See Me Now

  Yes, I have a husband and I’ve had him a long time, not that you would have figured that out from earlier blog series. I don’t remember ever mentioning him but that’s because he was never with me.   He’s never had the travel bug like I do. Plus, he had a really hard job with little time off. Understandably, he wanted to spend his few free days doing his favorite things. But he has always encouraged me to do my favorite things. He has gamely held down the fort while I went gallivanting, initially by myself and later, with my travel buddy, Wendy. Now the dynamic has changed; every day is a day off! We’ve got lots of time to take new adventures. The Hubs is still not a huge fan of travel (yet), but he’s willing to give it a try and in a big way with this upcoming trip. One of the many things I admire about him is that he is not on social media. No Facebook, no Twitter, no Insta, no Snap. And he wants to keep it that way. This means he’ll be lurking in the background on thi...

  I know I’m not alone when I say I feel like a bear emerging from a long hibernation, shaking myself awake to a changed landscape. For most everyone, it has been a stifling few years being largely confined to our own ‘caves,’ waiting out the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s not to say we’re past it yet (as we’re constantly reminded), but I’m nearing the end of my tolerance anyway. I watch stadiums full of people at sports events and see Facebook accounts of friends on-the-go. I want in! I’ll be cautious, but I’m eager to be someplace that’s not here. As the world situation has changed radically in recent years, so has my and my husband’s life situation ( ha ! Did you even know I have a husband?   More on that later). I stopped working during the summer of 2018 -- the word ‘retired’ still sticks in my throat -- a little earlier than I had anticipated. Then, a year later and also earlier than planned, my husband retired too. These developments involved an adjustment peri...