Over the course of my adult life, I have traveled and lived in the most amazing places. I still shake my head in disbelief and wonder how a quirky Filipina gal from North Carolina got to travel so far; a far distance from the small Southern town where she grew up in and often daydreamed of visiting exotic lands far, far away.... Thinking about my daydreams of yore have inspired me to pull out my memory scrapbook and place it within a blog. This year I turned the big 4-O which put me on a journey of reflection. I have decided that this would be the perfect forum to paste my adventures and allow me to simply re-enjoy. So, bare with me as I blow away the cobwebs and revisit my wandering past: In my late 20's I lived in Spain and drank Sangria, sunbasked on the whites sands of the Mediterranean, and club hopped tirelessly until 6 am. I traveled widely throughout Andalusia (Region of Southern Spain) and to bordering countries of Portugal, Gibraltar, and Morocco. In my early 30's I lived in Cuba where I chased iguanas, picked fresh mangos and cavorted in the Carribean. Nothing was more beautiful than kayaking in the early morn and watching the sunrise wake up the island, or watching it rise and set in the Bahamas and Puerto Rico; two islands I enjoyed that were tropical and tranquilly breezy in their own rights. My Carribean experience was a languid, idyllic time. Then, in my late 30's I lived in Italy in a large villa overlooking the Mediterranean with vineyards and olive groves growing bountifully on the premises. And the Italian food.... Mama Mia!... was so delicioso! Fresh pomodoro (tomotoes), basil, garlic and market catch-of-the-day seafood atop mounds and mounds of yummy pasta. I traveled throughout the "boot" to Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, the Almafi Coast, the Islands of Capri and Ischia, and of course Sicily.... but Italy was the appetizer while Germany, Austria, France, Greece, Albania were the entrees' and Holland, Scotland, Ireland, and England were the dolce (sweet desserts). It was such a rich traveling experience that left me with an expanded view of the world. In a couple months, I will leave America again and spend my 40's living in Cairo, Egypt.... but that story lies waiting to unfold, and a new blogger tale to be told.
