Counting Down!

I am and have been very blessed.  I have been fortunate enough to see so many countries in the world.  I have had dinner in a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, have visited the Oktoberfest in Germany many times, and been in Switzerland, Spain, Monte Carlo, Italy, Belgium, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, and many Caribbean Islands.  I have visited Mayan ruins and marveled at their construction.

There are still many places I have not visited however, and the time is drawing close (32 more days) when I will be exploring a part of the world I have not yet seen.  On December 3rd, my daughter Melanie and I will be heading for China...Shanghai in particular, and possibly Bejing (if it isn't too cold).  Then we will be heading for Thailand...Bankok, Koh Sumai and Phuket in particular.  I intend to ride an elephant!  I intend to take zillions of pictures!  I want to absorb as much of the culture and color as possible. 

I will be meeting my, up until now, Facebook friend Lilac!  She has become my "Chinese daughter."  A sweet, excited Christian who now calls me Mama!  I have learned so much from her, and I am sure to learn a lot more in her home country.

We will be meeting Charles and Jon who are already in Shanghai for this marvelous new adventure.  I have been working on diet and exercise like a mad woman to be in the best shape a 65-year-old can be for this new journey.  We have gotten our shots, and our "take along" medications in case of any physical ailments we could possibly encounter.

I want to experience as much on this journey as possible.  It should be a fascinating trip.  I do have a little trepidation about 18 hours of traveling on an airplane....especially because I drink 80 ounces or of water each day, and that necessitates a number of trips to the bathroom!  Not the easiest thing to manage on an airplane! 

I plan to take plenty of my protein shakes and drinks to have available, but I also want to experience some of the local foods ... things I probably have not tried before!  I love the idea of immersing myself in another culture.  I believe that if there is one gift you could give your children, it is the gift of travel.  We grow so much and get such a better "world view" of how things really are when we travel. 

I was always told that French people didn't like Americans.  When I had the opportunity to spend time in France, I found that this was not true.  The French were extremely gracious to me and I fell in love with their lifestyle and culture.  Political arenas seem to cause people to draw conclusions about places and people they have never experienced.  Traveling can be an eye-opening experience in so many ways.

So, as I anticipate this fabulous journey, courtesy of my son Charles, I plan to take lots of pictures, write lots of blogs and share as much as I can about the Far East! 

GOD BLESS - Peace, Love and Joy