who is the old broad behind the blog and camera?

Like so many other women, I had gone through the usual ups and downs that life can throw at us. I called the mine fields in my life the “Three D’s”.  Divorce – Debt – Dead End Job.

Anyways, as the single mom of two amazing sons, life didn’t leave much time for travelling – not even vicariously.  I obtained my grade 12 when my kids were in diapers. My pre-school aged sons were my two invitees for my college graduation. Travel over the next decades consisted of one three-night stay in Disneyland and multiple camping trips. Tents came and went, depending on the number of kids and/or dogs requiring cover from mountain rainstorms and hungry mosquitos.

Eventually I found my way into a career, working long and often stressful hours. I started putting a little money aside. I thought I finally had it all, including time.  So, I began daydreaming about “someday”.

It took a moment (or three) of eye-opening realities to make me re-think “someday”.

Trying on bathing suits in a fitting room with really bright lighting and three-way mirrors? Gasp! False hope died. I was NOT going to get any younger, no matter what advertisers promise. I had the graveyard of moisturizers, exfoliants and serums to prove it. Nope – the wrinkles, sags and bumps have not miraculously disappeared.  In fact, the wrinkles are giving birth to more at an alarming rate. (Over-population happening here!) The sags have moved further south (Mai Tai anyone?) Those bumps are now more visible under my comfy black leggings than my granny panty lines. (There was an overnight invasion of my thighs – cellulite won)

What the hell? My hair is moving south now. To my chin!  What is happening to me?

So, as a responsible adult female, I went for my annual medical checkup (for the first time in five years).  Which lead to further tests, which in turn lead to lectures on “proper diet and exercise for a woman of your age”.  (Ouch!)  Pamphlets on aging were handed to me, along with a prescription and a healthy dose of impending mortality.   

Reality had sucker punched me in the head.  Time had become a gift instead of a given.

I went home, poured a glass of wine (or two) and wrote a list of things I wanted to see and do before going tits up (make that toes up – the other parts now slide under the arm pits when in the prone position).

Some items on the list were small and some felt out of reach. I stuck that list on my bathroom mirror where I couldn’t ignore it.  It was there for many, many months – until the tape became permanently stuck to the glass. But I started crossing off some of the easier ones.  I bought a good camera – adopted an older dog who shed hair faster than I did – grew my own herbs (the cooking variety!) – started a weekly column for a small local paper – had a makeover (and miracle of miracles, looked 10 years younger!) – moved – changed jobs.   As I gained confidence, I started on the ones that has previously felt out of reach.

Tattoo? One day – maybe.  Sing Karaoke? I don’t think there is enough wine for that. See Mount Everest from Tibet? Done it. Kathmandu? Yup! Antarctica? In the works.  Run a marathon. Ha ha ha … not happening. Scratched off the list. Karaoke may be the next to go (unless it is in Vietnam where karaoke is mandatory at every celebration – remember this if you ever do a long stay and rent an apartment!)

The one thing about my list?  For every item I crossed off, two more were added.  I went from traveling once a year with a small group tour (GAdventures are my favorite) – to exploring destinations on my own – to doing long stays – to becoming a nomad. I sold or gave away almost everything I owned, and I now live one destination at a time, interspersed with the occasional small group tour to more challenging parts of the worlds.  I travel my way. It may not be your way. Travel can be by books, stories and documentaries – within your own city, country or overseas – by car, plane, train or boat. Your journey can last a day, a weekend, weeks or a lifetime.

The journey is yours.