart Again
Brave Travels 