~Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we know that we have for sure is what is right here right now. Don’t miss it.~

Leo Buscaglia

This quote could have been written with me in mind. With the passing of my youngest son, hubby and I became true empty nesters…. no opportunity for that young man to ever return home. Heartbreaking to say the very least.

I believe that for every heartbreak we endure (and this was shattering) we are provided with something positive, something we weren’t expecting. Without this we would find it very difficult to keep putting one foot ahead of the other. If you have walked in these shoes, you know EXACTLY what I am saying… how it feels.

The website/blog Chasing the next chapter came from this loss. You can read more about it on the About Me page.

Life is short…we have no guarantee that we will be allowed to follow a dream…especially one from decades ago. I have planned trips from a young age. The Soviet Union comes to mind back in 1974. What a DIFFERENT place it was then… an experience I’ll never forget. I continue to plan trips, not only for ourselves but for others.  One of my dreams from long ago was to move back to Europe at least part time and to write about the adventures. That dream has ‘aged’ a bit. You can read more about the “current plan” here.

AND

I’m excited to be writing again—food, travel, whatever interests me. My son would be tickled…but I’m pretty sure he reads over my shoulder as I write.

That ‘old’ dream is becoming our reality. We don’t always get what we want…but at this point in my life, I can hear my son cheering me on. I have memories that I will always cherish and now it is time to make some new memories. I KNOW my son would be pleased.