My 75-Year Road Trip • Memoir and Musings

It still amazes me that I travelled to so many places during this time in my life, and I 'm thankful that I did, and fortunate that I could. But when I look back on those two decades of being 'there,' not 'here,' I know there was more beneath the surface as I wandered from place to place to place.

Travel worldwide has now become common place. In 2000 I went on my first solo trip... the beginning of two decades of travel... the first decade was one of 'escape travel' and the second of 'engaged travel'... two totally different experiences as I navigated through the unsettled place I was in.

Have you ever said "Yes," when you would normally say, "No," and because of that, had a chance encounter with someone who amazed and inspired you? And after they left, that experience stayed in your thoughts for a long time? I knew Julia only for 24 hours, but she became the star in two of the stories in my memoir..

The four-legged members of our families give us so much. I was surprised at how much.

So.... How's "Going It Alone" working for ya? I thought it was for me.,. until it wasn't. It took awhile for me to ask for, and accept, the gift of someone's help. And I later discovered there is a 'Helper's High' and it's a win-win situation for both the helper and the helped. Volunteering has been rewarding and meaningful for me... and with a bit of Fever thrown in, well, it's fun, too.

Do you have something you absolutely must have? I have many. But in this episode I'll tell you about only two.... ones that I've had in my life since I could read and wear shoes.

Selfies are everywhere... it's a great way to share your daily experiences and fun and adventures with others. But there can be horrible consequences to taking a selfie.

Fathers are important to daughters for many reasons. And sometimes daughters become important to fathers in unexpected ways.

We can become addicted to many things.... my addiction was an unusual one, even one that some would scoff at or dismiss. But for me, I was hooked until I saw, of all things, a dead dog... it shocked me into doing what I had to do to get back on the road.

We sometimes struggle with what our minds are telling us we 'should' do, who we 'should' be. But if we settle down and calmly listen to our hearts, let go of the struggling, trust ourselves... often the road we should take becomes clear. It can take awhile, but we can get there.