The first transition begins in just a couple of days. I am taking a three week vacation trip; that's the longest vacation of my life. I won't count our 2 month honeymoon because Randy was in college and I was working for my mother-in-law and it was our slow season. The only other time that I'm not counting is when Randy and I moved to Seattle. We sold our house in Colorado, packed up two trucks towing our boat behind one and our car, loaded with our beloved kitties Fred and Arthur, behind the other. With some small exceptions of completing consulting work we were both doing, we did not work for 6 months. Different than a vacation, we acted like tourists in our new city, but were between gigs. Living off the sale of our Colorado house, we realized that that wouldn't last forever; but it was sweet while it lasted.
For this trip, I am celebrating a Milestone Birthday. I had double knee surgery during my last Milestone Birthday and spent most of the time drugged out of my gourd on pain killers. This time, I'm a lot more alert! So my present is a fabulous 3 week cross country trip, spending some time with people who mean a lot to me.
I start on Monday with a train trip from Seattle to Vancouver, WA with Sandy - a great friend whom I've known since 2nd grade Brownie Scouts. Sandy is the one who introduced Randy and me on a blind date when we were 14. So, Sandy is special in my life. Sandy needs to get off at the Oregon border to meet her husband, Bob, and get back home. I will continue on the train to Emeryville, CA. I'll grab a rental car, drive across the Bay to San Francisco Airport to pick up my sisters, Nancy and Joyce. The three of us have rented a house in Napa and intend to spend a few days visiting wineries, spas, boutiques, and sleeping in and just vegging. This is our 14th Annual Chick Trip; we usually begin planning the next one before the current one begins!
After Napa, I get back on Amtrak and head for Savannah, GA. Train routes don't go straight across the states, so I go through Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, Washington DC, and finally to Savannah. I'm meeting 6 friends (including Sandy from the first part of my trip) there; we all went to high school together, so we're all celebrating the Milestone Birthday this year. Some I haven't seen in quite a while and one I haven't seen since high school! I am so looking forward to this reunion of friends.
The second transition is my retirement. I've worked at my current job for over 20 years, and although I will miss my colleagues, my clients, and my work, it's time to move to the next chapter of my life - which is already overloaded with plans. More about that in future blogs.
So this 3 week trip involves my favorite mode of travel - the train, seeing the USA, hanging out with my sisters and some old friends, and letting my mind relax and play over my options and plans for the future. I intend to blog every day, though there might be a couple days here and there that I don't have WiFi access. Next blog is Monday, October 1. All Aboard!
