In 2023 I traveled 52,219 miles!! My travel began in NYC on January 1st and ended in NYC on October 23rd with adventures on 5 continents.   It was a life changing year in so many ways!!!

I witnessed sunrises and sunsets on five continents including the first sunrise of the day in the US at Arcadia. Sunrises are spiritual for me especially when we were coming into port in a new county and I knew the day would be filled with adventure.

I shared adventures with amazing people who became friends.  My interactions with locals who shared their lives with me helped me to understand that all of us want the same things…to feel safe and provide for our loved ones.

Unique animal encounters brought me joy beyond belief….who gets to walk a lion or give an elephant a mud facial..me!!! I loved the fairy penguins and my heart broke for the old lion who was injured fighting his son for power.  The silly ostrich that came up to the jeep and wanted his picture taken still cracks me up!  To experience white rhino’s in the wild was a true bucket list moment.  Riding a camel in the desert was an incredible joyful experience.   I am always happiest when I am interacting with animals except snakes!!!!

New skills were developed including bridge, fencing,  blogging. and I even got better about including myself in pictures (thanks Stephanie for pushing me to do that).  Driving a lobster boat, a shuttle at the valley of the kings, safari jeep in South Africa and  a 4X4’s in the sand dunes of Namibia provided me new options for future careers….lol!

I snorkeled on the barrier reef and dove for black pearls in Tahiti.

The time I spent at the prison where Nelson Mandela was held made me wondered how he could not hold resentment for how he was treated.  Interacting with local people I learned about other religions and  cultures  and wondered why we can’t celebrate diversity instead of being threatened by it.

So many of my bucket list dreams were filled but so many more were added as I chatted with fellow travelers who shared their amazing adventures.

The goal I committed to  in third grade to visit all 50 states and all 7 continents was completed this year and I was blessed to have a great traveling companion for the final 3 states.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!!  The pictures were selected based on what made me smile as I relived the moment.

I want to thank each of you who followed my blog this year especially those who commented!

Can’t wait to share my adventures in 2024!!  I leave for New Zealand on January first!

This was the best year ever……so far!

 

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