I have to blame my friend Sharon.
Really. That was the start. It’s all her fault. It began in 2012 when she mentioned that she and two other mutual friends were going to rent a flat in Paris the next year. She’d gone on several Rick Steves tours, and was really enjoying Europe.
As for me, I was looking at 50 on the horizon, and was finally thinking about doing something besides horses and horse shows. The time was right, and I commented that ‘Maybe I’d go with you.’ And that was all it took. One year later, in October of 2013, Sharon and I (minus our other two friends who ended up not coming), headed off for 10 days in Paris, and 3 in London. Little did I know.
I hate flying. I’m a picky eater. I’m not fond of crowds. I was a literature major, and was well versed in English Literature and British History. I wasn’t even a fan of the French. I was all ready to fall in love with England. There are any number of reasons why this was a really bad idea. But there we were. In Paris.
I loved it. I can’t even begin to describe how that trip opened my eyes and changed my life. I’ve always loved architecture, and the major European cities are stuffed with amazing examples! I was completely hooked.
The blog came about organically. (I love that word. It describes so well ‘beginnings’.). My mom had never travelled overseas, but my Dad and brother both have. I wanted her to experience what I was experiencing. The emails began as short notes daily. Then as I was so entranced with what was around me, they began to get longer. More people asked to be copied on them. And here we are.
I’m getting ready to sally forth on the beginning of three trips in eleven months, and my email list is up to over 60. It was time to make this a real blog. The entries have gotten longer, and with more pictures, so, I’m entering the blogging world.
I’m going to try to put the old blogs up here before I head out on the first of the 2018 trips. I’ve got lots to catch up on in the 3 weeks before I leave, but I’ll give it my best shot! Exploring the world has been amazing, entertaining, funny, difficult, and broadening. Come see what I see, and experience the world as I am for the first time!
Suzanne’s Travels 