1/30/20: Completed 2019 Journal

For the past two months I’ve been updating my last-year’s journal with notes and pictures I recorded on my month-long Bhutan/India excursion. I’m amazed it took so much effort, almost twice as long as it took to live it. Now it’s done. My 2019 journal is closed. When I breeze through the 700+ pages I can hardly appreciate what a jampacked year it was for Herman and I. It’s no wonder I’m feeling exhausted most of the time. Yet, I’m very grateful and proud that at the age of sixty-seven, we are able to keep such an active schedule. For two retired folks, we seem to be on the run most of the time. When we are home in Palm Springs—resting from our last adventure—we are planning our next undertaking. Case in point: we’ve been home two months—with Dec. being our busiest month due to holiday obligations—we already have the blueprint of our next trip on paper. It will take us to four European countries—Spain, France, Ireland, Portugal, and back to Spain—and cover a two-month timeframe starting in early May. That gives us three months to nail down the details, make reservations, and prepare for another expedition. As tired as I’m feeling, my mouth is watering over this next trip. 

 I’m a bit disappointed that we are not walking a Camino this year. Herman and I both love long distance treks. But Herman’s knees are giving him pain and we are not prepared to do another Camino until we get his body checked out. I think we are both afraid his knees will put an end to our cross-country trekking. Time will tell.

So now that my 2019 journal is complete I have time on my hands to start another writing project. But I don’t feel motivated to get involved with another fiction story just yet. I’m only interested in writing my daily 2020 journal entries. I have three stories in mind to write. I’m sure I will return to fiction writing soon, but for now I’m enjoying the break from storytelling. When the time comes to tackle my next story, I’ll know.