Today is my __ wedding anniversary. My husband retains that stat. I can only say that I can’t recall life without him.

We share many of the same values: truth, honesty, sense of humor, goals, and on and on and on… Neither takes themself too seriously. We are cheeky. We are a tight couple, though not joined at the hip. We are nice and beloved to each other. Others often comment that “we’re cute together.” United, we ‘live strong.’

And, travel is our thing! An aptitude, an affinity, an aspiration, and inspiration.

We seek to move forward and expand our horizons, spread our wingspan, and embrace the world. One can not deny that God exists when one sees a Hawaiian sunset or Iguazu Falls or herds of elephants politely sharing a water hole in the Serengeti – all of which we have shared. It’s a great means to grow together than to grow apart: shared travel. Here we are – dancing at the equator in Kenya!

We’ve traveled to 43 countries and 50 states. That is a fact, not a boast.

Travel had become so easy in the last decade. It was as if the map of the Earth had folded upon itself, bringing the furthest corners close together. Borders had been thinned to veils – the ‘Iron Curtain’, which was spoken of in our youth, had fallen in the ’90s. You could call home, check your email, and pull cash from your bank account via an obliging ATM almost anywhere in the world.

In the current COVID-crisis, we’ve become shut-ins. Except for the brilliance of the California sun, our social souls would be withering. Travel seems so yesteryear.

One could say that my husband and I were travel addicts. We once chose a second world trip – rather than our ration of one/year – foregoing new carpet at needed in our house. Before our ‘house arrest’ status we’d selected a carpet, obtained a feasible quote, and set to replace the carpet at last. . It’s grungy and spot-cleaning no longer works. we can no longer delay its replacement…

Plus, we’re never taking travel for granted again.