Should We Stay or Should We Go - Our Travel Journal

We retired at the end of 2019, and it still feels a little surreal to say that out loud. After years of planning and talking about “someday,” we finally reached the point where someday became now. So, we celebrated the best way we know how - by traveling. At the beginning of January, we set off on our retirement trip, and one of our stops was the beautiful city of San Francisco . We had been there once before, but only for a couple of days, and it just wasn’t enough. This time, we gave ourselves a few extra days to really enjoy it.  Settling In We stayed at Hotel Riu Plaza Fisherman's Wharf, and it turned out to be the perfect choice for us. Close to everything, but just far enough away to be quiet at the end of a busy day. When it comes to accommodations, we’re pretty simple: clean, comfortable, updated, and good value. That’s it. This place checked all the boxes. We didn’t take advantage of most of the amenities (we were hardly in the room), but the outdoor seating areas w...

  Many years ago we were traveling through Alberta and British Columbia.  We came across this beautiful piece of pottery.  It was simple, but so different. Two spouts, one body, connected by a handle.   It is representative of the First Nations and Inuit population of Canada, and the meaning behind the vessel really spoke to us. The Wedding Vase A wedding vase is a symbolic piece of pottery, traditionally used to represent the joining of two people. The design usually features two spouts connected to a single chamber, often with a handle linking them. In many traditions, during a wedding ceremony, each person drinks from one spout at the same time. The idea is simple: two individuals sharing from the same source, in balance and cooperation. If one person drinks too quickly or without regard for the other, it doesn’t quite work - so it’s a bit of a gentle metaphor for how a partnership should function. While versions of wedding vases are often associated with dif...

Over the years, we’ve really come to enjoy traveling with our boys. It was always a lot of fun when they were younger, but now that they’re in their late 20s and early 30s, it feels even more enjoyable. It’s definitely different than it used to be. When they were kids, we were the ones doing most of the planning and setting the pace. We made sure everything ran smoothly, and there was always quite a bit to think about. It was busy, but it was also a very special time. Now, things have shifted. Traveling together feels much more relaxed. The responsibility is shared, decisions are made together, and everyone brings something a little different to the experience. There’s an ease to it now that we really appreciate. One of my favourite parts is hearing their perspectives. They see the world differently than we do, and that has added so much to our travels. They’ll notice things we might have walked right past, or suggest something we wouldn’t have thought to do. It’s been fun to step back...

Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash I have a busy few days ahead of me so I'm opting for a very quick post today.  This is a small glimpse into our past week since arriving back home.  This past week has felt very lazy - I've had very little energy to even unpack the suitcases. It's been so nice to reconnect with friends and family. It seems like my mother has aged 10 years since we left in January - she now looks every bit of 90 - and her energy is fading fast. I got some encouraging test results (I think) - results that calmed my nerves somewhat - lets hope the doctor feels the same way when I see her in a couple of weeks. We are trying to find a free weekend to visit our son and Daughter-in-Law in Virginia - we are retired now, it shouldn't be this difficult.  

  Every Spring, this beautiful girl moves her new brood of kits into her secondary den under our neighbour's deck.  In the evening they all come out.  The kits play in the side yard while she goes off hunting.  We are more than happy to watch them for her while she is out catching dinner.

  Photo by Donald Merrill on Unsplash Tips for Easing (and Avoiding) Jet Lag Over the years, we’ve done some traveling across time zones, and if there’s one thing that can really take the fun out of a trip, it’s jet lag. It seems that I suffer more from jet lag than John.  I spend the first few days feeling like a zombie - totally wiped out, disoriented, digestive issues, and unable to sleep (even though I'm totally exhausted.)  The jet lag can persist for days, sometimes, making it really difficult to get into the groove of travel.  At times I've felt like I've finally adjusted when it's time to board our flight home.  What is Jet Lag? Jet lag happens when your body is still running on one time zone, but you’ve suddenly arrived in another. Your circadian rhythm - which is what tells you to feel awake or feel sleepy - is controlled by light.  After a long flight across several time zones, and your internal clock hasn’t had time to catch up. It can leave you...

  My favourite thing to do while we're in Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, is to swim with one of the ocean's most majestic creatures, the sea turtles. Punta Cana offers an unforgettable experience where you can swim with sea turtles in their natural habitat. It was a discovery that we only made a couple of years ago along a stretch of beach that we walk a couple of times a week. Punta Cana, on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, is known for its beautiful beaches and calm, clear water. The ocean here is warm and gentle, which makes it a great place for marine life - including sea turtles. It’s not unusual to spot them swimming in the shallows, which makes it easy to watch them up close. These beautiful turtles , the Loggerhead and the Green Sea Turtle,  are protected in the region. The Dominican Republic has taken significant steps to conserve sea turtle populations which continue to be threatened. The sea turtles are known for their calm demeanor, and it’s not u...

Photo by Timo Stern on Unsplash   Slow Travel: Learning to Slow Down and Enjoy the Journey Over the past few years, the way we travel has started to change. There was a time when travel felt like it was all about seeing as much as possible. Moving from place to place, trying not to miss anything, and fitting as much as we could into a short period of time. While that kind of travel can be exciting, it can also feel a little rushed, exhausting, and overwhelming. More recently, we’ve found ourselves slowing things down a bit and enjoying our travels so much more because of it. What is slow travel? Slow travel is really just what it sounds like. Instead of moving quickly from one place to the next, it’s about staying longer and taking the time to really experience where you are. It might mean spending a week (or more) in one place, rather than a few days. It gives you the chance to settle in, get comfortable, and start to feel a bit more connected to your surroundings. You begin to no...

  Snowbird A snowbird is a person, typically a retiree or senior from northern US states or Canada, who migrates to warmer southern climates during the winter months to avoid cold weather.  As we have for the past four years, once Christmas and New Year's Day was in our rearview mirror, we packed our suitcases, said goodbye to the cold and snow, and made our way to the warm waters of the Caribbean. Each year we have spent the winter months in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  After a very busy Christmas Season we decided that we would start our time by allowing someone else to take care of us.  We spent the first three weeks cruising around the Caribbean and it turned out to be exactly what we needed.  While it wasn't without it's hiccups, it gave us a chance to truly rest, relax, and recuperate. After that, we settled into two months in Punta Cana, in the same complex we'd stayed in the previous four years.  By now, it feels like an extension of home - it f...

I’m not someone who tends to buy a lot when we travel. We really don’t need more things, and suitcase space is usually pretty limited. That being said, over the years we have brought a few special items home with us, and each one holds a memory. This painting is one of those pieces. It has a very special place in our home, especially because it’s of one of our sons. (picture of my son at that time) Back in 1995, we had moved from Canada to Barbados with our young family after John took a position with a local insurance company. Not long after we arrived, I became involved with the Canadian Women’s Club. At one of the annual events, I noticed a local woman off to the side taking photos of the children. She came over and introduced herself, explaining that she was an artist. She liked to photograph people who caught her attention and later paint from those images. At the time, I didn’t think too much of it. More than a year went by, and then one day a friend mentioned that the artist had...

  A Day in Virgin Gorda: Exploring The Baths During one of our cruise stop in Tortola, which is in the British Virgin Islands, we decided to do something a little different.  We left most of the crowds behind and headed  to a neighbouring  Island called Virgin Gorda. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. The trip over was an easy one. The ferry terminal was a quick walk down the street from the cruise port, and the ferry ride only took about 30 minutes.  It was all very easy and made for a nice little adventure away from the cruise crowds. When we arrived, there were shuttles waiting to take visitors over to The Baths, which is what Virgin Gorda is best known for.  It’s made up of massive granite boulders that are scattered along the shoreline, creating natural tunnels, caves, and little pools of water. As you make your way through, you’ll come across areas like the Cathedral Room, and the trails eventually lead you out to beautiful beaches...

Today feels like (another) new beginning.  I always have good intentions with this forum, but then seem to fall away and put it on the back burner.  I think I suffer from writer's block and am always very critical of my own writing  While I enjoy writing, and getting my thoughts down, it's not natural for me. However, this month I am going to participate in the  Ultimate Blog Challenge  where I will be committing to posting daily for the month of April.   This blog has always been a place where I share pieces of our retirement life, especially the travel side of it. Not in a "look where we went" kind of way, but more as a way to remember the moments, the lessons, and the small things that made each experience meaningful. So for this challenge, I'm setting a few simple goals: to be consistent - even on days that I don't feel like writing to capture more of the everyday moments and not just the highlights to share a mix of stories, tips, and reflections ...