Morsel’s of 2021

It is December 14th, and as this year comes to an end, I find myself taking a moment to reflect on all that has transpired in 2021. Another year in the pandemic, having COVID and quickly recovering, planning the renovation of our home, a few morsels of sabbatical travel, and beginning the retirement process were all things that occupied my life. Now, I find I need to take a moment to reflect on all that I have to be grateful for and all that I hold dear.

 

Our family has maintained our health, and we all have been relatively unscathed by the effects of the pandemic. But, I know that is not the case for everyone. I am striving to find the balance of adjusting to the restrictions and mandates and, simultaneously, maintaining our autonomy in the way we have always lived our lives.

While I take a moment to reminisce on our travels, and I see that it has not been the type of travel I have yearned to experience once again. It has been a beautiful year, nonetheless. I am laboring to be content with the things I can not change and adjust my expectations in this new reality of restricted travel. In addition, I think this is preparing me for the upcoming season in my life. We are aging, and perhaps I will need to adjust my expectations for this as well.

We had decided to take shorter and hopefully more frequent trips during 2021. Our first travels would take us to the Virgin Islands (VI). We had visited the area in 2019 as part of our British Virgin Island (BVI) catamaran cruise. Unfortunately, because of COVID restrictions, we could not enter the BVI, so we decided to make St. John’s in the Virgin Islands our home base and visit St. Thomas or any other island should we feel so inclined. We had no regrets about this decision.

We headed out around our anniversary in May. The weather was stellar, and we went with our friends the Martina’s. We settled into our beachfront condo and quickly embraced the island life. As we sat for a moment and caught our breath, I realized I needed these moments to breathe, both the inhale and the exhale. Travel has the unique ability to remind me of the value of balance in my life. Breathing is the way I begin to obtain this balance.

Once we settled in, we decided to take a beach tour. Each day we would pack up our belongings; a chair, a hat, sunscreen, bathing suit cover, and some cocktails and drive the Island searching for the perfect beach. We found them every day! To officially say we had visited, we would have to put our feet into the water and enjoy a margarita. This was not hard to do at all! Honestly, it was the perfect way to experience the beauty and culture of this Island. We would stop at both the well-known beaches and the ones the locals frequented to avoid the crowds. We never grew tired of all that we experienced each day. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Space-A travel was still unavailable as our fall sabbatical began. So instead, we opted for a series of short trips. I took a short walk-about along the California coast with Desiree, Vince, and Haley in September. It was our version of a mini Camino, and it was perfect. We walked nearly sixty miles and savored each other’s company in a way that only happens when you share the trail for hours on end. We started in Capitola and finished in Monterey. We meandered the coastline and small towns and found such delight along the way.

Next, Tom and I took a car trip. We headed northward to Oregon to visit his brother Bob and his wife, Carol. His sister Judy and her husband joined us along the way, and this trip became exceptional when I realized the Stoeckel siblings might not have time together like this again. It was a good thing to do, and I am glad that I was a part of it.

 

We continued northward and stopped at the Lewis and Clark state forest, which is in part located on the Lewis/McChord AFB. We have stayed here before and found that we needed some time in a rustic log cabin to be by ourselves and to begin to savor the gift of our sabbatical. Our sacred time together. Quickly we got into the groove of our daily routine of resting well, hiking daily, and connecting. I loved the feeling of familiarity these days brought and began to look forward to what was next. While we had hoped to get into Canada and drive the Trans-Canadian Highway to Banff, we were content to spend some time in the Olympic National Forest instead. But first, an impromptu visit to Seattle to see Crystal and April. We met at a German pub, and for an instant, I thought we were in Germany during Oktoberfest, living the dream we had relinquished a few years ago. It was fun, and I loved it!

 

Next, we headed through Bainbridge Island and Gig Harbor before stopping in Bangor, Washington. We were able to stay in Naval Base Kitsap, where we had the loveliest apartment and got to experience fall in the Pacific Northwest at its finest. This location allowed us to visit the Olympic National Forest within a short drive, and we found we enjoyed hiking this area as often as we could. This area has the best of all worlds-the sea, the mountains, lovely weather, and good seafood. We loved it and found ourselves daydreaming about a place and life like this.

The next portion of our travels found us heading back to California along highway 49 to Downieville. We stayed at River Rock Cottage, the home of our dear friends, the Martina’s. Here we hunkered in for a few days, only stepping outside our fire-warmed home to walk along the river or visit the local pub. We connected with the residents of this tiny hamlet and once again felt at home in this tranquil place.

 

We headed home in time to celebrate Tom’s eightieth birthday with our family. While we had planned a cruise to South America going through the Panama Canal, this was a better way to celebrate as our entire family was here to join in the festivities. Tom felt honored by this attention, and I was happy to do this for him.

About a week after this celebration, we finished our sabbatical with a trip to Puerto Vallarta. We went with our friends the Martina’s and the Epps, and it felt good to feel festive again.

Here we stayed in a beautiful villa in the exclusive Conchas Chinas neighborhood, where we had both a driver and a chef to take care of us. To say it was luxurious would have been an understatement. We have begun to up our game when we are a group staying together and find that these villas, when shared with our friends, are extravagant and less expensive than a hotel room when shared three ways.

 

The best part of these travels for me is a reminder that when alive…LIVE. There are things we can not change in life, but we can choose how we live. Richly. Lovingly. Freely. Kindly. Intentionally. And, with those, we love doing what we love.