Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Blogging again and travel planning with a firend



After a period whence I spent a sedentary life, ignoring the blog, resetting my life, building a house and home, resetting expectations, I am once again thinking of travel… The blog may benefit…

Two day from now I will hit the road, heading for points north… to Carson City for a conference… a conference on railroad history…   A trip which would likely have happened in any case… but beyond that there are two new trips to plan.

Only a week later there is a road trip… to introduce a friend to Yosemite…  a quick trip… long on miles… to a special place with waterfalls and granite cliffs and spectacular views.  We may end up one night in Death Valley… in the desolation which is the desert on the way.

A month further on there is a third trip… to points north… to Alaska…  There will be a ship, a train (I have a reservation in place on the Alaska Railroad!) and several jet planes… Glaciers and whales… we may sneak a moment to visit a railroad locomotive in the Alaska State Museum… I was a consultant on it restoration and display planning…

I am finding great joy in planning these trips… not joy at the escape from everyday life which is something I enjoy and find fulfilling, but joy at the adventure and the possibilities and the companionship.

I might blame a woman, but that would be unfair… She is not to blame as much as she is an inspiration.  (you can be my Yoko Ono, a reference to a song by the Bare Naked Ladies... who are neither naked or ladies..)  The two of us are experiencing what might be called “young love” but we are neither are young or inexperienced… but both are remaking lives… and looking for something more… We had both been successfully married for many years… Both of us have children, now heading out on their own, independent lives… We both have houses and lives… Neither marriage ended in violence or betrayal… But each’s marriage ended none the less…

Together we have talked, exchanged notes… I contacted a travel agency I used before in a different life, which strangely is at least at first glance more likely associated with her life…  (Insert the Arkansas Razorback Yell)…

So after several weeks of emails exchanging ideas we booked the cruise… then spent last evening introducing our dogs to each other (low on drama.. they are compatible beasts)  eating pizza, sitting on the sofa two computers open… looking at options… booking flights and rooms and trains (I booked the train)  Houston, we have a trip, a journey, a vacation…

By the way, her name is Mary, but she is commonly known as Gael… 

Randy

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