Braga, Portugal, You Stole My Heart

We are spending nine weeks in Portugal to decide on where we might want to live for the next three years. My husband’s only grandchildren live here, so he wants to come and spend time with them before they go off to college. I am still ambivalent about leaving the United States and my family,... Continue Reading →

Speaking to My Daughter Every Sunday, No Matter Where I Travel, Keeps Me Connected to Family

Daily writing promptDescribe a positive thing a family member has done for you.View all responses My youngest daughter and I talk every Sunday. I have always found a way to. speak to her, no matter where my husband and I are traveling. That’s why when we arrived in Portugal last Thursday, and I could not... Continue Reading →

Hamburger Heaven in Porto, or I Came All This Way for a Burger?

Porto, Portugal, April 10, 2026 We came to spend the night with the grandchildren and their parents before we started our explorations. They suggested a hamburger festival.It was amazing to see so many burgers, but some were over the top. The grandkids and their mother are vegetarians, so they found burgers they could eat, and... Continue Reading →

Happiness Makes the Soul Rejoice in Being Alive!

Daily writing promptWhat are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?View all responses I don’t think we are meant to always be happy, but it would be absolutely wonderful if we were. That would mean that everything brings us happiness. Yet, without the sadness of trials and tribulations, we would not be able to comprehend... Continue Reading →

It’s the “What-Ifs” That Makes Suitcases Heavy

My husband and I are in Braga, Portugal, and as we decided at the Porto airport whether to take a low-cost bus or an Uber that costs a little more, the decision was made by the fact that we have six pieces of luggage or bags. This meant we called a Uber, rather than having... Continue Reading →

In Five Days, the Next Adventure Begins

Lisbon, Portugal, 2024 I searched for my birth certificate yesterday. I had forgotten that it was so torn up, but I don't have time to send for a new copy. We leave for Portugal in five days! We are scouting for a home there, to have more time with the youngest grandchildren, so we plan... Continue Reading →

To See Humans Fly Off Snow-Covered Mountains Reminds Me to Always Strive to Soar

Daily writing promptWhat Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?View all responses The Winter Olympics are my favorite. I don't live where there is a lot of snow, but I love snow-covered mountains. I once took a vacation to Geneva, Switzerland, alone, just to witness snow. I know that I could have gone to... Continue Reading →

If It Takes More Than Five Hours, Let’s Fly!

Daily writing promptYou’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike? View all responses I used to love long car trips with my husband. In my childhood, we never had a car, but my best friend did in high school. I enjoyed gassing up her dad’s light blue 1964 Impala and driving... Continue Reading →

Still Life in These Bags of Bones: Planning a Travel Adventure Kick Starts the Anticipation

European Vacation, 2024 I am the travel planner for my husband and me. Over the years, I have learned how to look for bargains, what we need in an Airbnb, and what the best days are to start and end a trip. I do all of the administrative work, and my husband pays for it,... Continue Reading →

Moving to Europe and Leaving My Family Will Be Hard, But I Want to See the World

Daily writing promptWhat is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?View all responses Last year, when I told my daughter that my husband and I planned to move to Portugal this year, I thought she would tell me not to go, that, as the matriarch of the family, I was needed.... Continue Reading →

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