I started this blog to share some of the thoughts I have along the journey of life. I love to travel and spend time with my family and friends. A good meal, breaking bread with those I love, gives my life meaning. So does travel. I adore dreaming of sites to visit, not just to check them off on a list. Rather, I consider myself a student of life, traveling as an explorer, to open my mind to all the possibilities the world holds in store for me and for others. I love to travel to discover how different the world is in terms of climate, cultures, politics, terrain, economy, etc. but also to discover how SIMILAR the people are. Despite language barriers, much can be communicated with a smile or gestures. Language is simply a means to communicate, yet there are so very many other ways to communicate. Once when I was in French-speaking Canada, I realized that my 7th grade French class didn’t teach me the word for “straw”. However, when I thought about it, I was able to communicate to the very French-speaking waiter in a very French-speaking restaurant about my need for a “cylinder through which to drink” in my limited French vocabulary. Travel challenges the mind and soul, stretching us to problem solve and form conclusions about all that we experience. THAT is the type of travel I enjoy best. “All’s well that ends well”, as they say………….”Life is Good” as well.
Wondering when cruising will resume? This re-posted article below outlines the latest restart dates/updates of several cruise lines as of May 18, 2021. Looking forward to the cruise industry starting up again. Best wishes for smooth sailing to all!
“Great people are not affected by each puff of wind that blows ill. Like great ships, they sail serenely on, in a calm sea or a great tempest.” -George Washington
Hoping this last year will be only a “puff of wind that blows ill” for all in the travel industry.
Chicago residents were told this year that the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration in-town would be cancelled due to the pandemic. However, the city surprised its residents with a little spontaneity. Even though the annual dyeing of the river green was cancelled, too, residents heard on March 13 that the river would be dyed for St. Patrick’s Day in keeping with the annual tradition after all.
Evidently to turn the river green, two boats use flour sifters to dump an orange vegetable powder into the river. It takes about forty pounds of this environmentally safe powder to turn the river green. When the orange powder hits the river, it turns green for some reason. Both boats ride in the river for about forty-five minutes to mix up the powder in the river, and it stay green for a few days.
Other cities that turn their waters green for St. Patrick’s Day are Tampa, San Antonio, Indianapolis, and Jamestown (New York). Savannah, Georgia TRIED to dye their river one year, but it didn’t work out well, so they dye the water in some of the public fountains in Forsyth Park.
photo courtesy of Savguides.com
If you are planning on going to any of these places, make sure you check to see if the dying of the green is cancelled due to the pandemic first.
Find a reason to celebrate today, even if you are not Irish. Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and may the “luck of the Irish” be with us all this year.
One of my best friends and I have a little saying that helps us to deal with life’s ups and downs from time to time. The saying is that one needs a “little slice of normal” when the chips are down, much like one “needs” a slice of cake from time to time. When one of is is having difficulty with something, such as someone we love in the hospital, an accident, or some other sad and unforeseen event, we go to lunch and have “a little slice of normal.” That “little slice of normal” means something different to each of us, but for my dear friend a “little slice of normal” is a manicure, pedicure or a trip to the beach, no matter what season. For me a “little slice of normal” might be some ice cream and a movie, a cup of herbal tea, or a hike in the woods. That “little slice of normal” represents something that give us peace and is something we often do normally. That “little slice of normal” gives us a sense of perspective that life will go on somehow, as the routine of the “little slice of normal” somehow gives us comfort that some things stay the same. A “little slice of normal” is something that speaks to our soul somehow. It is not an indulgence, but it is rather something ordinary that we frequently do. For some people it might be a run on the beach, and for others it might be a few laps of swimming. For others it might be breaking bread with your family, and for others it might be curling up with a good book in a comfy chair.
Today I am thinking about this same best friend from my youth, who just finished her chemotherapy for breast cancer recently and then had her last radiation treatment yesterday. I can’t celebrate with her in person because of the quarantine associated with flying to where she is, but I just spoke with her on the phone this afternoon. As I suspected, she is out having lunch with her daughter, along with a “little slice of normal” today.
Life somehow goes on……despite the little AND big bumps along the way.
It’s no secret to those that know me that I never wanted to move to Florida. In fact, it was the LAST place I wanted to live, as I once told my parents in the arrogance of my youth that I would “NEVER” move to Florida. Florida simply is too hot for my liking, as I grew up in the cold New England weather and love the snow. I love the way the freshly fallen snow insulates the world somehow so that ever break of a branch or every crunch of our footsteps in the snow echos and gives me pause. It is as though one lives in a snow globe when the snow is falling ever so gently upon the ground.
The pandemic has created many changes in our day to day lives to be certain. However, not ALL of the changes are bad. During the pandemic I learned to embrace Florida for all its beauty, despite the hot weather. It was this year that I made an effort to get outside to begin to learn the Florida native trees and native flowers. It was during this year that I took day trips to areas that were right before me in years past, but I never knew about them. It was during this year that I developed a love for the Florida springs and all the beauty they provide. It was this year that I tried to shake things up by going the beach to watch a sunrise, when I normally prefer the sunset. Instead of planting my favorite flowers from my New England gardening days, I planted flowers that work here in Florida, like orchids on my trees.
I have never been much of an orchid lover, although they always remind me of happy times during my youth when we wore orchid corsages on Easter morning. I seem to remember some meaning associated with either the color ribbon or the color of the orchid one wore back in the day. It seems as though it was some sort of signal about whether or not your beloved Mother were still alive, such a quaint and touching tribute and custom. Maybe I am remembering a Mother’s Day custom instead.
And speaking of changes, yesterday while going for my daily bike ride (okay, it has been daily ONLY for a few weeks now to be entirely honest), I looked around and noticed the subtle changes that have happened since even the day before. One lawn was freshly mowed, one palm tree shed a frond on the grass, one house was being painted, the breeze was a little warmer, and so on. Then I began to notice that there ARE subtle changes in the seasons even here in Florida is one is quiet enough to notice.
Just last month when walking along the same path that I biked today, some of the trees had fewer leaves, and today many of the trees have buds. There is pollen everywhere, and the angle of the sun is just a little higher in the sky somehow.
It has been said that it is important to “bloom where one is planted”, and that’s exactly how I feel today when riding my bike. I am finally “blooming” in Florida, and it sure feels good. Maybe the hot weather is just a LITTLE bit of what Florida is all about.
Life is good; bloom wherever YOU are planted and enjoy all the subtle changes from day to day. Carpe diem, friends……
Several countries have said they will allow international travelers who have had the Covid vaccine to visit without quarantine or a negative PCR Covid test. Don’t forget that all air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board a flight to the United States (even on return trips for Americans). See the Conde Nast article below for more information about “open” countries:
Yesterday had been a perfect day in every way. I had the good fortune of spending the day on a road trip to Winter Garden, Florida with my family. Although it is early March when the temperatures typically rise here in Florida, the weather yesterday was sunny but cool. I love the cooler weather and was so grateful that it is here a little longer before the hot summer heat arrives, and the trees were dotted with bright spring green buds everywhere. I couldn’t help but notice how cool it was outside the car, and I needed a jacket. Yet, inside the car in the sun, I took my jacket off.
We at lunch outside at a PERFECT French cafe where the croissants were as good as those I have had in France. The other food was delicious as well and beautifully plated with an abundance of eye-appealing color everywhere.
Rosallie Cafe, 141 W Plant St, Winter Garden, FLcroissants, Madeleines, and other desserts inside Rosallie’s Cafe
Ham and cheese croissant (left) and Est sandwich with melted brie, tomato, and pesto (right)
We bumped unexpectedly into the town center with a pergola covered by what appears to be wisteria surrounding a beautiful tiled mosaic fountain and some swings hanging on the pergola. What an unexpected whimsical surprise.
And speaking of whimsy, we came to Winter Garden originally to start our search for some painted murals in and around Orlando, which are perfect backdrops for fun photo ops. One can squat and sit against the wall in this mural on the corner of South Boyd Street and Plant Street in order to appear to be sitting on this whimsical swing. Whimsy is always good, in my opinion. What a great way to start the day with more whimsy!
mural at the corner of South Boyd Street and Plant Street
After our little day trip, when I returned home, I was riding my bike later in the cold evening when I remembered one of my favorite Aesop’s Fables for some reason. I may have thought of the fable because of the cold day and how I had to take my jacket off and put it on all day long. It is the fable about the sun and the wind disputing who was stronger. They decide to have a little competition with a traveler walking along the road to see who could make the traveler take off his cloak first. The one who caused the traveler to take off his cloak would be regarded as the stronger of the two, they decided. The wind blew and blew relentlessly as strong and hard as it could, but this caused the traveler to wrap his coat around him instead of taking it off. The sun began to shine afterwards, providing a gentle persuasion somehow to the traveler to shed his coat soon, as the traveler found it too hot to walk with his coat on. It was a situation of pleasant warmth after bitter cold. It was a case of persuasion being better than force. It was a case of an impetuous wind versus a diplomatic sun. It was a case of gentleness versus force. However, it isnow and always is truly a case of how kindness affects more than severity.
Life is good; find and show kindness whenever and wherever you can. Carpe diem, friends….
Tiny cabins are all the rage. There is something about this new “glamping” experience that speaks to the soul somehow, especially during the pandemic. Instagram-worthy and inexpensive, they are the perfect “getaway” from it all in order to unwind and soothe the soul. There is a company called “Getaway” that currently has tiny cabins in twelve cities, usually two to three hours away from major cities such as Atlanta, Austin/San Antonio, Boston, Charlotte/Raleigh, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh/Cleveland, Portland, and Washington, D.C.
The company advocates “unplugging” to “getaway”, and there isn’t even a television in the tiny cabin. What IS in the tiny cabin are several books to borrow while you are there, firewood, a campfire, a/c and heat, coffee makers, and a tiny kitchen stocked with pots, pans, dishes, and other supplies to make cooking a focus of your stay. They advocate packing light, as you can even buy some provisions, such as pasta and sauce, right in the cabin. Furthermore, the website offers many recipes for cooking in the firepit, too. The thought of breaking bread together with my family or sharing something we made over the fire in the middle of the woods where there is NOTHING to do but to relax and enjoy each other’s company sounds both delightful and inviting.
Along with the outdoor firepit with a grilling grate, there are outdoor chairs and a picnic table as well. The queen sized bed looks comfortable, and many of these cozy cabins have an additional queen bed in a loft above the other queen bed. The windows adjacent to the bed let in LOTS of light but have a shade for those who prefer to sleep within the darkness. There is enhanced covid cleaning protocol, and the housekeeping staff wears masks and gloves while cleaning the cabins two times longer than they normally do.
What I love about this company is the minimalist Scandinavian-inspired decor, private bathroom/shower within the cabin, complete with toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, and the idea that I can book on-line and receive the code to the locked door via email prior to my arrival. That means, in the days of the pandemic, there is no need to check-in at a front desk or speak to anyone at all. There is no pressure to social distance, as there is no need to speak to anyone at all. This could be JUST the remedy for the stresses of the pandemic and just the break you are looking for. In fact, the website says to:
Book your escape.
Sit back.
Just Be.
The website also offers the following questions to get to know your friends and/or family a little better while at your Getaway tiny cabin (questions are taken from their website):
What is your favorite childhood memory?
If you could’ve been born anywhere else, where would you have wanted to grow up, and why?
What’s your go-to stress reliever?
What songs have you memorized?
If your life was a book or a movie, what would the title be, and why?
What song, movie, or book has meant the most to you, and why?
Describe your perfect weekend.
What is something you really want to learn, and why?
What is your favorite place that you’ve traveled to, and why?
If you could become bilingual in another language right now, what language would you choose?
Which if your friends or family do you look up to most?
What were some of your favorite hobbies when you were a kid, and what are your favorite hobbies now?
What’s your favorite city, and why?
Where is your favorite place in nature, and why?
What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done?
What pets did you have when you were growing up?
What’s the most important element to strong friendships?
What’s something small that always makes your day better?
What food couldn’t you live without?
What’s your most-worn piece of clothing?
What’s the most impressive thing you know how to do?
What’s one question that you’d most like to know the answer to?
What’s something that you think everyone should do in their lives?
Who inspires you?
What are your favorite smells?
What’s something you’ll never do again?
What’s the most memorable gift you’ve received? What’s the most memorable gift that you’ve given?
What are you most grateful that your parents taught you?
What are your favorite and least favorite things about getting older?
What’s one responsibility you wish you didn’t have?
What’s the best and worst advice you’ve ever received?
What small gestures from strangers have meant the most to you?
What personality traits do you value the most?
What do you bring with you wherever you go?
Who was your most interesting teacher in high school or college?
What question have you not asked me?
What is the most amazing true story you’ve ever heard?
On the Getaway Facebook page, I found a posting recently by the founder of Getaway and loved it:
“I’ve been thinking about the language we use to describe our relationship to time. We spend time. We invest time. If we’re foolish, we waste time; if we’re wise, we budget it. And of course, we long for free time. Notice a theme? Today, as we seek out life hacks and productivity apps to squeeze the most out of every minute, it seems we’ve collectively bought into the idea that time is money (and we never have enough of either).
What if instead of thinking of time as a currency, we thought of it as a natural resource? What if, instead of thinking of time as something to spend (or waste, or budget, or maximize), we thought of it as something to experience?” – Jon Staff
Such wise words that Jon has written to ponder today and every day.
Life is good and full of a myriad of wonderful experiences. Why not try a tiny cabin to escape the stresses of the pandemic to get away soon? Carpe diem, friends…
(*all photos courtesy of the Getaway Facebook page)
With cruise lines resuming operations at some point in the near future, it impresses me that Royal Caribbean Group invested in research to determine the safety of their HVAC systems during this downtime for the travel industry during the pandemic. All over the world, travelers concurrently experience wanderlust AND hold their breaths at the same time, wondering and waiting for some indication when it is safe to resume travel again.
I am re-posting this article for those who are interested:
Wanderlust during the pandemic? Are you compiling your travel bucket list during the travel restrictions? Starting January 26, 2021, all air passengers aged two and older must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test that’s no more than 72 hours old to enter the United States. Travel abroad is possible but needs forethought. I am looking forward to the day on the horizon when we are free to easily move about the world again soon. This makes international travel a little trickier, but we still can dream about where to go once things settle down a bit during the pandemic. But that means you have some time to consider some place magical, like the wonders of Waitomo in New Zealand.
Waitomo is a village in the north Island of New Zealand. It is here that a species of glowworms, Arachnocampa luminosa, lives within the complex cave system there. At Waitomo Glowworm Caves, you can walk through the caves to see the magical lights emitted by the glowworms, which appear almost as though they are from Neverland and are sprinkled with pixie dust everywhere. They also remind me of Christmas lights or constellations all about the cave. These caves are amazing and are breathtaking. Imagine walking through this place, or better yet, taking a boat ride through this enchanted cave. The boat tours here last about an hour, so remember to wear comfortable shoes and wear something warm, as the caves are about sixty degrees Fahrenheit year round. Prices for adults are about $40.00 USD for the weekend price, and about $18.00 USD for children. They also offer reduced weekday prices and family tickets, which are $74.00 USD for two adults and two children (ages 4-14). They charge about $11.00 for extra children, and children under 4 are free.
Taking a boat ride sounds great to me, but it is really the blackwater rafting that catches my eye. Blackwater rafting is like white water rafting but in the dark! Imagine floating around this cave on a tube with only the lights from the glowworms and your headlight leading your journey. Here you travel about 80 meters (262 feet) below ground, jump off a waterfall with a tube, and get started. Does this sound terrifying or exhilarating? Maybe both. Maybe that’s the point? What’s better than jumping off a waterfall and floating in the dark cave on a tube? A zip line, of course! One of these experiences also includes a zip line. The company offers several options for exploration, but the blackwater tours are either three hours or five hours long. What an incredible experience for a bucket list adventure. The website claims that both tours are appropriate for all levels of fitness; it seems that one only needs a certain lust for adventure.
The water temperature in the cave is around fifty degrees Fahrenheit, so the Waitomo Cave provides helmets with headlights, a thick wetsuit, and rubber boots with admission. The Black Labyrinth Tour adult prices are $109. USD and children’s (ages 12-15) prices are $93.00 USD. Week day admission prices are less. Showers are available after the trip, but bring your own shampoo, towel, and soap. Participants on this three hour tour must be at least 12 years old for this three hour tour.
The five hour Black Abyss Tour, which is more intense, requires participants to be at least 16 years old. This tour offers the zipline and costs $190 USD, although week day prices are also reduced.
Why not get out of your comfort zone to experience something really different soon? The website for the Waitomo is below for more information:
Adventures by Disney recently announced they will expand their offerings to include an expedition-type cruise to Antarctica and Patagonia as well as to Equador/The Galapagos Islands.
another Arctic iceberg
whale watching on a zodiac
view of a glacier from the zodiac
Wild seal
expedition boots in the hallways
An expedition cruise is a cruise for those who crave adventure and travel to far away places. This is not an ordinary cruise with assorted excursions. Rather, this type of cruise is usually a smaller, more intimate ship which offers expeditions, or smaller intimate outings, often in zodiac boats. This is a cruise in which one needs boots, as you can often have a “wet landing” in which you get your feet wet while landing on the beach after you climb out of the zodiac before exploring the area. This type of cruise is full of experiences that offer adrenaline, off-the-beaten track, on-land experiences, often ecotourism, and usually on-board naturalists, who are often armed with a rifle in case of the appearance of an unexpected polar bear. These naturalists guide the small group expeditions and lead presentations about the flora, fauna, and geology of the area. These excursion staff naturalists are truly experts in their fields.
Sometimes there is no internet access onboard the ship for a while, as you may be in such remote places that don’t get internet service for a while (such as parts of the Arctic Circle). This lack of internet from time to time evokes feelings of being a true explore in a time long ago without any electronics to guide you. How exciting it is to think that people once ago navigated through these remote lands without any electronic GPS systems and relied on the stars to guide them.
Besides Adventures by Disney, some other major cruise lines offer expedition cruises such as Quark, Ponant, Linblad, Viking, National Geographic, Silversea Expeditions, Hurtigruten, Hapag-Lloyd, Aurora Expeditions, Seabourn, Scenic, and Crystal Expedition Cruises.
The sights on an expedition cruise take my breath away. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you, or you may be bitten by the exploration bug and travel on several ships instead. It is a journey like no other, however. I have known people that go several times on the same ship with the same operator to the same destination, as no trips are like one another in terms of wildlife encountered and experiences enjoyed.
Life is good; try to find an experience on an expedition cruise in which you are “unplugged” all week but plugged into the world around you.
Carpe Diem with Caye 