Packing....

So everyone has asked "what are you taking in your 2 tiny bags?" So I thought I would take a picture for 'show 'n tell' and  tell you what I'm taking.

Looking at the rows starting from left to right and working from bottom to top ...

Row 1 - 2 green oblong bags contain undies and socks and scarves, etc. Larger black rectangle contains all of my clothes! T-shirts, pants, tights, skirt, dress, sweater, fleece. Small black square is electronic equipment - cords, plugs, earphones, etc. Black bag just above is makeup for purse.

Row 2 - Journal that was a gift from my son and his beautiful wife. Mini atlas 

 and  guide book. Sandals, Bernie Mec dress shoes, and the black bag is my toiletries (my traveling bathroom/medicine cabinet )

Row 3 - Little black square bag is 'stuff'. Like duct tape, batteries, portable clothes line.  Little red bag is my jewelry. Bigger red bag is a Bagalino cross-body purse for everyday use . 1 pair of flip flops to use as house slippers and in strange bathrooms.  And my iPad in its Zagg keyboard case - my link to the outside world.

Row 4 - Little blue case has blow-up pillow, eye mask and ear plugs for use on the plane. Little green bag is just some extra stuff and will probably be combined into another bag.

And that everything!  I'm wearing my tennis shoes and all of this will go into my 19" roller carry-on suitcase and smallish backpack. Traveling long means traveling lite!  And remember - there are stores everywhere - so if I don't have it or need to replace it - not a problem!

FAREWELL CHICAGO - HELLO WORLD!!

I thought this date (Friday, May 1st) would ever come.  I've thought, and dreamed and planned for so long that now that it's just 4 days away, I'm so excited I can hardly sleep!  

My big 'estate sale,' conducted by the team of Babe & Snooks, went extremely well and put enough money in my 'travel kitty' to spend a few more days on-the-road.  My storage locker is stuffed with too much stuff that I felt I just couldn't sell, but will give me some things to come home to when and if I return.

Seeing  my apartment totally empty was weird.  It again looks just as it did when I moved in 2 1/2 years ago.  It was also really weird to realize at that moment I was homeless - literally - for the next 10 days.  But that's when it's wonderful to have friends.  My good friend Ana, who runs a big non-profit out in LaSalle and lives on a much bigger farm in Morris, also has a fabulous condo in the West Loop as her 'city home.'  She very graciously offered me it's use until I fly away, and I very graciously said YES!!! 

I am having so much fun wandering around exploring this part of downtown.  It's the area where Oprah built Harpo- her TV studios.  This area was originallly the  meat packing district, but with Oprah  came restaurants, shops and the developement of deserted warehouses into luxurious condos.  Now Goggle has taken up residence in one of the old buildings and the CTA has even built a Orange Line stop just to service this growing part of town.  

I spent my last Sunday (yesterday) with one of my favorite Meet-Up groups, The Windy City Walkers.  They wander through a different area of the city and nearby burbs each weekend with a knowledgeable guide sharing the history of the area.  This Sunday was the infamous Gold Coast - the Near North area of Chicago that was home (and still is) of the city's most wealthy citizens.  The weather was perfect, the lake a beautiful sky-blue and the stately old masions still stand proud.  

For the rest of my time in Chicago I am being treated by friends to lunch and dinner every single day and night until I depart.  I will literally waddle my way to O'Hare on Friday afternoon to catch my flight to Athens.  

So this is my official farewell to Chicago.  The next time I write to you will be from Greece!!!  I have made quite a few contacts there already who are helping me with my 'what-to-see-and-do' itinerary.  I'm staying the first 3 nights in a hostel which has a roof-top bar that overlooks the Acropolis!   Wonder what the kids this think of this gray-haired traveler in the midst?  I can't wait to find out.

Until next time......here's one last look at the skyline of what I think is the best and most beautiful city in these United States!

ALL GREAT ADVENTURES FIRST START WITH A MESS!

As my May 1st fly-way date fast approaches, so does the time I have left to de-clutter, decide what I want to have the movers put in storage on April 11th and what will be sold at my 'estate sale' on April 18th.

I'm looking at this as a great opportunity to purge myself of stuff and things that I really don't need to fill my life or my next home.  Everything from clothes that don't fit; to pieces of pottery that I wonder why I bought; or that really weird painting that I never really liked but still hung on my wall, it's time to sell, donate or dump!

As you can see by the photos, right now I am living in a total mess.
                             

 
Thank God for good friends-with-cars!  Yesterday morning Sandy took me, my boy's antique highchair and my set of red & green holiday china to FedEx to be shipped to their new home in southern CA.  In the afternoon, Mary Libby provided transportation to Lowes and Home Depot where I purchased a large supply of bubble wrap, tape, and tall wardrobe boxes.  I was so lucky to have a friend who just relocated and offered me as many of her moving boxes, of all sizes, that I wanted.

As to the 'stuff' - I have pretty much separated what goes and what stays.  Going through my basement storage unit was a hoot.  There were bags and boxes of things I hadn't seen or even remembered I owned since they were stored there when I moved to Chicago 2 1/2 years ago!  

Of course, I'm always amazed that my collection, or fabric stash is always so much larger than what I think it is.  I took the time to go through every single piece, 'rolling' instead of folding the most-loved pieces back into their storage boxes.  I actually winnowed 3 full sacks to give to my favorite charity, Envision, but I still have 8 boxes of fabric and at least 2 more of patterns and notions.

The good news is that my apartment has been rented!  The very first couple that walked through (when it still looked lovely and neat) took it on the spot.  Not that renting it was my responsibility as my lease is up April 30th, but it was nice to hear from the landlord that they fell in love with it because of how I had it decorated.  I made sure they told the new renters know that many of the 'lovely things' they like would be for sale on the 18th!

So today - more packing.  A quick trip to Andersonville to get my glasses adjusted and look for a good pair of sneakers.  Europe is known for it's cobblestoned streets and though I love my super lightweight Sketchers, I learned while walking the lumpy, bumpy streets of Ajijic, MX that they weren't sturdy enough support my ankles, plus I could feel every lump & rough stone through the soles.  So something a little more like a hiking or trekking shoe instead of a city sneaker is on my list to find today.  

Next week I'm off to SoCal to be grandma to the most perfect/beautiful granddaughter in the whole, wide world while her mommy and daddy travel for their jobs.  A little southern California sun and surf, giggles, trips to the park and bedtime stories will be a nice break from 'the mess' that is my life right now.

Until next time......

I DID IT!!

I purchased the first leg, the ignagural flight, the scariest part of the RTW trip on Friday!  It's now a REAL thing - money spent, non-refundable ticket - ARGH!

I had originally hoped that fly from Chicago to Iceland to Athens, but being flexible is one of the mainstays of this trip and when the cost of air tickets started to rise for Spring travel and I found it was cheaper to fly direct and enjoying a layover in Iceland, I chose cheap.

So first stop - ATHENS, GREECE

Second Stop -  ROME, ITALY

Third Stop - BARCELONA, SPAIN

Fourth Stop - MADRID, SPAIN

This will take me from May 1st to May 30th.  I will fill in all the blanks of what I did, where I went, who I met, what I ate, and lots of photos as the days progress. But just wanted to let you know - I DID IT!  

Until next time.....

MEDICAL/DENTRAL TOURISM

Hola!

I just returned from 10 days in beautiful Ajijic, Mexico.  The sun was shinning, the temps were in the mid-70's and the streets were filled with Canadians and Americans enjoying the weather and getting medical and dental procedures done.

                                            Ajijic Centro

This little village, located along the shores of Lake Chapala in the state of Jalisco is where I called home from 2004-2006.  Of course it has changed in the past 9 years - the 'gringo population' has exploded - there are many more houses, stores, restaurants, traffic and even a WalMart.

If you were to Google 'the most perfect weather year-round' you would get a town in South Africa and Ajijic, MX.  At 5000 ft, surrounded by mountains and situated on the largest inland lake in Mexico, Ajijic's average temperature is 72º. The sun shines almost daily, even during the rainy season.  The houses have no furnaces, and only a few have fireplaces, as it never really gets cold enough to need heat in the evenings.  You can live in a beautiful home, eat out almost every meal, enjoy the services of a gardener and a maid and still have money left over from one average monthly Social Security check.  Full-coverage auto and medical insurance are a tiny-fraction of what we pay in the States.  Which brings me to the reason of my return visit.

Beautiful succulent wreath on a blue wall

I will preface my visit to my dentist here in Chicago by saying "I just love to chew on those little unpopped kernels of popcorn that are always at the bottom of the bowl."  Therefore I should not have been surprised when I managed to chip a crown doing just that.  My dentist here said that the crown would need to be replaced and she thought I had a least one other that also needed to be repaired. When she quoted me the price of $995 per crown, I spouted a few expletives and said I would need to think about before making an appointment.

I came home and called a couple of other dentists in the area that friends recommended and got quotes of $1200 to $1400 per crown.  That's when I decided to call my dear friends, Ernie and Rich, who still reside in Ajijic, to see if their dentist was still practicing and what she would me a quote for crowns.

 The next day I had a lovely email from Dr. Rosio saying that she would love to see me.  Her price for one crown was  $3800 Mexican Pesos - or $260 USD.  I said I would get back to her and set an appointment time as  soon as I could make my flight reservations!

I flew Volaris, the new 'base price' Mexican airline flying from the US to many Mexican destinations.  Big planes, very comfortable leather seats, much better than our 'base price Spirit Air.'   I got a round trip flight from Chicago for $350.



My friends Rich and Ernie graciously allowed me to stay in their beautiful casita for the price of one big dinner and drinks at their favorite restaurant.

Here is a photo I took overlooking their beautiful home and courtyard and the 3 of us enjoying a great seafood dinner in Chapala!      

                                                                 

I used Uber to O'Hare for $14.95 (They had a great promo going!)  I had Samuel, (who I learned had lived only 3 blocks of my apartment in Chicago when he was living in the States) as my taxi driver to and from the airport. ($34 each way).  For the 10 days I was there I spent $153.06 on meals (including the 'boys night out') and a couple of small gifts.   For 3 new crowns ($777.65), a cleaning ($20.45) and night guard ($122.78), delicious food and drink (and lots of good tequila!) and visiting with dear friends, I paid in total a little bit more than what one dentist in Chicago wanted for ONE CROWN!  If you've been adding, you will see that my 10 days in Mexico, including dental treatment cost me approximately $1449.02.

You are saying I paid so little because I got to stay for free. That may be true, but I can assure you that you can find lovely rooms in several charming B&B's in Ajijic and Chapala for between $30-$40 a night.  You can also stay at Casa Flores, one of the most upscale and luxurious hotels in Mexico and pay a whole heck of a lot more and easily find any accommodation in-between.

The doctors in Mexico are highly skilled and trained -  many in the US;  they speak fluent English; their office equipment and labs are to the standards, and in some cases even higher, than those you will find in the States.

What I found most appealing, besides the hundreds, and in some cases thousands of dollars you save, is the time, care and 'bedside manner' in which these doctors excel.  Dr. Rosio stated that she would not allow me to leave her chair until she was completely satisfied that everything was perfect and I was completely happy.

               
                       Sunrise over Lake Chapala

 
       Palm with hanging orchids

I will admit that things move a little slower south-of-the-border than they do here.  I met with Dr. Rosio on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.  She gave me the news that I actually needed 3 new crowns and took the first impressions.

I returned at 7:30 a.m. on Monday when she removed my old crowns and put on the temporaries.  From Tuesday through Thursday I relaxed and visited with friends and wandered around the village.  On Friday at 11:00 she replaced 2 of the crowns and then announced after trying, that she was very unhappy with the 3rd crown and planned to drive to the lab in Guadalajara herself to make sure they made another one exactly as she wanted!  I returned on Saturday at 2:30 and had the 3rd crown installed,  my teeth cleaned and my night guard fitted. I flew home on Sunday morning - back to snow and ice and 30º - yuck!

So is this something you should consider?  YES!  Especially if you live on a budget like I do and still want the best medical or dental care you can get.  While there I heard the story of the Department Chair of the University of Minnesota Hospital who had to undergo unplanned surgery in Mexico.  He had previously had a heart attack but now he needed emergency bowel surgery.  He was so impressed with the fact that the hospital in Guadalajara took him into surgery on a gurney, but when he arrived at the surgical theater, he was moved to a conveyor belt and the 'contaminated' gurney stayed outside.  His whole body was then  air-cleaned and all outside germs were removed before he placed on the surgical bed. They also had a heart surgeon on stand bye 'just-in-case.' The surgery was a success and he stated loudly, for anyone who was interested in listening, that not even in his own hospital would he have received the care, let alone have access to the the technology that was in place for a 'super clean' surgical theater.'  A pretty good recommendation, I would say.

Options - I love options.  And this is just another one I offer up for your consideration the next time you are thinking of paying all that money to your dentist! And Mexico isn't the only country offering great medical care - it's just the closest.  I can highly recommend having babies in Belgium and being treated for Dengue Fever on St. Kitts!

Until next time.....

  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2015 is going to be a monumental year for many of us.  For me, it means packing up or selling off everything I own, putting what I'm keeping in storage, purchasing the first flight for my RTW trip, packing my bag and stepping off into the unknown.

I was recently asked 'At your age, why can't you be like a normal person?'  I was informed that 'normal people' stay put, live in the same home year after year, have a close circle of friends, enjoy local activities, cook, clean, babysit their grandchildren, read books and grow old, happy comfortably.... and quietly.  And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that life.  If my husband were still alive, my life would be much more 'normal.'  But life didn't give me that option.   Because he is no longer part of my life, after 30 years of 'normal' I got to make the choice of what kind of life I wanted to live.

I made the decision to 'not be normal.'  I had been so lucky.  Between my business and my husband's work, I got to live and travel to many places around the world, which only whetted my appetite to see more, do more, and enjoy life to the fullest.

I admit  it - I get bored easily.  Maybe that's why in the past 14 years I have lived in Penland, NC, Ajijic, MX, Wilmington, NC, St. Kitts, Eastern Caribbean, a 30' Winnebago and Chicago, IL.  And I wouldn't have traded a single day (even though there were some really rough days) for the experiences I had, the people I met and the sites I've seen.

I love living in Chicago!  I love all the wonderful things living in a big city offers - from great public transportation to outstanding theater and music, to festivals and concerts, a beautiful lakefront, an overwhelming selection of wonderful restaurants, unparalleled shopping and a diversity of cultures and interesting people.  I have a great circle of friends here now.  I belong to several really wonderful organizations.  I have access to 2 major airports that can put me on the doorsteps of my children within a few hours.  So why, you ask, are you leaving?

Because there are so many places I still have to see! Places that are different and foreign and unique.  I want to learn from the people who live there, hopefully, understand a little better their way of life and share mine with them.

So things are getting really down-to-the-wire and I'm beginning to lay out my specific itinerary. Did you know that an American is only allowed to spend a total of 3 months traveling in Europe? That really is putting a damper on where and how long I had planned to stay in certain countries and making me reconsider my departure date due to a couple of 'locked-in' dates I have already set in Spain and Denmark.

And then I found the elephant refuge....but that will have to wait until my next posting.

Until then.....

Sharing my 'Adventurous Life'

Last night I had the great pleasure and honor of speaking for the Modern Professionals group of International Women Associates.  The title of my speech was 'My Adventurous Life - From Broadway to the Boardroom to Backpacking Around-the-World.'

It was so fun to share my adventures with a really great group of women, and to encourage them to 'think outside the box' and not limit themselves to 'an ordinary life' when there is a whole world out there waiting to be explored.

                      

I shared several of my favorite travel quotes and brought along my big wall map of the world with all the places I plan to visit 'starred.'  I also brought my fabulous little Briggs & Riley 19" carry-on suitcase and packing cubes from eBags.com for Show & Tell.

The Q&A that followed was a great way for me to answer questions and also to learn more about these wonderful women, all who have either lived in or are from countries other than the United States.  I even got some great pointers, like why I really must visit Albania, to a contact for selling off all my 'stuff' before I leave!  

Afterwards, a small group went to the bar at Morton's Steakhouse for a late evening snack.  HINT - the Morton's Bar Menu has the most fabulous line-up of 'bites' for the most fabulous prices in all of Chicago!  Steak Sliders for $7 and a REALLY good Dirty Martini for $8.  It was a perfect way to end the day.

Thanks to all to attended and are now following this blog. (I hope!)

Until next time.....