Arrivederci!

Travel Era 2024

Travel Blog

It's been a while my lovely readers and a long time coming. I even pondered if I could ever write again. If I would even return to this website. As my life came to a screeching halt in 2022, the world around me continued as if nothing ever happened. The clock kept ticking, the sun kept shining, and the days continued to go by without missing a beat. I'll speak on that area of my life altering halt on another day. Today is just about today.

Sometimes life has to stop and that's ok. Sometimes one has to get off the busy train and just take in the experience of whatever is coming up in life. To be still and be present, even when the clouds are dark and gray. To feel every feel.

In every season there is always room to stop, learn, grow, pivot, and shift. I've come to love stillness. I crave stillness especially during times of great change. I prefer to approach with caution, approach with care, and well just go super turtle slow in times of change. Stillness has offered me an opportunity to tune in and really contemplate areas of my life that need love and attention. Even those areas that are uncomfortable. Travel provides profound insights, affording me the opportunity to deeply contemplate and absorb the vastness of the world we inhabit. A world exists that is far broader than the segment that fills my daily existence. Life is precious. Life is short. I know this too well.

I've been still for a while and with that stillness came connections to my faith, people, and places that made me feel whole and centered. Learning how to stay connected and charged while the battery is low. Its where I've been the last two years. You know how sometimes the battery on your phone gets so low you just have to keep it on the charger to even use it. Well, I've been on the charger, charging, very, very, very slowly.

These days most of my hours are filled with problem solving, critically thinking, intense listening, and caring for people that require my undivided attention. As a Family Nurse Practitioner in a bustling family practice, my days stretch continuously from morning to night, demanding a significant amount of energy to meet the needs of my patients.

And I wouldn't have it any other way. But in order for me to care for others I have to find time to nurture myself. Traveling is just one way for me to unplug from my daily responsibilities and tap into the beautiful world our good God has given to us. So hence, I explore, I journey, and connect with our planet in all the ways she offers.

Today is day one.

The World is your Oyster

"We travel because distance and difference are the secret tonic of creativity. When we get home, home is still the same. But something inside our minds has changed, and that changes everything." jonah lehrer

Today is Day One

I know, I know. It's hard to get away sometimes. But it doesn't have to be. Planning, preparing, scheduling, budgeting. It takes some time, it takes some effort, but the time is well worth it and the return on your invested time produces such high yield. Now does it have to be perfect. No. Does it have to be on an exotic island far, far away? Sure, but no. It can be something simple like a day at your local park, a weekend getaway with friends, or just a day at the beach or local river. Those smaller trips take time to plan too but also prove to be just as fulfilling and fruitful.

Today my journey begins at the airport with a three-hour delay right from the beginning. Really? "Positive thinking Erica, and ROI" lol. IT IS WHAT IT IS. Nothing is perfect and all is subject to change. Thus, is life. We pivot, we shift, we turn, we make room, we accommodate for important things in our life like our family.

Prioritizing the creation of experiences and dedicating quality time to loved ones is my foremost concern these days. I've learned in my stillness that life is too short and not a moment should be wasted. Life truly is precious, and I want to create experiences and memories that I can treasure for years to come. Today is day one of an adventure with my son Keanu. He will be the best man in his best friend's wedding, and it is truly an honor to experience this momentous occasion with him as we journey together across the ocean. I'm looking forward to taking in the sites, trying new foods, and taking in a country filled with art, history, and culture.

Italy, Here we Come!

I am incredibly excited to travel and discover the world we inhabit. Travel has always been exhilarating for me, offering gifts of peace, tranquility, and creativity.

Life is indeed brief, and I am committed to making every single day meaningful with faith, family, and good friends sprinkled with an occasional glass of wine and good food!

Arrivederci My friends!

From My Heart to Yours,

Erica Jane