Come On In – The Water Is Fine!

We are on the last day of the first week of our back to back cruise on the Celebrity Edge. Below are some of our observations and personal opinions on our sailing so far on the Celebrity Edge since the cruise restart. COVID Rocked the Cruise Industry The cruise industry including Celebrity was hit hard…

Cruising the Caribbean

At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, the last couple of years have been surreal. To go through a global pandemic together with the rest of the world, yet alone with one’s COVID cohort has been life changing, life affirming, and given us an ability to grow in ways we never expected. It’s also…

When Houston Freezes

I have lived in Houston, Texas most of my life. I am a third generation Houstonian, sixth generation Texan. I am old enough to remember most of the big weather events since the 1970s. Usually these weather events involve a named hurricane or tropical storm coming through with a lot of wind, rain and hail….

#JusticeForFloyd

Last night while I was away obliviously celebrating my birthday, protests in Houston and across the country standing up #JusticeForFloyd which started peacefully turned violent. While I do not want to encourage more violence if we don’t all take a moment to hear this outrage we are once again letting people of color down. As…

Snow Day – Houston Style

The year I turned 10 it snowed 3 times. For a lifelong Houstonian that was a big deal – and it still remains a weather record. The mayor at the time jokingly stated Houston would be bidding on the winter Olympics! Growing up I remember well how my brother and I always hoped it would…

It’s Never Good Bye

Since Hong Kong is considered international travel leaving Beijing means leaving Ivy. Tonight, to celebrate a fabulous trip we had a farewell dinner with our Tour Manager, Ivy or her Chinese name, Sha Sha. What a special person she is, and what a special tour has been. Russell and I have always talked about coming…

Pros and Cons of Group Travel

Yesterday we travelled with our tour group to Suzhou, a city outside Shanghai. With traffic, of which there is a lot, it took about 2 hours via our bus to get there and a little longer to get home. I thought recounting this experience would be a good way to share the pros and cons…

We Made It to China

After almost a year of planning, 23 hours of travel with a transfer and 4 hour layover in Taipei we made it to Shanghai yesterday afternoon. I am a spoiled American who is used to having another English speaker easily accessible in the places we travel, but here in China that has already proven to…

AND THE YEARS FLY BY…

  BIRTHDAY PARTY Last night we celebrated Russell’s 60th birthday with our children. It’s crazy to imagine Russell is turning sixty. I still remember that young, eager, somewhat rough around the edges 25 year old law student with whom I fell in love. I was very young too – just a rising sophomore in college,…