Saturday, April 29, 2017

That was quick!



A year ago today I said my final goodbyes to some really great colleagues and friends and walked out of Texas Health Huguley Hospital as VP for the final time.  Appropriately enough Beth was waiting to pick me up at the same door where she had picked me up for lunch so many times.  The obvious difference on this particular day was that it was a one way trip off campus.  The journey into the great unknown was beginning.  We weren't exactly sure what adventures lay ahead but we were ready to get started.
To say the year has flown by would be an understatement.  Whoever came up with the saying "time flies when you're having fun" really knew what they were talking about. It's really hard to believe that it has been a year already.  As the days have passed one thing that we have tried to do everyday is to be grateful for the opportunity.  We know it's a little non-traditional but it was something we dreamed of for many years and so far it has exceeded our expectations.
Over the past year we've been in states on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and many in between.  We've also spent time in Hawaii and Alaska.  Internationally we've been in around twenty different countries from Canada to New Zealand.  We've logged a bunch of miles in the air, on trains and in cars and spent 71 nights on cruise ships.  Of course I can't forget all the great times on Anna Maria Island as we've had the privilege of helping out with caring for NaNa.
We're frequently asked three questions. First, if we have a favorite place or adventure.  The honest answer is that every experience is unique and different and that it's impossible to compare them.  Our goal is a pretty simple one and that's to appreciate the day and experiences we shared.
The second question is what have we learned.  First and foremost we've learned that if you're going to embark on a journey like this you'd better love spending a lot of time with each other! Thankfully that's never been an issue so this was an easy transition for us.
Third question we are asked is how long do we plan on living this nomadic lifestyle?  We really don't have an answer for that one.  All we can say is that we're having a blast right now and are planning to keep going as long as our health is good and we're having fun.  Who knows how long that will be but we don't see the end in the near future!


Below are a few highlights from the past year: