At the age of 63 it was time to embark on a new journey. As a child I traveled with my family, as a young woman I ventured to a beach resort with some other friends, as a married woman I traveled with my husband and as a single mother to visit family members who wintered in Florida. As my son grew up we discovered cruising together, and then shared that joy as a family when I remarried. Although I still share traveling with my grown son and my husband it was time for just me. Many woman wait until they are widowed-not me-no time like the present. I eagerly anticipated being anonymous but at the same time apprehension as I am a very social being and the thought of no meaningful conversation or connection for 2 weeks was a bit creepy, to say the least. What I found was shear exhilaration, liberation, joy, life, laughter and discovery

It was a 13 night transatlantic crossing on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas. We began in Ft. Lauderdale, were at sea for 7 consecutive nights, first stop was the Azores, another night at sea, then Port in Lisbon. Portugal and Port the following day in Vigo, Spain, another day at Sea then last day/port Le Havre, France then disembark in Southampton, Great Britain.

This was not just a transatlantic cruise but a journey of independence, a journey of freedom, a journey of self expression, a journey to feel, to experience, to express and to reconnect my former self back to my new self. I must thank my wonderful husband John who planted the seed for this trip, if it hadn’t been for his desire and planning to ride his bicycle solo through Italy and at the right time, I wouldn’t have had this amazing opportunity. It was our plan for me to meet him “across the pond” as I had when he rode solo the “End to End” starting in John of Groats, Scotland and ending in Lands End, Great Britain. That trip was in July 2 years ago, and traveling via British Airways, although my favorite way to fly, is certainly no feat in independence and self expression, although lugging his bicycle suitcase to the train station and transferring trains was a physical feat in itself but not much more. The only thing gained from it was knowing that working out regularly makes a difference, Read more