Wow! It has been two months since I’ve posted. That is most unlike me but thanks to you, my faithful readers, there is still traffic and interaction over here. Thank you, thank you, thank you for continuing to ‘pop in’ during my hiatus.

A few of you emailed me to ask where I’ve been and I appreciate your concern. Without getting too maudlin, I hit a wall. The world is seemingly spinning off its axis with daily news reports of political vitriol, stories of hate, allegations of sexual misconduct, and a U.S. president who is determined to engage in as many pissing contests as he can (and yet, his inner circle is convinced he is mentally stable, wtf?). Every news alert that sounds on my devices heralds one step closer to the end of the world. All of the noise and aggression got to me and I crashed into a metaphorical wall. My little crystal heart just couldn’t post about travel, a happy life, and other things that could be considered frivolous. It felt like a betrayal for all those engaged in a personal Sisyphean loop. Why post about joy and light when the world is losing its collective mind? So, I just stopped – I battened down my emotional hatches, made a few big life decisions, and focused all my energy inward, keeping myself to myself.

Then, in a chance encounter at the airport, a wise and wonderful soul told me that maybe the world needed a bit of lightness in the midst of all this madness and that maybe my little blog could add to that light. So with a renewed spirit, I decided to start posting again. Thank you, Dr. Neema –  a serendipitous conversation, indeed.

While I won’t be posting every week day as before (that was a specific challenge I set for myself for 3 months), I will be posting regularly.  I’ve got my annual holiday gift list coming up, some hotel and restaurant reviews, and the usual celebration of coffee and getting the most out of life. Again, I am glad you stuck around and wish you peace, love, and travel.

M