Traveling With Judi . . . .

Thanks everyone for you kind words and interest in my Big Adventure!! It means so much to me to know that so many of you are “with me” and enjoying themselves from a distance!! ✈️🌎🥰😘  I made it to Italy on Tuesday morning without too many hiccups and am enjoying the slower pace of life here!! We have spent the last few days resting, chatting, settling into our AirBnb and exploring the little beach-town of Viareggio!!  I met up with Sheryl in Pisa and we dragged ourselves to our AirBnb (both exhausted from overnight flights without sleep)!! I never sleep on planes and always seem to arrive at my connection point at JUST the time I’m supposed to be going to sleep!! (And then it’s just painful until I finally get a chance to sleep!! 🥴🤪) At least I enjoyed 4 movies, 2 meals, an extra open seat next to me, and a couple glasses of wine!! 🍷🍷  Unfortunately, the bag that had ALL my toiletries for the next 4-6 months didn’t make it right away, so I pondered what I would do to replac

I made it to Italy yesterday and am still recovering from jet lag (and trying to track down my lost checked bag filled with all my toiletries for the next 4 months!!🥴🤪🎒). Yesterday was pretty much a wash (just surviving to get where I could shower and SLEEP!!), but today I’m at least functional (even though my body and brain now think it’s the middle of the day and feeling much better, but the clock says it’s almost time for bed)!! 🤪😴  Anyway, I thought I would take a few moments of my wide awake time to catch everybody up on the next few months! (For those on Facebook, forgive the duplication of my thoughts!!) I feel like my Journey began a few weeks ago with my visit to Indiana with my sister and her family! It has become kind of a tradition for me to spend time with them either coming or returning from my big trips in the past, and I couldn’t miss out on a chance to be with them! Amidst all the fun and busyness of enjoying Carol’s family (including her 7 grandkids), I’ve a

Happy Easter everyone!! I hope you are all enjoying a nice day and everyone is safe and well?!? I've been thinking a lot the last few days about all the Easter celebrations that had to be cancelled around the world, but especially all those in Spain for whom this week is sacred and celebrated in a BIG WAY with processions and all kinds of religious traditions!! My heart aches for everything my friends in Spain have endured because of the Coronavirus since I left Madrid, but they are pushing on through (just as we are here)! Thinking waaaaay back to February (which feels like a lifetime ago with all that's happened since!!), I've been reflecting on the many, many changes and unexpected upheavals during my trip (but also the many, MANY blessings and delights.... like the time I spent with "My Spanish Family" in Madrid)!! I've been wanting to share about my time with them because it was so special, and thinking about them on this family holiday seems like th

I just wanted to thank everyone for your kind words, thoughts and prayers in response to my mom's passing. Your outpouring of love and kindness was overwhelming, and I could feel your love though your words!! We miss her every day, but my heart feels happy knowing she's where she wanted to be (with my dad)! I finally made it out of our 14-day-post-Spain quarantine.... Woohoo!! Carol and I had a lovely time together and enjoyed each others' company (entertaining ourselves daily with our Spanish telenovela, Italian detective show, crosswords, Carol made cooking videos and read a book to me (kinda fun.... try it!!), and lots of chatting of course)!! Not being able to see people and hug her grandbabies was probably the most stressful aspect (and coordinating a "germ-free bathroom" for her husband who graciously hung out, cooked, ate and slept downstairs for 2 weeks), but overall it wasn't too bad!! As we neared the end of our quarantine, we realized that quara

My sweet mama passed away last night and although she will be missed GREATLY, I’m so happy her soul is finally free!! She has struggled a bit since my dad passed almost 8 years ago (they were 2 peas in a pod and inseparable during their 60 years of marriage!!), and her increasing dementia didn’t help (but she remained loving and kind throughout)!! She was a sweet, kind mom who loved and cared for us deeply, ALWAYS wrapping us up in the warmth and support of her prayers!! Towards the end, she couldn’t always remember exactly who we were, but she remembered that I was her “traveling daughter” and she’d begin every phone conversation over the last few years with “where are you now?” She and dad instilled a love for the world in all of us, and she loved hearing about (and seeing pictures) of where my latest adventures had taken me! She finally got her wish to “move up north” (a phrase she used in almost every conversation I had with her the last year or so - and because of her incre

For those who are on quarantine and possibly bored, I've created a bit of entertainment for you!! For those overwhelmed with caring for children or other "pandemic-related chaos," feel free to save this for another time if it's too long!! So when I last left you, I was unexpectedly back at Gredos and ready to start my third week of talking nonstop as a volunteer in the English immersion program! Durdaana had made it back home with her broken ankle (and has since had surgery to put in a plate to stabilize the bone so it will heal more strongly.) Needless to say, all hell has broken loose since then and my travel plans have been upended in wild and interesting ways!! I'll fill you in on my unexpectedly wonderful time in Madrid in a future post, but since I've had numerous inquiries on how I'm doing and what's been happening, I thought I'd fill you all in at the same time!! (I've included lots of details and a "blow-by-blow" accou