That was many years ago, perhaps 10 or so, when I was in both Odessa and Kiev, and even further back since I was in Russia and seeing what is happening is heartbreaking. The people of Russia, and I have friends and colleagues there in the travel industry, are being impacted also. The sanctions, meant to stop Putin and his the war machine and all the rich oligarchs also impact the average city of the country, and perhaps even more so. I know how fragile the industry of which I am a part, can be impacted by decisions and events out of my control.
This was not to be a political blog and 75 years since the end of WWII, war was not to happen again on the European continent, but it has, but it is not the first time as it also happened when war broke out in the Balkans after the break up of Yugoslavia including the genocide. Let’s not forget that either. The problem is that we humans tend to forget about our past and make the same mistakes and while Ukraine is not part of NATO, we can’t appease Putin like Chamberlain appeased Hitler and the people of that country and the country itself has a right to it’s sovereignty. The world needs to help, even if the treaty does not exist. I know help is coming in many different forms. I would much rather be talking about my love for Rosa and of course I will do that here, whenever I can and people willing to listen, but what is happening will, in a still very unsettled environment, impact everyone be it more inflation, fear of traveling, the pandemic, whether founded or not as we are globally connected and not isolated from the world. And, Covid still exists, even if it is waning, or seems to be and is not the headline it has been. It will be a part of our lives and keeping up with all of these events is necessary. I had resisted until yesterday to turn on news broadcasts and instead, touched base with colleagues in Europe in bordering countries like Romania to get the real scoop as neighboring countries are opening their borders to the refugees from Ukraine and to colleagues in Russia. Lastly, but most importantly and it has been only a week since Rosa and I parted ways, and the plan is to be in Rome with her this summer, I miss being with her in person. The three weeks traveling the country with her, were the best three weeks of my life and getting back into the routine has been harder than I thought. I start an 11 week program in March, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, so don’t be surprised if I am contacting you from across the pond at some time sooner than that as not being with her in person until July is going to be hard. As always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you read this. Thank you for your support of this small business and it is truly appreciated.
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The third week has come to an end and another chapter in my life with Rosa has finished, but definitely has not ended. While she and I will once again be apart from each other di persona, we are definitely together and our love for each other has become even stronger. These three weeks traveling together has proven to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that I want to be with her and an open proposal is there.
Our week in the bay area has been amazing exploring San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Napa and Sonoma Valleys. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge many times and experienced Ghirardelli, Fisherman’s Wharf, ate Dim Sum outside of Chinatown and went to the Walt Disney Museum. We spent time with Kenn and Nora, mostly Kenn, doing oysters, menudo and an In and Out Burger. We enjoyed time at the Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. Yes, we are both Peanuts fans and even had a Rocky & Adrian moment on the ice rink there. Charles M Schulz was from Minnesota, but I am sure you knew that. We also enjoyed pie at the Pie Shop in Petaluma and many other experiences. In the end, we had an amazing week where we cooked together, enjoyed being with each other and on the 19th, we went to the Top of the Mark at the Intercontinental with an amazing view of the city and a beautiful sunset. And, I read a love note to her in Italian which I had written some 16 months before and the only piece I had written to her which I had never shared, because, it was not just a love note, but a proposal. And while she, at first, was not sure and as she is Italian and her different ways, she said being married was not something she was sure about and why it has to be that way. I said, it was a commitment to each other. The next morning, she asked if it could be an open proposal and I said, it was. Am a little disappointed that she did not say yes, of course, and in a way, I knew, but the courtship continues. I asked her many times her ring size. Of course, I tried to find out without success and then yesterday, she stepped into a Macy’s on her own, for a while, and came out a while later and said her finger was a size 7 or 8, so now I know and when we are together again, and I plan to be in Europe this summer to be her, I will ask her again, because I want to do it in person. We parted here at the airport and I stayed with her at the international terminal as long as I could and then had to get to my flight. I know we will be together in person again and day when I no longer have to pack my bags to be with her will come about. Io volio essere con te di persona sempre!!! As always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you read this. Thank you for your support of this small business and it is truly appreciated.
Our second week together is in the books and given we were at the Library of Congress, that makes sense. We spent 3 days in Washington DC exploring the monuments, and the Smithsonian Museum of Art. We went to Arlington to see the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame at John F. Kennedy’s gravesite. We went to the Iwo Jima Memorial where years before I stood hours waiting for the people to clear so I could take a photograph, one I still have which I framed years ago. All the time, seeing everything through her eyes.
We rode the metro all over, walked many kilometers and while still a little chilly, the weather showed signs of spring. And yes, dined at the Hard Rock and had control of the iPad to play the tunes. After our time in Washington DC, we flew together for the first time, to Birmingham. Why Birmingham you ask? I have family there, my youngest brother, my sister in law, two dogs and my 6 nieces and nephews, so very overwhelming for her perhaps, but she fit right in and they loved her. Welcome to the family Rosa!!! While waiting for flights in DC and Atlanta, she was with me at the Delta Sky Clubs and said she do a holiday there. I enjoyed our time there as well, again seeing things from her eyes. While in Birmingham, we went to the Civil Rights Institute, the Vulcan Statue and Museum and ate classic southern cuisine including grits, bbq, and at a classic diner, she had a pancake the size of a hub cap. She also enjoyed my biscuits and gravy. We of course, spent time with Dan and the family and it was a blast, even dining out at a Japanese Steakhouse and Rosa loved the showmanship and the food was good too. We unfortunately, did not take a family picture, so we will have to return. We left yesterday for the last leg of our journey and are now in San Francisco. We flew via Houston, so was able to get to the Hard Rock at the airport. Not up to the standards I expect and a minimal menu, but I can check it off as flying through Houston is the only way to get there even though I drove through Houston last August. Ready for the California experience through her eyes!!! Stay tuned!!! As always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you read this. Thank you for your support of this small business and it is truly appreciated.
![]() Seeing the world through someone else’s eyes is a very powerful experience and, in my case, this past week has been no exception. She arrived Tuesday to America and as you all know by now, definitely one of the happiest days of my life. The cultural differences are definitely there and another chapter in our lives, learning more about each other, but most importantly, seeing this experience and this first week together from her eyes has been, at the very least eye opening. |
Wandering PuffinWeathering the Storm with the Wandering Puffin Archives
February 2025
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