Travel junkies know the feeling well.
You wake up knowing you're going to remember this day
forever -- little bites of time that are the stuff dreams are made of.
Travel milestones are flashes of a life well lived and -- just maybe --
the last thoughts we'll savor as we take our last breath on earth.
Now before you call me Debbie Downer for contemplating
such gloomy notions, chew on this Eleanor Roosevelt quote:
"Don't wait because right now is the oldest you've ever been
and the youngest you'll ever be again."
Mrs. Roosevelt was one wise women.
Let TODAY be the day; GO FOR IT.
None of us want to swallow the bitter pill of regret when the lights go out.
Use those frequent flier miles and live your dreams now.
"You don't get to choose how you are going to die. Or when.
You can only decide how you are going to live. Now."
Joan Baez, American folksinger, songwriter, activist
You wake up knowing you're going to remember this day
forever -- little bites of time that are the stuff dreams are made of.
Travel milestones are flashes of a life well lived and -- just maybe --
the last thoughts we'll savor as we take our last breath on earth.
Now before you call me Debbie Downer for contemplating
such gloomy notions, chew on this Eleanor Roosevelt quote:
"Don't wait because right now is the oldest you've ever been
and the youngest you'll ever be again."
Mrs. Roosevelt was one wise women.
Let TODAY be the day; GO FOR IT.
None of us want to swallow the bitter pill of regret when the lights go out.
Use those frequent flier miles and live your dreams now.
"You don't get to choose how you are going to die. Or when.
You can only decide how you are going to live. Now."
Joan Baez, American folksinger, songwriter, activist
We literally stumbled onto a movie set one day when visiting Bordeaux -- a real period piece.
Tick Tock, time mercilessly winks at us every single day -- so
much so, the circle of life sometimes feels like a bad punchline.
Sunshine and belly-laughs if you're in a good place,
a shrug of the shoulders and a yawn if you're not....
I've never understood why people refer to travel as leisure time.
Tranquility is one thing but it's the adventure and discovery part
that incites our joyful spirit, ensuring we sparkle with life.
Isn't it about time to think about how to get the most out of living?
The more I contemplate what's ahead for me, the more I understand
a good life doesn't just happen; we have to make well-considered choices.
It all adds up over a lifetime -- bits and pieces, minute flecks of memories
that feel like gold -- heart and conscience, images and attitudes,
cares and celebrations that make up our existence here on earth.
Travel makes up such a large part of this,
its contribution rich, rewarding and worth the effort.
much so, the circle of life sometimes feels like a bad punchline.
Sunshine and belly-laughs if you're in a good place,
a shrug of the shoulders and a yawn if you're not....
I've never understood why people refer to travel as leisure time.
Tranquility is one thing but it's the adventure and discovery part
that incites our joyful spirit, ensuring we sparkle with life.
Isn't it about time to think about how to get the most out of living?
The more I contemplate what's ahead for me, the more I understand
a good life doesn't just happen; we have to make well-considered choices.
It all adds up over a lifetime -- bits and pieces, minute flecks of memories
that feel like gold -- heart and conscience, images and attitudes,
cares and celebrations that make up our existence here on earth.
Travel makes up such a large part of this,
its contribution rich, rewarding and worth the effort.
Lunch under the trees - long, lingering, lovely is France at its best.
Only in France: an abbey-turned-winery, the Abbaye de Valmagne will make you count your blessings.
Paris offers many quiet, village-like streets that get you away from the crowds & mayhem of the city.
I've lived a wonderful existence, so lucky to have
the time and opportunity for the next big journey.
But like most people, I'm always hoping for MORE so as
the years pass, I've come to realize I can't see and do it all.
The hard conclusion: It's time to get a bit more sober about trip planning.
In order to extend this travel lifestyle as long as possible, we need to
pack a lot of life into realistic pockets of time -- and of course,
that means MORE FRANCE.
Paris, yes. Provence, yes. Anywhere in France, yes.
North, South, East or West, if it's in France, it will enrich your life.
Why does this one country affect me so deeply?
It never fails to deliver passion, red hot joy, and goosebumps.
Beautiful raw emotion banishes the gray cynical side of us -- the
perfect medicine for a mid-life crisis or the monotony of everyday routine.
the time and opportunity for the next big journey.
But like most people, I'm always hoping for MORE so as
the years pass, I've come to realize I can't see and do it all.
The hard conclusion: It's time to get a bit more sober about trip planning.
In order to extend this travel lifestyle as long as possible, we need to
pack a lot of life into realistic pockets of time -- and of course,
that means MORE FRANCE.
Paris, yes. Provence, yes. Anywhere in France, yes.
North, South, East or West, if it's in France, it will enrich your life.
Why does this one country affect me so deeply?
It never fails to deliver passion, red hot joy, and goosebumps.
Beautiful raw emotion banishes the gray cynical side of us -- the
perfect medicine for a mid-life crisis or the monotony of everyday routine.
Over the years, I've noticed the slower I travel,
the better the experience, the longer the memory.
These days, we try not to jump from place to place at the same pace
we kept at the dawn of our travel adventures.
Narrowing down the choices makes it easy to spend most
of our travel time and $$$ in beautiful France.
It's funny, but when I daydream about some of the best times over the years,
it always comes down to (1) the people I'm traveling with -- husband, daughter, sister, brother and all loved ones attached to them -- and (2) sentimental
little mood enhancers that tug at my heartstrings and make me happy.
This morning I woke up thinking about a nice tall citron pressé,
a classic French drink if there every was one.
It practically sings of summertime, café culture, and the things we
love about the graceful French lifestyle.
See how that works?
Many of you have told me about your favorite little recollections of France.
Who knows, those memories may be our last thoughts on the day of judgment.
- Whether it was the scarf section at Galleries Lafayette or the breathtaking vendors
at the perfume counter, an encounter at a Paris department store will last a lifetime.
- A long green lawn with a spectacular castle sitting at the end -- who will
ever forget their first trip to chateau country in the Loire.
- First tastes are everything -- whether it's truffles or ice cream,
France will win you over at first bite.
- Being mistaken for a local, walking into Shakespeare & Company
for the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time, sitting next to a celebrity at lunch or
getting your hair done, everything feels like a thrill
the first time you experience it in fabulous France.
the better the experience, the longer the memory.
These days, we try not to jump from place to place at the same pace
we kept at the dawn of our travel adventures.
Narrowing down the choices makes it easy to spend most
of our travel time and $$$ in beautiful France.
It's funny, but when I daydream about some of the best times over the years,
it always comes down to (1) the people I'm traveling with -- husband, daughter, sister, brother and all loved ones attached to them -- and (2) sentimental
little mood enhancers that tug at my heartstrings and make me happy.
This morning I woke up thinking about a nice tall citron pressé,
a classic French drink if there every was one.
It practically sings of summertime, café culture, and the things we
love about the graceful French lifestyle.
See how that works?
Many of you have told me about your favorite little recollections of France.
Who knows, those memories may be our last thoughts on the day of judgment.
- Whether it was the scarf section at Galleries Lafayette or the breathtaking vendors
at the perfume counter, an encounter at a Paris department store will last a lifetime.
- A long green lawn with a spectacular castle sitting at the end -- who will
ever forget their first trip to chateau country in the Loire.
- First tastes are everything -- whether it's truffles or ice cream,
France will win you over at first bite.
- Being mistaken for a local, walking into Shakespeare & Company
for the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time, sitting next to a celebrity at lunch or
getting your hair done, everything feels like a thrill
the first time you experience it in fabulous France.
France offers landscapes that sometimes feel too good to be true.
The Rules from This Day Forward:
(1) Now is the time to get serious about living life to the fullest.
(2) Refuse to fall into geezer-hood.
(3) Look for opportunity rather than waiting for it to happen.
Don't wait! A trip to France may change your life forever --- it did mine.
Go ahead, scratch that travel itch.
Live your dreams now, long before you reach the end of the road.
Live Long, Live Happy!
"I want my dreams to come easy, good moments to pass slow,
and each road I take lead me to where I want to go."
Melchor Lim, author
(1) Now is the time to get serious about living life to the fullest.
(2) Refuse to fall into geezer-hood.
(3) Look for opportunity rather than waiting for it to happen.
Don't wait! A trip to France may change your life forever --- it did mine.
Go ahead, scratch that travel itch.
Live your dreams now, long before you reach the end of the road.
Live Long, Live Happy!
"I want my dreams to come easy, good moments to pass slow,
and each road I take lead me to where I want to go."
Melchor Lim, author
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