A little more than a week into being back from a transformational experience in Europe which was the culmination of a 16-month journey, truly has changed me in many different ways. Of course, there has been my weight loss, my reunion with Rosa, getting back to a place where I longed to be, the European continent and opened up the possibilities. It also showed, as I shared my experiences over that past month, that the world was ready to get back to experiencing the world again. I have to say that I have been truly lucky to have had several avenues to keep me going during the past 16 months. I had worked for the census bureau, I have, and still do, work with kids and even had a paper route, yes a paper route to make ends meet and I have truly weathered the storm created by the pandemic, but more than that, I have found direction in my life that I never felt before. 
While I am back in Minnesota, I am not here for long and at least in the short term, I will be relocating. It is a good thing after having lived here for 30 years now, after returning from my time in New York City when I was an elementary school teacher. I have had so many experiences during this time that has lead me to where I am now and leading me into the next stage of my life. While sharing my experiences with everyone while over in Europe, my world came back to me. I mean my life blood, my spirit of who I am came back to me and sharing my experiences, clients have come out of the woodwork from this darkness of the pandemic. I knew there was a pent-up energy and it is coming back. This has re-energized my life and my profession. Not having it, except for a few bookings over the past 16 months, of which I am truly grateful, sent me on wild swings of emotion and I was very lucky to hang in there through all the trials and tribulations and here I am now, refreshed and ready to get back at it and with a freshness that everything is new, and in a way, it really is. I am now living life, not just existing. 
As I have said, I am back and excited to be so and as people have called, emailed and checked in, I know that the Wandering Puffin will and has spread his wings again. In fact, I am busy again arranging the most amazing adventures for my valued clients now and into the future and excited about what the future will bring, one of adventure over the next year that I will be excited to share, some direction, some no direction, wherever the wind blows, and yet, I will always be connected. I am getting ready now to move forward and at the end of this month, as I am getting myself ready, I am hitting the road first and then in the short term, as I have said, relocating and will share more when this happens. I do have a very exciting road trip planned first before settling in for the short term in a different part of the country. I hope you stick around to find out what will happen next. 
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!!!

​I just returned from an amazing adventure in Europe and two weeks ago I wrote about my time in Croatia and the wonderful immersion there. I did not write last week as I was immersed in another type of experience. A re-connection with a someone who I had met 16 months earlier. Just being with her confirmed the feelings I had when I first met her in February of 2020. It was truly a liberation for me, one I had missed as travel is such an integral part of my being which had been taken away because of Covid. I knew in my heart that I would see her again, and never wavered even in the darkest times in recent history, to return to her, fulfilling a dream, once so distant, a promise to myself and to her. My time in Rome was truly transformational and spending time with Rosa, a life changing event, exploring the city in ways I had not done before and seeing many things through her eyes. 
We also went to Tivoli Naples, Nettuno and Anzio among other places in my 10 days in Italy. The beaches at Anzio were where in 1943, the Allies landed to liberate Italy from the shackles of Mussolini and Hitler, opening up a second front as preparation for the invasion of Normandy a year later. I walked amongst the Crosses and Stars of David in the American Cemetery in Nettuno and the Commonwealth Cemetery in Anzio, reflecting on the sacrifice of these men and women who lives were given in the cause of freedom, thousands, of all ages, ranks and many places around the world. I remember doing this last year when I was in Sicily and I was once again awed by the sacrifice.