Past Travels

I see it's a theme.   The first quarter flew by.    We cancelled our trip to Egypt due to the unrest in the area and the fear they would shut down airspace and we'd be stuck in Egypt and instead had a family trip to Italy which was wonderful...even if I ate way too much pasta and gelato.

We visited Rome and Florence.     Then from there I headed to Johannesburg.

One night in Johannesburg and then to Maun to start a trip to visit 4 locations in the Kalahari of Botswana.  This is the first time to visit this region of Botswana.   The Kalahari was really beautiful.   Some parts we really had to search for wildlife and others it was abundant.   We did 2 campsites and 2 lodges.    The overall experience was amazing and I'd love to see the zebra migration again one day.

I had a rare 6 weeks in a row at home after Botswana!    I worked in my travel agent business and James came back to Chicago for a visit.    We (me and the furries) were super excited to see him again.  It's always too short of a visit

Then, a new country:   Sri Lanka.    Honestly, Sri Lanka was never on my list of countries until I saw a trip listed with Backcountry Journeys.   It sounded amazing and so I signed up.   This was specifically for sloth bears and leopards.    We also saw the Sri Lankan elephant, lots of plains game.    all around it was a good trip and I'll definitely look at backcountry journeys for future trips.     My overall opinion of Sri Lanka was really good.  It was very hot and very humid.   I think it's a really good destination for those on a budget or that haven't been to Africa.   After the abundance of animals in Africa and India, it was a bit slow at times and the infrastructure just isn't there.   Infrastructure with vehicles, etc.    I'm really glad I went, but unless James and I go back to combine a surfing trip with a wildlife trip, it's probably my only time.    

And just like that, 2025 is over!    Is it just me or is time zooming by?

2026 is another big year of travel for me with some brand new countries and new areas in countries I've visited before.  

To start the year, I'm heading to India.   This will be my third visit to India.    I'm traveling with Wildnerness Uncut an we'll be going to Satpura, Pench, and Bandhavgahr.    As usual, this trip is for wildlife.   I'm excited to see tigers in the wild again.  It's been too long since I've been to India.  I've been to Bandhavgahr twice.  This is my first time to both Satpura and Pench!   I can't wait.   I'll be posting stories on instagram and Facebook while traveling (internet permitting), so be sure to follow along.

A trip to Egypt is next on the agenda.   This is a family trip.   I arranged a Nile River Cruise on Uniworld for us and we are flying to Egypt a few days early to visit the sites of Cairo slowly.   My mom has some mobility issues so we are taking our time to make sure we see as much as possible and we don't feel rushed.   (NOTE:   the family decided to cancel this trip due to the unrest in the region.   We were mostly worried about the airspace being closed and getting stuck in Egypt.    Instead, we took a 1 week trip to Italy and visited Rome and Florence.    I feel like I ate my way through Italy - the food, as always, was so incredible.    good and fresh!!!   So Egypt will have to wait for another day.)

James will be dealing with the cold one more time and coming out to visit for a few weeks.

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Big Adventures for the end of 2025

September - October is THE WALK.    100 mile walk through Tsavo National Park.    I've been training hard to make sure I'm able to complete the walk.    Before the walk starts, I'll be spending 3 days on safari near Lake Nakuru National Park.    The few days in Lake Nakuru is to help with jet lag.

The actual walk is over 10 days and we'll end at Watamu (the coast) for a few days of relaxation and beach time (rest and recovery).    Then it's off to safari in the Masai Mara.   The safari will be in Naboisho Conservancy, Olare Motorogi Conservancies and then in the southern section of the main Masai Mara National Park.   I'l be staying at a new (for me) camp in Lake Nakuru, Naboisho, and the Mara (Kicheche Valley Camp in Naboisho Conservancy - this is an amazing camp and I was very impressed by the camp and the wildlife).  

After returning home, I have a very short time and then I'm off to Costa Rica for some super special opportunities -- can you picture jaguars on the beach hunting turtles?    I actually hope I don't see the hunt / kill.    We'll be staying at a jaguar research station (so very rugged accommodations - talk about getting out of my comfort zone this year).    We did see a turtle laying eggs, saw multiple turtle babies leaving the nest and heading to the ocean and saw frigate birds hunting and capturing the babies.     But we didn't get lucky enough to see the jaguars.

Afterwards, we  went to more "normal" photographic locations to photograph Costa Rica's most iconic animals.  We had a few sloth sightings and a lot of birds.   Most of the birds were at feeding stations - which I'm still struggling with.   We also did macro photography with frogs, bugs, and insects.   One location was where they breed them and they go to universities and zoos around the world.   Some places captured the frogs and snakes and kept them for a few days while photographers photographed them then returned them to the wild and then some we just found in the wild.   I'm still quite conflicted about all this and I can't imagine I'll ever do this type of trip again. 

James came to visit me the day after I returned from Costa Rica and stayed a month.   He braved the cold weather that he really doesn't enjoy.   He managed to do some running outside but as it got colder, he opted for burpees in the basement during his run time.   We had a really beautiful visit together and he met some of my family at Thanksgiving dinner.

I spent the remainder of the year at home enjoying holidays with extended family.

Some scary adventures in this quarter.

A trip I've wanted to take for years is finally happening - BORNEO!    First, I will be on a group trip to visit parts of Malaysian Borneo.   Then I will go to the Indonesian side on my own for a Flotok tour (small boat) to visit Camp Leaky and see how they are helping orangutans!    The trip between different countries on the same island is actually way more difficult than it sounds.    I have to fly from Borneo island back to mainland Malaysia, then to mainland Indonesian then back to Borneo island on the Indonesian side.    

I've never been to this part of the world so there's a bit of apprehension as I don't know the customs, the money, the language, the airports, transport, etc. etc....but I'll be figuring it out as I go.    

I'm also a bit worried about the spiders (yup, we'll be deep in the jungle), the heights (lots of tree top walks on swinging walkways/ bridges up to 90 feet in the air - YIKES), the heat and humidity.    Talk about getting out of my comfort zone for 3 weeks.    Whenever I start getting freaked out, I just keep thinking about the orangutans, the sun bears, the birds, and the other primates I'm going to get to learn about.

The trip was amazing.  I loved both Malaysia and Borneo.   I am working on the blog posts and the travel gallery.   To learn more about Borneo, click here. 

I have a quick visit to LA to visit James.   We are spending the week on the beach at a little hotel.   We will both be working and playing during the week.

Then, the last month of the quarter is the start of THE WALK.   It's been a dream for a few years.   A 100 mile walk through Tsavo National Park in Kenya with Tropical Ice.    Over the course of 10 days, we'll be walking the animal trails alongside the rivers in the heat and dust.    Tropical Ice has a crew moving our camp from one location to the other so we'll just have to walk with a daypack.    I'm doing a lot of reading to prep for the trip as well as a lot of walking and working out.    It's fast approaching and I'm not in the condition I wanted to be in...so once I get home from Borneo - it will be "all hands on deck".  

I have turned the walk into a fund raiser to bring in much needed funds (and awareness) for Tsavo Trust.    You can read all about it in my blog post here.   

Before the walk (to acclimate to the time zone) I'll take a quick trip to a conservancy at Lake Nakuru.   After the walk, a few days at the coast (this will be my first time visiting the coast of Kenya) and then off to the Mara for 2 weeks of safari - in my favorite destination.    Visiting 2 previous camps and 1 new one in the Mara and conservancies.

Be sure to follow along on my social media -- I'll be posting STORIES when I can!

The year is flying by...

It was time for my annual cruise with my mom and sister.   This cruise started in Lisbon and ended in Barcelona.   For the beginning of spring we really were fortunate with beautiful sunshine and great weather!

While there, we visited the Gibraltar Botanic gardens.  This is a sad place.    So many animals that were being illegally transported from their wild homes on ships found there way to Gibraltar and the volunteers are doing the best they can to give them a permanent home as they can't be brought back to their original homes and there's really no place for them to go.    The illegal wildlife trade is so bad in so many ways.   We had a stop in Italy so of course, that entailed some great Italian food and we walked as much as possible to get ready for the walk in September in Tsavo.

In May, James came for his first visit to my house.   It was a great 3 weeks.   We both worked a lot and then my mom came up for Mother's Day and we spent 2 days together.   It was a great visit and I can't wait for it to happen again.

Then, it was time for a Virgin Voyage with my sister to celebrate her birthday.   It was my first time on this cruise line and it was quite an experience.    I am now a Gold Level Travel Agent for Virgin (the highest training).  The food was fabulous, the ship was fun.   It's not a cruise for everyone but it was a lot of fun and I hope to return again one day soon.    (blog posts coming).   After the cruise, my niece and nephew joined us at Xcaret in Cancun Mexico for 5 days.   We toured multiple of Xcaret's parks and had a really great time.   We also visited the Mayan ruins - Coba.   It's a ruins that's not often visited so it was great to not have so many crowds.

After that, we flew back to Chicago and I've been staying at my mom's house with my sister and the kids just really being in vacation mode!   Running back home here and there to try and get things prepared for my trip to Borneo.

I'm leaving for Borneo at the end of the quarter.   I'm equally excited and nervous about this trip.   I've wanted to go to Borneo for many years and it's finally happening.   I'm worried about a few adventure parts of this trip - the spiders for one and the almost 90' high swinging walkways on top of the trees for another.    It will be brutal hot and humid but the reward is amazing and unique wildlife - so that's what I'll keep focusing on whenever I get sweaty palms because I'm scared to death!

And just like that, it's 2025!

I spent a month in Kenya.    It started with a 2 week trip with Piper McKay touring Amboseli, Solio Reserve, and then Olare Motorogi Conservancy.    It was a wonderful trip.   Piper is such a talented photographer and is happy to share her knowledge.    It was my first time to Solio Ranch.   It is a rhino conservancy.  There is even (unfortunately there needs to be one) an orphanage.    It was a great first part of my trip.  I'm looking forward to my next trip with Piper in 2026 to the Kalahari.

Then, I met up with Andrew Dankwerts from The Odyssia Collection for a private safari.    Andrew is such a talented photographer and teacher and his knowledge of the African wildlife just adds to the ability to capture great images.     It is always such a pleasure to travel with him and I always learn so much.   Although I don't have any future trips planned with Andrew...I know there will be one soon.   With Andrew, we went to Enkewa camp which is in the southern part of the Mara.    What an incredible experience.   A fabulous driver/guide Dominick and an amazing spotter, Sembere.    It's absolutely amazing what these guys can find!    I'm going back to Enkewa in September.    Then, he and I went to the House in the Wild in Enonkishu conservancy.   This was my second time there and it was amazing to see "my" baby lions growing up.     I love House in the Wild and everything they are doing!

I was home for a few weeks, then went out to Los Angeles to spend a week with my boyfriend.   It was a working week for both of us.   As a book keeper, it's kind of a busy time of year for me and James is a Marketing Consultant so he is always working and helping people with their businesses and launches.  It was a great trip and we look forward to seeing each other again in the next quarter.

I haven't had much time to learn about the travel agent side of the travel industry and hope to dig in soon...but I am still helping people plan their trips to Africa -- just because it's my favorite thing to talk about!

Directly after Tonga, I started my cancer treatments.   From the end of August through November 1.   The treatments were much more difficult than expected.   Treatments were about 6 hours a day 5 days a week.  I had hoped to get thru a lot of my photo database, write, and walk.    I was able to do very little as I was incredibly fatigued and nauseous most days.    Each day since then, I feel better and better and have started working out again - slowly but it feels really good.  Fatigue is still taking its toll so I'm still not able to get as much done as I would like.

I am able to do 1/2 of my planned trip to Kenya in November.   I am so excited to be going back to the bush after these difficult last few months.    This trip is not as photo intensive as previous trips.    And for the first time in 9 years, I will not be going to my most favorite place in the world - the Masai Mara.    I'm usually there 2-3 times per year...and I'm so sad to miss that awe-inspiring location this year.  Be sure to follow me on social media for updates (internet allowing).

This trip to Kenya will have me visiting The Samburu region in a new lodge for me - Saruni.   Then to one of my favorite "little" places - Ol Pejeta and another new lodge - Sanctuary retreats.    After that week, it's back to Nairobi for a day and a private visit at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and then off to two of the Sheldrick reintegration units.    Ithumba and Umani Springs.   The reintegration units is where the baby elephants go when they are old enough to start learning about life in the wild.    They stay in the units as long as they want and eventually leave to live in the wild.   This will be my third time visiting these two places.  What a perfect place for me to go after my own challenges this year.

In December, I have a quick weekend trip planned that I'm very much looking forward to.   

And then before you know it - it's 2025.   Gosh where did this year go?

I was able to go to South Africa and Zambia in June and my heart is full.

Although with all the tests and medical stuff going on, I have not made the progress I wanted on my images, blogs, or the safari planner, I will continue to work on them as I can.

The third quarter has me going to The Kingdom of Tonga to swim with humpback whales.   This is a trip that I have dreamt about for over 30 years.    I am so excited that I'm finally going to be able to do this.    The trip was supposed to happen in 2020 and got postponed due to covid.  It is a snorkeling trip as the whales do not like the bubbles from scuba equipment.   I am not the best swimmer and although I will have an underwater housing with me and a GoPro - this trip is more about the experience for me than trying to get "THE PICTURE".    I will of course, share on social when I can.

Directly after the trip to Tonga, I will start my cancer treatments.    The treatments are 5 days a week and will be about 6 hours a day and will be approximately 10 weeks long.  (I am doing alternative / functional treatments as opposed to standardized medical care).   I am hoping that I will feel well enough to continue to work on my images and blog posts as well as my fitness.

My goal for 2024 was to cut back on traveling and work on my health / fitness and my business - specifically my image catalog to get it organized and smaller (by deleting a bunch of images).   I wanted to write more stories and be more consistent with newsletters and finally release my African Safari Planner.

Unfortunately, I've had a slight detour.   Diagnosed with breast cancer, a large part of the first quarter was spent doing research.  I have not made much progress on my images or newsletter or the planner.

I have a great cancer team supporting me and we are working hard to get me on my safaris that I have planned while not compromising care or increasing the risk of cancer returning.   At this time, I'm still not sure if I'll make my first wildlife trips of the year.

Surgery is mid-April.   My ability to travel will be based on how well I recover from surgery and the pathology reports.

I have plans to travel to S. Africa with a return to Sabi Sabi and Mala Mala.   This will be my second visit to both these amazing locations.    Then, I'm off to Zambia and the lower Zambezi.    I'm excited to see this part of the world - a first for me.    I did visit Zambia last year for the first time and it was my 10th African country.

During this time, I've also been focused on the issue of the super tuskers from Amboseli, Kenya being hunted in Tanzania.    I have a thorough blog post with all the current information about the hunt as well as a link to the petition to voice your support in stopping this hunt.   I am currently researching what happened 30 years ago that originally created the cease-fire of the elephants and to try and figure out why history is repeating.    You can read all that information here.

If I am able to travel this quarter, I will create an instagram broadcast channel to go into more details about my trip.   This will include more behind the scenes than my social media pages.

I've decided to cut back my travel in 2024.   It was a difficult decision as I absolutely love being in the field, witnessing and learning about animals.

I have accumulated over 240,000 images in my photo catalog.   The majority of those need to be culled (deleted) and then the remainders keyworded and edited.   (For those that understand photography, I shoot RAW which makes the images look very flat unless they are edited.   This preserves the dynamic range (darks and lights) better than if you don't shoot RAW but does take some extra work before posting.)

I also have literally hundreds of stories that I want to tell about the animals.    My brain is full and until I get those out of my brain and onto paper, I have no more room left.

And lastly, I've been working on my African Safari Planner for years and have not made much progress due to the extensive traveling.

So, first quarter, I am staying at my home office and writing and editing.   I'll be sending out more consistent newsletters, so be sure to sign up.  I will also be posting to my Facebook and Instagram accounts and YouTube regularly.     (Did you know, you can also see the latest Instagram and YouTube posts below.)

I am taking my annual cruise with my mom and my sister.   We will be traveling to the warm waters of the Caribbean and I can't wait.   I really dislike the winters in Chicago - and swore a few years ago I'd never spend another winter here...alas, here I am spending another winter in Chicago.    At least the cold weather will keep me indoors, on my computer and working.

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I will be finishing up my trip to South Luangwa National Park the beginning of October.

I have one more month in Kenya for the year and then I'll be done traveling for a long time (for me).    In Kenya, I'll be staying at 3 locations in the Great Masai Mara area (the Masai Mara and conservancies).    

* Enonkishu Conservancy - this is a new conservancy and a new lodge for me

* Masai Mara National Reserve - a new lodge

* then off to Olare Motorogi Conservancy to a lodge I've been to before.

After the mara, I'll be moving to Laikipia Wilderness Camp in search of the black leopard.   When my outfitter suggested it, I said no because I know the black leopards have become super popular and I didn't want to add stress to the animals -- but then I found out the leopard is on a private conservancy and the number of vehicles is limited...and they had availability for my dates...so black leopard (hopefully) here I come!   Although I've been to many reserves in Laikipia, this will be a new area and new lodge for me.

I'm super excited to be returning to Kenya.   This will be my third trip this year and the anticipation never gets any less.   Even though I've gone on wildlife safaris in 10 countries in Africa, Kenya is still my favorite.   I'm going to work on posting while away - so be sure to follow me on social media so you don't miss anything!   Facebook  and / or Instagram. Please note, while traveling, I do post the same content to both platforms.

Botswana was great.   Back to the Chobe River which has never disappointed and then two locations in the Okavango Delta.   The Delta's water level has been extremely low for the last few years which is troublesome.

The third quarter of 2023 has me finishing my trip to Botswana, then heading off to Kenya for a few weeks in the Mara Triangle in the Wild-Eye camp.

I'll be home for a little bit and then off for a family trip to S. Africa with my mom and sister.   We will be taking the Rovos Rail from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.   A few days there, then up to Botswana and back to the Chobe River.   From there, we will go to Madikwe.   It will be my first time to Madikwe.  

Then, I'm heading to Zambia and S. Luangua.   I was supposed to go there in 2020 but that trip was cancelled.   I'm so excited to add Zambia as my 10th safari rich country in Africa.

I'm super excited for this next quarter.   It starts with a short trip to Mexico to go snorkeling with some of the great underwater creatures.   We are hoping for Orcas, humpback, and whale sharks.   Only time will tell what nature will allow us to swim with.   

May is a cruise with my family - so no wildlife, but still time away from home and time to enjoy my family and explore other areas of the world.

Then June I return to Botswana.   I'll go back to Chobe for a few days and then to the Okavango Delta.   It's been about 30 years since I've been to the Delta and I'm super excited to return.

I'm starting 2023 a bit slow after the last quarter of non-stop travel.   This quarter, I'm headed to East Africa.   

It's been over 30 years since I've been to Tanzania and this will be the first time I'm there for the calving season.   I'll be visiting Ngorogoro Crater and the Serengeti.   It will be my first time traveling with Tanda Afrika and I'm very much looking forward to the trip.

After the Serengeti portion, I'm returning to Kenya.   First some private travel with my sister (organized by Wilderness Uncut) to Ol Donyo, one of the Great Plains Resorts near Amboseli and then to Amboseli for a few days.   I'm praying to see animals in much better condition then in November and hoping for lots of grass and greenery.   (see my article about the drought here)

After that short trip, I'll be joining Andy Biggs for an intensive Sheldrick Wildlife Trust trip.   If you don't know - Sheldrick's is a non-profit that helps orphaned animals (mostly elephants) return back to the wild.   They do this starting at their Nairobi nursery and then as they get older, they go to one of the three reintegration units where it can take up to 10-15 years for them to be adopted into a wild family.   During this trip, we'll be visiting 2 of the reintegration units.    I love the elephants and the work that Sheldrick's does is inspirational.  

During the rest of the quarter, I'll be working on my "regular" book keeping job and editing / culling / posting and writing...so stayed tuned.  

The final quarter in 2022 has me traveling long trips with very little time at home and very little internet when gone.

I am flying straight from Brazil to Zimbabwe.   I am visiting Mana Pools National Park, Hwange National Park, and Chobe National Park (in Botswana).   I am really hoping for lions on foot this time in Mana...stay tuned.

I go home for 7 days and then I am off to Kenya!  My favorite place in the world except for home.   While in Kenya, I'll be visiting Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Amboseli, and the Mara including a few of the conservancies.  I am excited to get back to Kenya after a year.

Then after being home for only a week, I visit a new country - Gabon.   This trip has me a bit anxious as Gabon is more wild then the other places I've visited.   Definitely pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone on this one - but I am super excited to see what this country has to offer.

I can't wait to share my travels with you!   Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook and Youtube for images, stories, and videos -- and don't forget my blog!   I may even post a few short blogs from the field.   

Note:  I usually do NOT share the same content to Instagram and Facebook, but while traveling with slow internet and limited time, I am sharing the same content.   Once I'm home, it will be back to original content on both platforms.

And now the travel begins - heavy!    

First - an Alaskan cruise.   I usually go on a cruise 1x per year with my mom and sister - but due to covid, we missed a few years and so this year we got to do 2!   This is the second cruise for the year and I'm super excited.   I have some wildlife excursions chosen.   I usually do not bring my cameras when I travel with my mom - but this year, I am!   Whales and bears - here I come.  The internet is usually pretty crappy on the ship, so not sure if I'll be posting any images while gone...but you never know when one will pop onto my social media.

My original trip for August was postponed due to Covid - so I joined a trip to my biggest bucket list destination- Mana Pools, Zimbabwe!   I've been wanting to go to Mana Pools for YEARS and my dream is finally coming true.  The very special part of this location is that we get to be on foot!  Yes, in Africa on foot with the elephants and wild dogs and antelope species and maybe...who knows a leopard or some lions.   I'm so very excited -- and no worries, we will be with a trained guide the entire time to make sure we don't become lunch.

In Zimbabwe, I'll also be visiting Hwange National Park.  This park is known for elephants and also has many other species.  It consists of grasslands and mopane woods and hopefully we'll see nice packs of wild dogs while here.   

Then, we end up in Victoria Falls for a day and then crossing the border of Botswana and into the top of Namibia and on the Chobe River.   I'll be on a house boat for a few days to hopefully get some up close images of elephants in the river and then a few days stay in a lodge next to the river.   I can imagine the eles, hippos, and crocodiles already...I can't wait to sleep to the calling of the wildlife.  This is the only part of Namibia I will be visiting - I do hope to get back there one day to explore the rest of the country.

In September, I'm off to the Pantanal in Brazil.    The object of this trip is more cats - the Jaguar.   There will be many other species to see - but that is the focus.   This will be my first trip to Brazil but it will be very isolated to the Pantanal region.    I am so looking forward to all parts of this trip (especially the Jaguars) - the birds and whatever else Mother Nature chooses to let us see.

I can't wait to share my travels with you!   Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook and Youtube for images, stories, and videos -- and don't forget my blog!   I may even post a few short blogs from the field.   

The original plan for the second quarter was to stay at home to be with my girl Holly with the exception of one trip to the Galapagos and the ECUADORIAN AMAZON.   This trip was originally supposed to take place in 2020 but due to covid was moved to this year.

Unfortunately, I made the very difficult decision and helped Holly cross on April 27.   See her tribute here.   Because of this, I really just want to run away to the ocean and let the sounds of the waves sooth my soul...but I still have 3 canine house guests to care for (not my dogs).  

I've never been to the Galápagos Islands and I'm really excited to explore.   I am going on a photo tour and we will be doing this trip from a catamaran and visiting multiple islands with naturalists with opportunities to snorkel and swim with the wildlife.   Afterwards, I'll have a few days in Quito to catch up on sleep and work on images and then off to the Ecuadorian Amazon for another few days of explorations.     This part of the trip has an opportunity to do a tree top walk - as you may know, I am terrified of heights but I am determined to bring out the adventurer in me and experience everything I can.

I won't be posting anything while in the Galápagos Islands...but I should have time in Quito to post - so be sure to follow my social media for updates.   Here for FaceBook and Here for Instagram.

I purchased a new macro lens for the trip, so it may be interesting to see what kind of critters I can capture with the macro.  Maybe it will even help me get over my terrifying fear of spiders.

If you've been to the Galapagos or Ecuadorian Amazon before and have any tips for me, please be sure to let me know!     

When I return from Galapagos, I am meeting a few friends in San Diego to play with our cameras and hopefully find the seals with new pups.   I've never been to San Diego - so I'm excited to actually see what I've heard is such a great destination.  (Update:  this trip was postponed and so my plan is to stay home and work on articles, images, and videos).   The first article is published - Journal Day 1 for Galapagos Islands.   

The rest of this quarter, I will be at home. 

A slow start to 2022 for good reason.   

In 2020, I had 3 beautiful dogs.   Shadow- a Newfoundland, Holly - a Mix girl (Newfoundland, Springer Spaniel, St. Bernard - with probably some Pyrenees mixed in), and my baby, Rocky - a Golden Retriever. 

My Newfoundland passed about 2 weeks after his 13th birthday in August of 2020.    See his tribute by clicking here.  

Four months later, in December of 2020, Holly was diagnosed with bone cancer and they gave her 2-3 months to live.    The ex still lived in our old house and the dogs were super comfortable there and he watched them while I traveled.   As time progressed, she was doing great and beating the diagnosis.

In May of 2021, Rocky very unexpectedly passed while I was in S. Africa.   He was my baby and still young and it was a massive blow to lose him so unexpectedly and suddenly.  You can read his tribute here.

Holly continued to beat the odds and since the ex was moving out of state and I had no one I could trust to care for Holly, I did not book any travel.    The only travel for the first half of 2022 is travel that was booked 1 - 2 years ago that was bumped due to Covid.   Holly's health is declining and her physical therapy / pain management vet, Dr. Christine at Tops Vet Specialty, and I do not believe she will make it through spring.   Every day has been a blessing and when it's time, I'll help her cross so that she doesn't suffer.

In March,  we took our annual cruise that was supposed to happen in 2019.   It was a cruise with my mom and my sister to the Caribbean.   We had a blast and met some amazing people.  We had so much fun, we are all planning on meeting again in 2024 on another cruise.

Besides the cruise, I've been staying home and hanging out with Holly and the ex's 3 dogs.   Holly was never alone before and as her health declined, we decided it was best for her to have some canine companions.   Once Holly passes, his dogs will go live with him permanently and I will be pet free for the first time in 45 years.

I've also been working on my physical health.   In October 2019, I had 3 brain hemorrhages.  (To make my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th traumatic brain injuries).   The neurologists have no idea what caused them.   I was in neurological ICU and in 4 different hospitals.   For weeks all I could do was sleep.   I couldn't read, look at my computer, or watch tv.   Gradually my strength increased and in January 2020, I went on 2 trips -- they were very difficult with my strength and stamina so compromised.    Through all that time, I gained a bunch of weight and then with the loss of the 2 dogs, I turned to sugar and gained more weight.    I tried hard to lose it and the doctors told me that it could take up to 2 years for my brain to completely heal and that could effect my ability to lose weight.  That and hormonal changes have taken their toll.   Then with Covid, I took the "vacation mentality route" for a while and binge watched a lot of Netflix.   So, now, I've been working out hard trying to get my strength and endurance up so that I can easily carry my camera equipment through the airports and hike with gear.   I'm also trying to build my swimming endurance for a trip later this year.

I've been working on my mental health as well.   Taking classes with Tony Robbins, Kary Oberbrunner and Igniting Souls, and Rebecca Davison - an energy / light worker.   I have hired a personal coach - Gerry van der Walt, and a photography coach - Andrew Danckwerts, and things for me are moving forward with lots of clarity.

I am enjoying spending my days at home (although I must admit I hate winters in Illinois and plan on never spending an entire winter here again) and working on myself and hanging with the canine companions.   I miss traveling and look forward to starting again later this year.  I have some awesome trips planned for the second half of the year.  Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter below so you don't miss any updates.