What I Did Instead

It's taken me quite a while to make myself sit and write this post.  Mostly because it's still just raw and difficult.  Back in November I talked about the difficulties of my first  year in Italy.  But Jack was doing well and I was looking forward to another trip with him to the mountains to celebrate his 6-month cancer survival and my birthday.  He didn't make it.  And my heart, which was already in a million pieces over the loss of Cheyenne, was suddenly in a million more.

Oh how I miss that sweet face!!!

Our last walk.  It was cold but clear and beautiful and perfect.

I don't want to relive the whole thing but we had several wonderful days where he got to do all his favorite things including going for long walks, going for car rides and eating pizza.  I was incredibly lucky to have him for the time that I did.

For the first time in over 13 years, there were no dogs in my house.  I didn't know what to do with myself.  But I had time off work already scheduled and it was use-or-lose.  I couldn't just sit at home and I'm lucky enough to live in a place where I get travel easily.

I went to Innsbruck, Austria.  The weather was highly uncooperative as far as the spectacular mountain views were concerned.  At least, I hear there are spectacular mountain views.

There are mountains there somewhere...so I'm told.

So I tried going up the mountain and this is what I could see looking down.  It was so thick that the cable car going further up was closed and all the skiers and snowboarders were just stuck waiting around in hopes that it lifted and they could go.  

I did have an amazing apple, beet, lemon tofu salad for dinner one night.  I'd go back just to have that again!  And maybe to get a better view next time.

I went to Modena, Italy.  It's a quaint little town with almost no tourist presence which was just fine by me.  If you've seen Master of None, it's where the Italy episodes are based.  I learned the difference between tortelloni (cheese inside) and tortellini (meat inside) and that you can easily pay over $100 for a small bottle of balsamic vinegar.

I went to Garmisch, Germany.  I know it's very popular with Americans due to the Edelweiss resort but I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about. I also got food poisoning so that might have clouded my impression.

I dog sat for people wanting to take trips and I've fostered a few dogs needing temporary, emergency housing.  It's getting more and more difficult to fly with pets and as much as I want to get another dog RIGHT NOW, I know I'm not ready.  Traveling helps ease the pain of being in an empty house.

I hope to get back to blogging again.  I knew that I had to write this post and I kept putting it off because I knew how difficult it would be. I promise that my next post will not contain sadness.  I'm hoping that 2018 is little kinder to my heart. 

I've been to the US twice (it was supposed to be one trip but a one-day government shutdown recalled me back to Italy and I had to go again) and I'm going next week.  I've been able to see a lot of friends (one whom I haven't seen since 2008) and family and that's been great.  Mom and Gran are coming to Portugal in June.  I have tickets to see Hamilton in London in October (I WILL conquer my dislike of that city!). I'm already working on memorizing the soundtrack :D  I'll be in Amsterdam again in 2 weeks (my return flight from the US happens to go through Amsterdam so, of course, I can't pass up the opportunity to spend a few days there). More adventures to be planned...stay tuned!

τρεις φίλοι - Sundays in My City

These three friends were sitting and chatting next door to a restaurant where I went for dinner in Chania, Greece.  I couldn't understand a word they were saying but it seemed clear that they'd known each other forever.

Take Me to Barcelona - Sundays in My City

Not quite a year and a half ago I wrote a post about why I would go to Paris (or Brussels or Beirut...).  Since then there have been attacks in several places I've been and some places I haven't seen yet.  I didn't want to have to do another post like this.  But here we are.

I've walked down Las Ramblas. Of course I have. It's a Must when visiting Barcelona.  I've crossed the London Bridge (not to be confused with the Tower Bridge although I've crossed that as well).  Of course I have. It's a Must when visiting London.  I didn't see a concert in Manchester but I did walk quite a bit of that city.  Any one of these attacks could have taken place when I was there.

Manchester (May 2016) - Attacked May 2017

My kid at the London Bridge ( May 2016) - Attacked June 2017

La Boqueria on Las Ramblas, Barcelona (November 2011) - Attacked August 2017

I'd go to Barcelona right now (well, maybe I'd wait until tomorrow because it's bed time here).  I'd go back to Paris or London or Manchester.  I'd go to Finland, which was also the site of a "murder with terrorist intent" this week.  I went to Venice last weekend (no, it has not been the scene of a recent attack).  None of this will stop me from traveling.  If anything, it makes me want to travel more. It makes me more determined to go and see and be out in the world.

My heart aches for what is happening in places like Charlottesville, VA.  Fear and hate cannot be allowed to plant roots and grow.

When I was in the Peace Corps we had three goals:
1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

The 2nd goal is something I feel like I am still doing now.  I hope that the understanding people have of Americans is a positive one based on their encounters with me rather than a negative one based solely on the news.  I trust that the good in people will prevail and the recent outbursts of violence and bigotry will be squashed and smothered by the displays of love and tolerance and acceptance. I find travel, meeting people, and learning about new cultures and customs is one of the best ways to expand one's understanding and tolerance and acceptance of people who are different from you.  We're all human regardless of where we're from or how you feel about durian fruit.

How do you feel about travel given what's happening in the world right now?