Traveling With Judi . . . .

It's morning #7 sitting on my terrace looking out at the ever-changing sky and sea, and I still haven't felt a moment of boredom....only peace and fascination at this incredible view and the culture that surrounds it!! I'm feeling very settled and comfortable here - everyday is the same but different!!  I sleep in (of COURSE... no babies or noise to wake me), and I'm lovin' my dream-time....feels much more vivid with the waves splashing just outside my door as I sleep!! I then sit with my coffee on the terrace looking out at the gorgeous sea - watching the way the weather changes the look of this place!! I've been doing a bit of writing, but I've also been enjoying just reading, relaxing and pondering life (as I look out at the sea - it's absolutely MESMERIZING)!! Hmmmm.... I'm sensing a theme here about the water, the sunshine and being VERY relaxed and contemplative!! I finally made it into town the other day (Saturday, I think?!?!?......

As I'm sitting here looking out from my terrace at the GORGEOUS sunshine reflecting on the sea just beyond the balcony, I'm reminded of the book title by Dr. Seuss "Oh, The Places You'll Go!!" There are so many great quotes in that book that resonate with my journey..... "You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So... get on your way!.... You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...." Hmmm.... I have brains in my head - check!! - most of the time, feet in my shoes (check!!)....I know what I know....and I'll decide where to go....good plan!! So here's what I've been pondering and why Dr. Seuss keeps rattling around in my head.... I've been invited by the lovely Omani family I met on  the ferry to Split to come visit them (and not in a...

View of the Light House From my bed!! I am absolutely thrilled to have been on the road again (or water this time).... no matter HOW exhausted I was by the time I arrived!! It was a LONG, 27-hour journey to get 200 miles (mostly because I was on public transportation and spent quite a bit of that time waiting for the next train/bus/boat), but it reminded me of the "life mantra" I adopted 20 years ago...."life is a journey, not a destination" (although this destination is pretty much WORTH whatever time it took to get me here)!!  I'm now feeling almost fully recovered after a quiet day looking out at the sea yesterday, followed by a lovely dinner with my host and his 85-year-old mother who run this place together!! We had the fresh fish he caught that afternoon less than 50 feet away, fresh homemade bread (dipped in his own personally-pressed olive oil), very interesting conversation (although the mom doesn't speak English so that made it a bit harder be...

Fossombrone (only 20 minutes from here)!! I had hoped to have more pictures to post after some  sight-seeing this weekend (checking out places nearby), but a little stomach bug caught up with me, so I've decided it's better to rest up for the next leg of my "big adventure" (and not take any chances RE: the whole "public toilet/squatty potty" issue)!! Oh well, I guess this is the life of the nanny (since Raquel is also sick and I'm sure we've shared many a germ or two over the last few weeks)!!  The Fortress of Senigallia on the Adriatic Sea!! I've posted a few pictures of what I had PLANNED on seeing so you can imagine where I would have been today (instead of enjoying the sunshine and fresh air wrapped in a blanket in my jammies with a cup of tea)!! I didn't even want coffee this morning so you KNOW I'm not up-to-par!! (And forgive me in advance for the philosophical meanderings of this post....not enough coffee or energy to ...

View from future house-sit at end of April with Pam!! Time definitely feels more surreal and intangible when I travel. I'm keeping close track of my total days here so I can be sure to stay under the 90-day requirement on my tourist visa (and still allow enough days for when my friend Pam arrives so we can tour around a bit in Italy...starting with a lovely house-sit on the Italian side of the Adriatic Sea), but even when I'm trying to track it, time seems to be very fluid!! The last two weeks have gone a bit more slowly (with crying, sick babies - and a sick mama as well), but it also feels like time has flown by (and I can't believe I've been here - in Italy - for almost 8 weeks)!! This Workaway experience has been quite a bit more consuming than the last two, and my day-to-day life has been a bit less adventurous... not in a bad way, just in a "I-have-no-time-to-ponder-life-because-I'm-so-busy-living-it" kind of way!  A fountain I walk by every ...