The reality of a paper-free lifestyle… Check out last year’s photo of Tom at the Cu Chi Tunnel in Vietnam…

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Our new Brother color scanner we purchased to replace the five-year-old Doxie model we used in the past.

When we first began traveling the world, we’d already been working toward becoming as paperless as possible in our old lives. As a result, no spot in our house had stacks of papers waiting to be handled.

In part, I suppose becoming paperless was due to my somewhat compulsive desire to avoid clutter in our surroundings. But, as it turned out, this bit of obsessiveness proved helpful when it became pertinent for us to avoid carrying papers in our luggage, adding to the weight.

Long ago, we’d chosen to receive everything we could online.  Once we decided to travel the world, we excited the process by ridding ourselves of all junk snail mail and spent weeks scanning photos, important documents, certificates, and anything else we may need along the way.

Subsequently, we don’t receive more than a dozen or so pieces of snail mail each year at our mailing service in Las Vegas and only receive packages for items we need to refill our supplies inventory.

As a result of this decision, we needed to carry a portable scanner with us. In this process, we also decided not to print cruise documents, boarding passes, and other travel-related confirmations when we so easily can present them on our phones after we’ve extracted them from our travel sites and those arriving by email.

This bag is filled with receipts we need to scan in the next few days.

When we first began our travels, we’d purchased a portable printer.  But, within a few years, it quit working. We decided we could live without a printer if we became more diligent about keeping all necessary documents on our phones to display appropriately. In addition, carrying the difficult-to-handle rolled paper was weighty and inconvenient.

Since we keep copies of all potentially tax-deductible receipts, having a scanner proved to be a must. Some may use their phones or cameras to take photos of receipts, but we’ve found the image clearer and more manageable when we can slip it through a paper feeder in a scanner. For example, if the receipt is wrinkled, we slip it inside a clear plastic sheet and then feed it into the scanner.

When our most recent Doxie portable scanner died while we were n Minnesota, we ordered a  Brother DS-620 Mobile Color Page Scanner for $85.99 with free Prime shipping.  For some odd reason, Amazon notified us that it had been lost in the mail, gave us a refund, and ordered it again.  It arrived two days later.

When I looked up the scanner this morning for the above link, I discovered the price had gone up to $10 since we purchased it about 10 days ago. I suppose it pays to keep an eye on such items for a few days to check for price changes. In our case, we needed it right away.

For those less than savvy computer folks out there, setting up a scanner to work with a computer can be tricky. It took me about 20 minutes of monkeying around to install the software and get it working. When Tom tried to do the same on his laptop, I helped. It was very tricky.

Also, an important note for iPad, Apple, Kindle, and other product users; A USB plug-in on your device is a must to use such a device.  There may be some Bluetooth scanners out there, but we never have a shortage of USB outlets as PC users. 

Box of photos we’re scanning today.

Plus, the necessary software is on a CD. We hadn’t used a CD on our laptops in so long; I’d forgotten we had the drive. Sure, the necessary software could be downloaded online, but this also may be cumbersome for less adept users.

Once I downloaded the software and got the scanner working properly, I immediately followed the instructions to “register the product” for the one-year warranty. 

Much to my shock, Brother tried to “get me” to sign up for a monthly $3.95 fee to store my scanned items on their cloud or, if I preferred, they had a one-time $9.95 fee to download a storage file on my device. Of course, I didn’t fall prey to such “trickery” in trying to get me to “buy more” since we each have our own cloud storage. 

Also, all the files are automatically stored in the “Pictures” file and can be moved to the desktop on any named file if one prefers. We each did both… I made a file in the cloud and kept a local copy for easy access at any time.

Beginning today, since I visited Susan yesterday, and we’re staying in today until our Meet & Greet tonight at 5:00 pm at The Elephant Bar in The District in Green Valley Ranch, I’ll begin scanning the massive bag of receipts, documents, and photos we found in the bins we’d left in Richard’s garage. 

Once we’ve scanned everything, we can toss it all, and when we leave Henderson in 11 days, we’ll do so with nary a personal item of ours left behind in Richard’s garage.

The scanner weighs less than one pound, and although we didn’t bother to purchase the carrying case (more weight), we’ll wrap it in clothing for safe traveling.

A scanner isn’t for everyone, based on our above comments. But, should you be in a situation similar to ours or don’t like paper clutter in your home and surroundings, you may find it valuable and worth the few minutes required to figure it all out. Again, free tech service is readily available by phone for those needing assistance.

With lower temperatures today, with a high of only 104F (40C), we plan to spend some time outdoors and in the pool. With such high heat since we arrived two weeks ago today, it will feel good to be outside today.

Have a great day, and we’ll be back with you soon!

Photo from one year ago today, July 21, 2016:

It’s hard to believe that Tom managed to climb out of the tiny opening at Cu Chi Tunnel in Vietnam. I was scared he’d be stuck after all the carbs he ate on the two-week cruise. But, instead, everyone in our group cheered when he made it out! For more photos of our visit to the Cu Chi Tunnel, please click here.

An amazing find for low carb enthusiasts!!! …Heavenly addition to the menu…

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These homemade hamburger buns (recipe is shown below) are huge enough to hold a 6 to 8-ounce patty with cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion or other items added.  They’re delicious!

It’s been a long time since we’ve posted a new recipe. To keep the discussion on cooking and food to a minimum, I purposely avoided posting many recipes over the past few years when Tom suggested it may be tedious for those who don’t cook much or enjoy spending time in the kitchen.

As we’ve discovered over these past years of world travel, many don’t often cook or, in many cases, may reheat time-saving prepared foods they may purchase at markets or restaurants to bring home for the evening’s meal. There are viable options in this area in most cities.

In more remote areas, cooking becomes necessary with fewer options in the markets and less availability of already prepared meals, unless frozen. In some parts of the world, frozen meats and vegetables are a staple for those acquiring their foods from the small local markets.

It’s essential to place the buns far enough apart before baking to ensure they don’t stick together.  We used a huge pan lined with parchment paper.  But a few buns ended up sticking together, which we separated with a sharp knife after baking.

For example, when we lived in the remote area of Placencia in Belize, the three or four-aisle markets had no fresh meats and few vegetables other than potatoes, onions, and garlic. At that time, we had no choice other than to buy the frozen meats or eat in restaurants. 

In Belize, purchasing frozen chicken was no issue for us, but the beef and pork appeared to have “freezer burn,” and we avoided it entirely.  During that period, almost five years ago, we ate lots of canned tuna and home-roasted chicken parts. At times, we had no choice but to purchase canned vegetables.

As time passed along with the many countries in which we lived and cooked, we could easily find the ingredients we needed to make many of our favorite dishes. 

Before taking this photo, we’d separated the buns that stuck together with a sharp knife, as mentioned in another photo.

However, even in the most populated areas with more traditional large grocery stores, at times, we’ve had difficulty finding specialty items such as Italian sausage, seasonings, coconut flour, Himalayan salt, and others. 

Now that we’re in Nevada, cooking many of our favorites for us and Richard most nights, perhaps dining out a few times each week, there’s is nothing I can’t find either at Smith’s or Whole Foods in Henderson, a short distance from Richard’s home.

Yesterday, we planned to make organic turkey burgers and grass-fed meat burgers without buns, using lettuce to wrap the burgers with bacon, tomatoes, purple onion, guacamole, and low carb ketchup, easy to find here.

Since Richard also consumes a low carb diet, is very slim and fit, working out six days a week after work, our low carb meals have suited him just fine. Of course, although delicious, some of the more labor intense meals don’t appeal to him as a possible choice to cook on his own once we’re gone.

According to many proponents of this product, the Apple Cider Vinegar “With the Mother” I used in the recipe (the full unstrained texture of the cider) is a very healthful product and may be used for many health conditions.

To make the burgers more appealing, yesterday I searched the Internet for a new hamburger bun recipe. I’d yet to find the perfect homemade hamburger bun in the past six years of my low carb, grain, starch, and sugar-free diet.

Alas, my research paid off, and I found a recipe from this site from one of the most world-renowned low carb doctors, Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt MD, who has the largest low carb site in the world, which may be found here. I’ve followed his site for years and have seen many valuable suggestions and recipes that have helped us maintain a ketogenic diet explained here.

When I typed into a search box, “low carb hamburger buns,” many of the others I unsuccessfully tried in the past popped up.  But, when I discovered an entry at Dr. Eenfeldt’s site, it sounded as if it was worth a try. Thus, I give all the credit to his years of hard work to send the low carb message out to the world, working with some of the top low carb experts and recipe designers worldwide.

One of the ingredients listed here baffled me, and while at Smith’s, I was unable to find it. As a result, I headed to Whole Foods and found it with ease. Here’s a photo of the item:

This fiber-rich powder is vital to creating the proper density and structure of the buns. It may also be used for gastrointestinal regularity, should that be an issue. Eating the buns made with this product didn’t cause any gastro distress or response.

When I returned to Smiths this morning, when we all wanted a repeat of last night’s meal, I found the above-pictured item in the pharmacy section of Smith’s near the items listed for gastrointestinal health. 

I bought two bottles, one to leave for Richard to whom I’ve sent the recipe and one more to take with us. It may be impossible to find this item in most countries. 

The hamburgers buns are absolutely the best we’ve ever tried. It was amazing to have a burger in a sturdy enough bun to hold it all together!  Others we’d tried would fall apart when handling. 

Although some don’t mind eating a giant burger with a fork and knife, we prefer to eat it in our hands. These delicious buns made the burger easy to handle, and the only difficulty I had was the fact that I’d added a few dollops of guacamole that made the lid slide around when I took a bite.  Next time I’ll slice avocado, which should make it easier to handle.

How hard is this recipe to make?  It’s a one-bowl recipe, adding all the dry ingredients first, pouring in the wet items, and stirring very well by hand until well blended. It was easy to make the equal-sized round balls using moist hands, which I slightly flatted on the parchment paper I placed in a big tin foil pan. 

In all, the prep time was about 6 minutes, with the baking time at 350F (177C) around 65 minutes. The cooking time varies based on your oven. Make sure the dough is no longer moist to stop cooking the buns. It was easy.

Let the buns cool before slicing with a serrated edge knife and slice evenly. If there’s any moisture from under baking it in the center of the bun, pop the bun into a toaster for 30 seconds (not the microwave) or into a toaster oven with the inside face up. Ours were done perfectly, with no need for this additional step.

Here’s the recipe and our photos:

Low carb hamburger buns – 2 carb grams each bun
The recipe makes 8 buns
  • 2 1/2 cups (300 ml) almond flour (found in most markets and health food stores)
  • 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ground psyllium husk powder.  (maybe found at Whole Foods in vitamin/supplement area, in some markets, and at most health food stores)
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (see photo for what I used)
  • 2 ½  cups (300 ml) boiling water
  • 6  egg whiteegg whitesegg whites, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
Instructions are for 4 servings. Pleas
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).  Line a pan with parchment paper.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
  3. Bring the water to a boil and add the vinegar and egg whites to the bowl while whisking by hand with a fork for about 1 minute. Don’t overmix the dough; the consistency of the dough should resemble Play-Doh.
  4. Form with moist hands into 8 pieces of bread into a somewhat flattened ball but not too flat.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Make sure to leave enough room between the buns on the baking sheet for them to double in size.
  5. Bake on the lower rack of the oven for 75 minutes, The buns are done when you hear a hollow sound when tapping the bottom of the buns.  If the cooked dough on the edges is still uncooked, put it back into the oven for 5 more minutes. Let cool before slicing. It may be frozen in a sealed zipper bag. It will only take 10 minutes to defrost.

Have a fabulous day and dine well!

Photo from one year ago today, July 20, 2016:

Lighted front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh while we sailed on the Mekong River in Vietnam.  It was quite an experience. For more photos, please click here.

An accomplished day… Getting it all together… Stormy weather in the desert…

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The yellow Costco bag was filled with the remainder of the packages we handled yesterday, including the new portable scanner we ordered when our old unit broke in Minneapolis.

Lately, we’re reminded of those last two months we spent in the US going back and forth between Scottsdale, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, after we’d left Minnesota on October 31, 2012. But then, we had so much to do.

Now, as we wind down our last less than two weeks in the US, we find ourselves making phone calls, straightening out several pesky issues and concerns that were difficult to handle on Skype with an often poor signal. 

Yesterday, I spent 52 minutes on a phone call with a financial institution in correcting an excess of security/password access issues that we were never able to restore from afar. As much as we’d like to believe that “everything” can be conducted online, it’s not always the case. A phone call may provide a better solution.

Yesterday, we drove to Stephanie Street to take a few photos before the storms rolled in.  Sunset Station.

With our current SIM cards through US provider T-Mobile expiring shortly after we leave the US, the luxury of picking up the smartphone to make a call will be gone. In addition, as we purchase SIM cards in each country, they don’t include making international calls at reasonable rates. 

Calling internationally is often as high as $2 to $3 a minute, making no sense for any calls we may need to make. So instead, we use our Nevada Skype phone number ($5 a month), from which we can call anywhere in the world for approximately $1.20 per hour.

Making these Skype calls requires a decent Wi-Fi connection, uses considerable data, and may or may not have a clear connection. Unfortunately, at this time, until cellular service is international, this is what we have to work with. 

“Sunset Station opened on June 10, 1997. While Station Casinos had successful openings with Boulder Station and Texas Station in the mid-1990s, Sunset Station was considered a demonstration of the company’s ability to develop and market a locals casino that was upscale. Following the success of Sunset Station, Station Casinos continued to open locals casinos that were more upscale, such as Green Valley Ranch (2001) and Red Rock Resort (2006).”

Some have suggested we use a SAT (satellite) phone, but these phones are heavy, costly, and impractical for our use. However, once we install a SIM card in our unlocked phones upon arriving in any country, we have local and emergency cell service. 

As for phone data, we usually purchase an amount of data for those times we’re out and about and need “Map” services or other online access. Then, once we’re inside our vacation/holiday home, the whole house WiFi allows us to use data on our phones. Generally, this works OK.

As an avid listener to podcasts when unable to sleep, which seems to lull me back to sleep, having data on my phone becomes an important feature. We both read news and books on our phones while in bed. 

It wasn’t hectic in the parking lot, enabling us to take photos of the massive casino located on 98 acres in Henderson.

Yea, we know about all the warnings staring at any screens at bedtime may inhibit sleep, but we’ve both found doing so seems to aid us in getting to sleep. We don’t necessarily pay a lot of attention to what “they” say when so much “they’ve” said is proving to be inaccurate and misleading through more current and comprehensive research. So, no, I won’t get off of my soapbox on this topic.

Yesterday was a highly productive day. First, we went through all the mail we’d collected the previous day from the mailing service, which included several pieces of snail mail and no less than 20 boxes, mostly small items we’d purchased for the next few years of travel.

Included in the boxes were my Africa boots which I’ll be wearing again in seven months. To keep my total number of pairs of shoes down to five, I’m going to leave my tennis shoes in our oversized mailbox at the mailing service for future use. Once we were done in Africa in 2019, I’ll send the boots to the store until I need them again.

Inside this massive structure is “Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center, opened in April 2005. At the time of its opening, the 77,000-square-foot (7,200 m2) 72-lane bowling alley was the largest in Las Vegas and, at the cost of $26 million, was also the most expensive in the country. In 2007, the alley hosted the PBA Tour‘s Motel 6 Classic.”

Today, I was hoping to visit Susan if the weather improved. But, unfortunately, there’s what’s considered “monsoons” transpiring right now, including flash floods in areas of the freeway I’d be using to drive the long distance to her home. 

After speaking with Susan, we decided it made no sense for me to come today with the flash floods on the freeway and traffic slowing accidents. But, so far, I haven’t missed visiting her every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So instead, I’ll see her tomorrow.

Last night, we had a great dinner with Richard at an old favorite, Cheesecake Factory. None of us ordered desserts, but we enjoyed our meals; spaghetti and meatballs for Tom, Cobb Salad for me, and a chicken dish for Richard. The portions were huge, more than we needed, but it was hard to resist “cleaning our plates.” 

Since we chose not to gamble while traveling the world, fearful of losing money and impacting our strict budget, we don’t bother to go into casinos. Although sometimes, while here, we plan to tour a few of the new casinos of the strip if time allows.

After a long hiatus from bread and gluten, Tom ate his share of the complimentary bread along with the massive plate of pasta. Later, back at Richard’s home, he suffered from awful indigestion from the carb-laden gluten-rich meal. I guess that says it all. I didn’t comment. He knows what’s good and not so good for him.

Tonight, we’ll dine in making bun-less grass-fed beef burgers and turkey burgers (Richard doesn’t eat beef) with lots of vegetable sides and salad. We’ll be back tomorrow with more!

Again, thanks to our readers for hanging in there with us during this less-than-eventful period in the US. In 13 days, we’ll be returning to our world travels!

Photo from one year ago today, July 19, 2016:
There was no post one year ago today due to a continuing poor Wi-Fi signal aboard the Viking Mekong. 

A day centered around Ancestry.com…A trip to the mailing service….Whoa!

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Drive down a quiet street in Henderson.

Yesterday when Tom planned to visit my sister Susan with me, he knew it was essential to bring along his laptop. Over these past years of world travel, he’s pieced together many exciting facts about my family’s ancestry and, of course, including ongoing information on his own family.

As a long-time member of Ancestry.com, paying the annual fees of approximately $300 per year since March 2006, he’s considered a heavy user. However, during idle times, while living in various countries throughout the world, he’s continued to research records of his ancestors, my ancestors, and the ancestors of other family members, including in-laws and others who may not be directly related via bloodline.

Many records seem to have begun once the ancestor(s) immigrated to the US in the 19th and 20th centuries. Unfortunately, many countries, due to wars and strife, don’t have public records available online that an enthusiastic amateur genealogist would be able to add to their repertoire of facts. 

It’s hard to believe that pine trees can grow in the desert.

A few years ago, Tom and I both had our DNA profiles done via Ancestry.com, resulting in a few surprises for each of us. This added further to Tom’s interest in continuing his research for both of us. In addition, seeing one’s actual history via a DNA report further verifies that which one may have assumed about their heritage, including many new morsels of information that may be surprising.

In many cases, traveling to the country of origin may be the only recourse to extending the quality of the information going back many generations. Tom and I continue to discuss the prospect of spending time in Ireland furthering the search for his ancestors. But, unfortunately, my family history is more scattered and would present more incredible difficulty in finding information.

For myself, I have less interest in the topic. After all, it’s Tom’s hobby, not mine. Besides, once I’ve completed the post each day, I prefer not to spend much time on my computer to research future travel-related topics and others.

Scene along the highway on our way to the Centennial area of North Las Vegas.

As we’ve discovered in many conversations with people, we’ve met over the years, some have little interest in pursuing information about their ancestors, while others are fascinated and curious.

My sister Susan has been intrigued by the prospect of learning more about hers and my ancestry. As a result, Tom joined me yesterday in visiting her, bringing along his laptop and HDMI cord so she could watch the data on her TV monitor rather than on the small laptop monitor.

Susan couldn’t have been more thrilled to see what Tom had discovered over these past years about our family history. It was delightful to see her enthusiasm and interest in the data he’d collected, including copies of documents, photos, and permanent public records. 

Dust storm gathering in the desert.

When we headed out later in the day, in hopes of beating rush hour traffic, we drove directly to our mailing service located halfway between Susan’s home and Henderson. 

With two tasks to be accomplished at the mailing service; one, pick up all of our mail, including supplies we’d recently ordered and: two, mail the bins of Christmas memorabilia to son Greg, Camille, and three grandchildren in Minnesota, we were able to get out the door and back on the highway within 30 minutes.

The cost to ship the five large totes of decorations to Minnesota totaled $178, less than I’d expected. We collected about 20 packages, along with some long-standing paper mail of no significant signs that we’d left in our mail slot until our arrival this month.

New styles of homes, condos, and apartments have cropped up in the Las Vegas area.

After we left the mailing service, we ran into inclement weather while on Highway 215 heading toward Henderson. Winds above 60 MPH, with wafting sand and debris, covered the freeway. For a short period, it rained in buckets, resulting in flash flooding in certain areas, which we later watched on the evening news. 

Today, we’re working on unpacking our mail, taking care of more business-related and financial tasks, and continue to gear up, once again, for leaving the USA for an extended period.

Last night, we cooked dinner on the grill for the second evening in a row, finished watching the Netflix series El Chapo, and enjoyed a quiet evening. Tonight, we’re dining out with Richard, and no doubt, will once again have a pleasant evening.

May you have a pleasant day and evening today and always.

Photo from one year ago today, July 18, 2016:
There was no post one year ago today due to a poor signal aboard the Mekong River ship.

A final letting go of “stuff”…15 days and we’re off again…

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Most likely, playgrounds aren’t used in the summer when it’s just too hot for kids to play outdoors.

As the days wind down toward our leaving the USA again on August 1st, we find ourselves beginning to switch mental gears. This past almost two months in the US catapulted us both into a state of mind far removed from our now familiar reality, nearly five years since its inception.

The time has been well spent with family and friends, rekindling relationships in entirely new ways as we’ve all matured and changed as the years have rolled on. 

Landscaping in housing development.

Our grandchildren have grown and,  our children have settled into their lives as they’ve worked their way into “middle age” with grace and dignity. It’s hard enough to believe how old we are, but then, even more so when we consider the ages of our children ranging from 42 to 50 years old. 

Gosh, it only seemed like yesterday that we were 50 years old. And now, as I’m fast approaching 70 (seven months) and Tom 65 (five months), we continue to strive to maintain a youthful persona, vibrancy, and outlook along with the optimum of good health commensurate with younger years.

Empty basketball and tennis courts in the heat of summer in Las Vegas/Henderson.

We’ve come to accept the reality that for us, good health is by far the most critical aspect to feeling young while providing the stamina and endurance to continuing in our world travels.

In some ways, this past year was challenging for me. With the spinal injury in June in the pool in Bali followed by the effects of contracting h. pylori, along with its frustrating and lingering effects, was a long year. 

The upkeep on this green grass must be outrageous in this heat.

Now, with a pain-free spine once again and the aftereffects of the gastrointestinal condition wafting away day by day, I’m returning to my optimistic, if not “overly bubbly” self. In the process, I find myself all the more enthusiastic about returning to our nomadic lives of world travel.

Tom, on the other hand, never faltered in his determination and mindset as a world traveler. He’d continued with research for the future, searching for new locations, cruises, and points of interest.  Also, as always, in snippets of spare time while in the US, he continues with his never-ending hobby, ancestry.com.

Today, we’re both heading to North Las Vegas to visit my sister Susan who’s looking forward to seeing the updates Tom has discovered these past years in our family’s history. 

Surprisingly, there are some birds in the desert.

We’re bringing our HDMI cord, and Tom will hook up his laptop to her TV so she can easily see the updates on the TV, rather than trying to peek at the screen on his laptop. 

As mentioned in the past, my dear sister has been lying in bed for the past 12 years suffering from the same hereditary spinal condition I’ve also been plagued with for most of my adult life. Had it not been for my strict anti-inflammation diet over these past six years, most likely, I’d have suffered the same fate.   

Zooming in for a close-up of this bird as it quickly flew away, I cut off the top of her/his head. 

On our way back from Susan’s home, we’ll stop at our mailing service located about halfway between Henderson and North Las Vegas and collect our awaiting mail and mail the bins of Christmas decorations to Greg and Camille that I’d left at Richard’s home five years ago. 

When we stored the Christmas memorabilia, I had no idea we’d never have our own home again and subsequently never decorate a Christmas tree again. 

As time has passed, we’ve come to accept that we’ll never need those decorations again. They’re better in the hands of Greg’s family with our three grandchildren, who many appreciate them in years to come, perhaps for their own families someday.

This entrance to a housing development with a waterfall.  With the dry heat, the amount of evaporation must result in a massive loss of water.  Isn’t water at a premium in this valley?

By the time we leave Henderson to fly to Costa Rica in 16 days, we leave behind not a single bin of “stuff.” Thanks, Richard, for storing them for us while we decided our future lives and returned to Nevada to dispose of these totes. 

With no basements in homes in this part of the US, every bit of garage space is needed, and he’ll now have more room for his own “stuff,” although he’s not much of a packrat and keeps his home as tidy as it could be. Even we’ve had to be mindful of not cluttering his meticulous space while we’re here.

May your life and minds be free of clutter, allowing you the space you need to fulfill your desires.

Photo from one year ago today, July 17, 2016:

Tom, me, Captain Han, and new friend Bob in the wheelhouse. We thoroughly enjoyed the Viking Mekong River Cruise.  For more photos, please click here.

Is this life easy?…Not so much…Figuring out visas for Costa Rica…

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Mountain views from every highway in Las Vegas and Henderson.

If anyone reading our site gets the impression that is traveling the world results in a life of leisure and the sensation of “always being on vacation/holiday,” we need to do a better job of describing our reality.

There’s nothing easy about it except for those special days we’re by the sea, aboard a ship, or lounging poolside in a tropical location.  And, even those days aren’t what one might construe as always easy.

Just like you, we shop, we cook, we wash dishes, we clean up after ourselves, we make the bed, do the laundry (more days of the year than not) and take care of banking and financial matters.

When one might imagine life on a desert island with the shore lapping at their toes, drinking blue cocktails with tiny umbrellas neatly situated on the rim of the tall iced glass, a local citizen fanning them with palm leaves, one may be dreaming.

Rolling hills and mountains surround the Las Vegas Valley.

Sure, from time to time, we’ve had such experiences, and even for us, they were fun and fleeting and unrealistic over the long haul.  But, that type of lifestyle was never our intent when we began this adventure so long ago. 

We longed for culture, nature, wildlife, and rich experiences that would shape who we are and the remainder of our years. For us, that wasn’t to be found in a blue drink or locals attending to our every need. 

Oh, we’ve enjoyed the meals cooked for us, the bed is made, the laundry is washed, hung to dry, and neatly folded. But, that type of lifestyle leaves us feeling immobile, inactive, and essentially bored with our lack of activity.

Performing daily household tasks adds a certain degree of focus upon which we both seem to thrive. Here in Henderson, Nevada, after months of not shopping for groceries, cooking meals, and cleaning, we’ve begun to meld back into the reality that both of us seem to need to thrive.

Golden Barrell Cactus, shared in this part of the US.

This morning at 8:00 am, I was out the door, driving to Smith’s Market for enough groceries to last for the next few days. Deciding on what to prepare for meals seems to provide me with a sense of purpose and connection to the “everyday” aspects of life that ultimately add to our universal experiences, even while here in the USA, in the land of abundance.

One need only conceive of an idea for a meal, peruse a recipe or conjure up a special meal to quickly find every possible required ingredient readily available at the local market. Even grass-fed meat and organic produce are at a finger’s reach.

In many countries, we had no choice but to alter recipes or decide on quick and easy meat and veg meals based on the available ingredients in local markets. 

In many cases, the small markets had only one aisle of possible options with no fresh meat (frozen only), questionable vegetables, and a mishmash of dairy items. Somehow, in each case, we never went hungry, always utilizing that which was available.

Beavertail Cactus is also ubiquitous in US deserts.

As our readers are well aware, we always figure out household tasks regardless of where we may be at any given time. Of course, there’s all the rest besides managing our day-to-day lives, including figuring out such items as visa requirements, currently on our minds, as we near the time to leave for Costa Rica in 16 days.

Costa Rica may provide a 90-day visa at the airport for US citizens if asked. We won’t forget to ask, I assure you. However, it’s of utmost concern to provide proof of a booked flight out of the country by the 90th day. 

Since we’re staying an additional 24 days while we await an upcoming cruise, once again, we have to figure out how we’ll get approved for the extra days. When calling the Costa Rica Embassy in Washington DC, we got the runaround. They said we need to apply at a local immigration office while in their country.

They won’t accept a booked flight as adequate at the airport if it’s scheduled for over 90 days out if the applicant doesn’t already have an extension. We can’t get an extension until we’re there. Do you see the dilemma?

Segura Cactus.

When inquiring to the property managers for the property we’re renting, they suggested we book a flight out of Costa Rica within 90 days and figure out the rest after we arrive. 

Yesterday, we did this. We booked a one-way flight to Managua, Nicaragua, for the 89th day. If we find we can stay out of the country for two or three days and come back to Costa Rica without incident, we’ll spend a few nights at a hotel in Managua and return to Costa Rica after that. 

Besides, this might be a fun side trip, especially when we may be there during our fifth anniversary of traveling the world, which is on October 31st. We’ll see how it all rolls out once we arrive. 

If we discover we can stay longer by applying at the local immigration office, we’re OK with losing the cost of the non-refundable one-way flight for both of us, which was $128.70. That’s considerably less than we’ll spend if we stay three or four nights in a hotel. We’ve already been to Nicaragua in the early days of our travel.

San Pedro Cactus…please correct me if wrong.

That’s it for today, folks.  It’s Sunday, already 100F (38C) with an expected high of only 108F (42C) with a cooling trend for the upcoming week with high temperatures expected to range from 98F (37C) to 106F (41C). Nice, eh?

Have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, July 16, 2016:

Tom, situated in his rickshaw as we meandered down the busy streets of Phnom Penh. It was a hot, humid, and a very bumpy ride. For more details, please click here.

Scorching heat… Scenes in Henderson, Nevada… Sweet photo from one year ago in Cambodia…

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Massive homes overlooking Las Vegas, located in Henderson, may easily be valued in the $10,000,000 or more range.

By the time I took my sister’s dog Owen for a walk in the 108F (42C) heat, plastic baggie in hand, I was sweating up a storm. However, the ultra-dry heat evaporated the sweat on my clothes in a matter of seconds. 

Many homes are nestled into the man-made terraces to offer good views of the Las Vegas Strip from afar.

A few days ago, I laid out a nightdress I’d laundered to dry on a chaise lounge by the pool, and within 15 minutes, it was scorched. Other than the time we spent in the Middle East in Egypt, Dubai, Jordan, Morocco, and the United Arabic Emirates, we haven’t experienced much dry heat in our travels.

Climate data for Henderson, Nevada
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 75
(24)		 86
(30)		 91
(33)		 97
(36)		 111
(44)		 114
(46)		 117
(47)		 112
(44)		 110
(43)		 100
(38)		 90
(32)		 78
(26)		 117
(47)
Average high °F (°C) 54
(12)		 59
(15)		 67
(19)		 75
(24)		 85
(29)		 95
(35)		 101
(38)		 99
(37)		 91
(33)		 78
(26)		 64
(18)		 54
(12)		 76.8
(24.8)
Average low °F (°C) 41
(5)		 44
(7)		 49
(9)		 56
(13)		 65
(18)		 74
(23)		 79
(26)		 78
(26)		 71
(22)		 60
(16)		 48
(9)		 40
(4)		 58.8
(14.8)
Record low °F (°C) 11
(−12)		 12
(−11)		 25
(−4)		 31
(−1)		 37
(3)		 41
(5)		 56
(13)		 59
(15)		 43
(6)		 30
(−1)		 4
(−16)		 9
(−13)		 4
(−16)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.70
(17.8)		 0.96
(24.4)		 0.57
(14.5)		 0.23
(5.8)		 0.11
(2.8)		 0.11
(2.8)		 0.46
(11.7)		 0.72
(18.3)		 0.42
(10.7)		 0.36
(9.1)		 0.49
(12.4)		 0.60
(15.2)		 5.73
(145.5)

As we’ve often mentioned, humidity is the toughest to endure of all non-storm-related weather conditions. It wears out everything we own from the zippers on our luggage, leather products and wreaks havoc with our digital equipment, especially cameras and smartphones. It’s no wonder we often need to replace these items.

Sure, we chose to seek out warmer climates, and in doing so, one can hardly avoid humidity which often goes hand and hand. Without a doubt, humidity is the most difficult to physically endure, especially in locations where we’ve had either no AC or limited AC, for example, only in the bedrooms.

We were surprised to see some grassy areas, which required a lot of watering.

In many hot and humid locations, we’ve had only a fan over the bed, in which most cases seem to move too slowly to be of many benefits. Also, when there’s mosquito netting encasing the bed, the fan benefits are limited, seeming unable to penetrate the fabric of the net actually to provide any relief.

Here in Henderson, Nevada, the heat is constant and relentless during the long summer months. At 7:00 am this morning, the temperature was already well in the 90F’s (32C). Now, as I write, at 8:50 am, it’s already 97F (36C) with an expected high today of 111F (44C).

The entrance to many high-end developments incorporates the utmost of landscaping to attract new buyers and maintain a level of appeal for the existing homeowners.

Yesterday, when I returned from visiting Susan and after a stop at Smith’s market for a few grocery items, I almost burned my finger pressing the keys on the metal keypad when entering the code to access the gated neighborhood.

Terracing under construction in Henderson.

On the short drive from Smith’s to Richard’s home, I thought about my groceries in the trunk. I remember grocery shopping in Minnesota in the cold of winter, wondering if my food would make it home in the -20F (or lower) without freezing.  

Many new homes back up to the hills and mountains.

In our days of eating bread, I easily recall a loaf of bread being nearly frozen when I reached home. Yesterday, I wondered if anything would spoil in the 15 minutes it took me to get back to Richard’s house. 

Foolish me; nothing would spoil in that short a trip. However, a shopper should be mindful of not making any extra stops on the way home after grocery shopping in these hot climates. Bacteria could easily manifest on a package of chicken or ground beef if one stopped at Walgreens pharmacy and got distracted for a few minutes.

Most homes are built with stucco exteriors and tile roofs that appear to withstand extreme heat.

As we drive around the area exploring our surroundings, we’re amazed how so many manage to live in such a climate in the summer. In the winters, it’s often cool enough here to wear a warm jacket. Obviously, as we’ve shown here over this past almost five years, we decided against it in 2012.

As we continue on our many year’s long world journey in only 16 days, heading to the tropical climate of Costa Rica, where the average high is 85F (29C) with humidity around 70%, it will feel normal to us and most likely, even with the moist air, certainly feel cooler than here in the middle of summer in the Nevada desert.

Las Vegas/Handerson doesn’t have a historic building since it didn’t begin to attract a population of any significance until the 1950s.

Today, we plan to try out Richard’s pool for the first time, now that we’re a little acclimated to being outdoors. Perhaps, we’ll even get a little dose of Vitamin D!

Wherever you may be this season, enjoy your days and nights to the fullest.

Photo from one year ago today, July 15, 2016:

When we visited an orphanage in Cambodia, this young girl’s smile took our breath away. For more photos, please click here.

Here’s our newspaper story with a video…

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The Lymans
‘This is the main photo in the Chanhassen Villager newspaper about our world travels.

Today, we’re posting the actual story, photos, and video Southwest News and Chanhassen Villager newspapers used to share our story. There’s a limit on how many times it can be viewed from their site, so we posted it here verbatim to ensure it will work in our archives indefinitely.

Here’s the link and also the actual story which we’ve copied from the online newspaper: 

“On Oct. 31, Tom and Jess Lyman mark five years traveling the world, enjoying extended stays in rental homes, and assimilating themselves into other communities and cultures.
It’s an unlikely retirement for these two former Chanhassen residents, who were previously homebodies. Jess had a long career in real estate and retired in 2010. Tom, five years younger, worked 12-hour days for the railroad. Weekends were spent visiting Home Depot for projects around their house, entertaining, and hosting dinner parties. So their decision to sell everything they owned and hit the road to travel was, to some people, madness.
Earlier this summer, the Lymans returned to Minnesota for the first time in five years. They spent six weeks at the Country Inn and Suites in Plymouth, their home base, as they spent time with family, former neighbors, and friends. They even hosted a meet-and-greet for local followers of their website and blog (started in March 2012), www.worldwidewaftage.com.
In January 2012, the couple discussed Tom’s upcoming retirement at the end of October. They considered doing the “snowbird” thing. But it didn’t excite them.
“Snowbirds have two homes,” Tom said. “If you’re in Arizona, you’re still heating a house and paying property taxes in Minnesota, and when you’re back to Minnesota in the spring, you’re worried about the extreme heat in Arizona. You’re always worried about the home you’re not living in. That’s not my idea of retirement.”
So when Jess posed the question, “What should we do?” Tom quipped, “Travel the world.”
Little did he know that his flippant comment set off something in Jess.
For a week, Jess worked on her computer, creating Excel workbook after workbook, and then announced, “We can do it.” “Do what?” Tom asked, not remembering what he’d said in jest.
“Travel the world,” Jess said. “But the way to do it is to have nothing. No storage, no car.”
 They got rid of everything except what they could take on the road.
“I had three closets of off-season clothing, including a closet for the current season,” Jess said. “Now, I have one suitcase for clothes, five pairs of shoes and no handbag. I stopped using a handbag when we were in Kenya and were told that bandits would cut off your arm for your purse.”
MIRACLE
How does a couple, Tom, now 64, and Jess, 69, go from couch potatoes who loved their favorite chairs, comfy bed, and cable TV to two nomadic retirees?
The catalyst was Jess’s health. Before 2012, Jess endured chronic pain due to a spinal condition. Her life changed once she adopted a diet consisting of only meat, vegetables, and a little dairy: no sugar, no starches, no fruit. And, after three months, no pain.
“I thought it might have been a placebo effect,” Jess said. By November, I was still pain-free; in January, we decided to travel the world. I get goosebumps when I think about it.”
BLOG A DAY
Jess started their blog to document their process of preparing for their adventure.
“March 12, 2012, is my favorite-ever post,” Jess said. In it, she lays out the beginning of their story. Nearly five years later, the website is comprehensive and filled with information about living the life of nomads; how they sold their home, all their possessions, the necessary medical and dental checkups, immunizations, medications and antibiotics, their health insurance, the types of passports and visas required to travel to the exotic, off-the-grid areas of the world they wanted to see, and more.
It’s not an exaggeration to call their website an encyclopedia of travel know-how, tips, and workarounds for the many travel inconveniences and snafus that are bound to occur.
And Jess has found that, despite her restricted diet, she can eat well no matter where in the world they have been. They food shop and cook at their rental homes as much as possible to accommodate her diet, save money, and get to know the local area.
CRUISING
No fans of flying. They travel from continent to continent, destination to destination by cruise ship whenever possible. It makes their travel time leisurely and carefree. And Tom gets to indulge his sweet tooth and his craving for french fries.
They blog every day and post photographs, sharing their adventures, delights, and mishaps with their readers, numbering nearly a half-million from around the world. Over the years, people they’ve met have suggested the couple write a book.
“It’s already written,” Jess said with a laugh. “It’s all there on the website. Besides, writing a book would be too much like work. Everything we do is done in a way that lets us be stress and worry-free, and happy.”
24/7
The most frequently asked question the couple is asked is, “How can you spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week together?”
“We have no trouble being together,” Tom said. “Jess’s friend says we’re lucky we found each other years ago and that we can do this together.”
“A big part for us is to travel and be stress-free and happy,” Jess said. “We’ve found that with less stuff, the happier we became … In our naiveté, we started with 15 pieces of luggage. Now we’re down to three pieces, limited to 50 pounds or 23 kilos. We each have a case for clothes, a wheelie duffel bag for miscellaneous stuff, a carry-on with medical supplies, and a backpack for all our electronics.
“All the things we dumped were stuff that we thought we had to have and to prevent discomfort, but once we got to Africa, talk about discomfort,” Jess said. “If you have 100 bugs crawling on your arm, don’t whine or complain. Just brush them off. Whining won’t get rid of them.”
NO END IN SIGHT
From the first, they agreed they’d stop traveling if either one of them said, “Stop.”
“When we first started, we said we might do it for 5-10 years,” Tom said. “But now, we see no end in sight. Our health is a factor. But we have no intention of ever renting or owning a house again.”
“I told Tom, when my time comes, just take me to the Drakensberg in South Africa and kick me off the mountain,” Jess said with a laugh. “Leave me to the lions.”
Their nearly five years of travel have changed them in many ways. They avoid big cities, preferring small towns and out-of-the-way locations. Tom’s philosophy is “the further from tall buildings, the nicer the people.”
BUDGET
While their lifestyle might seem extravagant, they are tightly budgeted.
“We realized that we paid a lot (in our former life) to have stuff,” Jess said. “Now, we have no cable bill, no utilities. If an average homeowner added up what it costs to live, with fuel, snow shoveling, mortgages, car payments, and insurance … we live in the world for that amount. If we did the snowbird thing, we’d pay twice that much.”
“Here’s the thing,” Jess said. “People are curious about it, but very few want to do what we do. In all our travels, we’ve never met a couple that is as free of stuff as we are. Most have an apartment or condo, or they have storage or treasures. We have no storage.
“To do this, you have to have the mind of an accountant,” Jess said. “I enter everything we spend on a spreadsheet. If I buy a water bottle from the vending machine for $2.50, I have to write that down. We have a budget that we stay in.  And, based on what we’re doing, we can continue until we die.”
Surely, our regular readers have heard this story repeatedly during the past five years since our first post on March 15, 2012. Please bear with the repetition as we are excited to share this with many others throughout the Southwest Suburbs of Minneapolis and now, here on our site, throughout the world.
If you know anyone who may enjoy the continuing saga of our day-to-day lives on the move without a home, storage, and only one suitcase each of clothing, please pass on our link:  www.worldwidewaftage.com or send today’s link for this story specifically.
Here’s the link to the video that our reporter, Unsie, shot during our three-hour interview two weeks ago today:
http://www.swnewsmedia.com/jess-tom-lyman/youtube_15977986-26ee-54db-84f7-63734ec5f127.html
We never intended to be the topic of any such publication and do not, in any manner, pursue publicity for our story. But, we’ve surprisingly discovered that many people glean some pleasure reading about the details of the ups and downs of living such a life throughout the world. 
For some, they recall their former lives of travel. Many that travel now finds morsels of information that may enhance their experiences in the future. And, for the many others, they revel in the prospect of travels yet to come. 
Of course, we also appreciate those who read merely out of curiosity being able to peer inside the intimate details of a senior couple who’ve stepped outside the box of traditional senior living to chose a life of uncertainty and adventure. 
Regardless of the motivations of our readers, we appreciate every one of you and hope you’ll continue to enjoy our experiences as we continue.  Our heartfelt thanks to all of you and SW News Media for sharing our story.
Enjoy your weekend!
Photo from one year ago today, July 14, 2016:
Selling crickets for consumption is a big business in Cambodia.  These lighted (at night) plastic bags attract the crickets overnight, which are later collected and often sold to other countries worldwide. Due to wi-fi issues in Cambodia, there was no post on this date one year ago. Here is the link from the date of this photo.

Reminded of stresses in our old lives…Am I complaining?

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Susan’s chubby and very funny Chihuahua, Owen, poses like this several times a day, totally unprovoked.

On occasion, people may ask, “Did you run away?” We always answer with the fact that my health returned and I was pain-free which inspired us to travel “while we can.” It could change on a dime, and we’d be forced to modify our lifestyle seriously.

From time to time, the question still lingers in the minds of family, friends, and readers, “Did we run away?” In part, we may have. But, being back in the US for the past seven weeks, we’ve begun to feel the stresses of the fast-paced life while in Minnesota and now, here in Nevada.

It’s not only the traffic, the people, and the waiting in lines for various services. It’s the self-induced process of a strong sense of responsibility that drives us while in this environment. One can’t erase a lifetime of living even when spending almost five years away from it all.

Now that I’m cooking again, which I don’t mind, I find myself busy grocery shopping, chopping, and dicing and spending each morning until 11:00 or 12:00 am preparing a post and laboring over which photos I can add.

Then, with more clothes to launder in the hot weather and the sorting and with the repacking of the boxes of photos and documents we left in Richard’s garage in plastic totes and, the every other day visits to my beloved sister Susan with two total hours of driving each trip, I must admit I’m feeling a little pushed.

I pulled over while driving to Susan’s distant location while is relatively unpopulated along the way.

Surprisingly, I’m not tired. I’ve slept better here in Richard’s home than anywhere in the past year, getting as much as seven hours a night, mostly without waking midway through the night. 

Undoubtedly, the home-cooked meals with less likelihood of contamination have been instrumental in assisting in my feeling better physically. In addition, my chronic and the annoying gastrointestinal condition continues to improve daily. I never expected it to go away quickly, but the continuing improvement has left me hopeful that it will completely resolve in time.

So why do I feel pressured? Perhaps, being in the US is merely a reminder of our old lives and the constant sense of responsibility. Undoubtedly, many of our readers can see themselves burdened with many more tasks than we have at present. 

I don’t mean to whinge (Aussie word). But, I‘m observing how the fast-paced life “in the big city” (and it could be any city in the world) is not necessarily for us. But, place us in a remote area surrounded by vegetation, mountains, sea, gorgeous scenery, and of course, an abundance of wildlife, and we’re calm and at peace, free of all stress and worries.

Also, we should probably stop watching the news. That in itself reminds us of the troubles in our country, which seem to escalate by the moment. I won’t get into that here, but no doubt, it affects us. 

In many countries, we don’t have a TV, and if we do, we don’t have access to US news other than that which may be from international outlets. So here again, it may be biased based on their media sources’ point of view. Who knows how accurate that may be?

Also, with our upcoming departure to Costa Rica on August 1st, we still have to figure out the added supplies we’ll need to bring for our three-and-a-half-month stay and purchase them before we depart the US. No doubt, many items we use regularly won’t be readily available in local shops.

There are some homes, condos, and apartments in the distant location, but not Henderson and Las Vegas.

On top of that, we’re working on how we’ll extend our visa beyond the 90 allowable days Costa Rica provides for US citizens entering the country. We’ll be contacting the Costa Rica Embassy today with our list of questions. which includes:

1.  Do we have to have proof of an exiting flight upon entering Costa Rica?
2.  Can we visit an immigration office while in Costa Rica to apply for the 23-day extension?
3.  What is the minimum number of days we can leave and then return with another country’s stamp on our passports?  At what point during our stay should we do this?

Why we’re behind on a few of these tasks has been predicated by the pace. After almost a week in Nevada, we still haven’t tackled everything we’d planned to do. So now, with only 18 days until we depart the US, we have to “pick up the pace!”

In any case, it has been wonderful spending time with Richard and my sister.  Tomorrow, Tom will join me in visiting Susan, and we’ll make a stop at our mailing service to pick up many items awaiting us there. After that, it is more stuff to sort and figure out how to pack.

OK, enough of that. In our continuing desire to “tell it like it is,” sometimes, it’s not pretty, it’s not exciting, and it’s not relaxing. But, once we get settled in Costa Rica, we can look forward to “downtime” except, of course, figuring out the visa extension. We don’t want to be “illegal aliens” again as we were in Australia in March!

May you have a happy day, free of stress!

Photo from one year ago today, July 13, 2016:

Local danger and musicians greeted us with a ceremonial dance as we entered the hotel in Cambodia. For more photos, please click here.

Visiting my sister in North Las Vegas…A meaningful and yet sorrowful experience…

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The extreme heat creates a cloudy appearance in the desert, fog, blowing sand,  clouds, and/or smog in the valley.

Visiting my sister Susan (four years my senior) was one of our two reasons for coming to Las Vegas during this time in the US, spending time with my son Richard as the other. We have a few friends and a nephew of Tom’s we’ll also see while here.

My dear sister has been lying in bed, unable to walk for the past 12 years, suffering from the same spinal condition I have for which I have no pain after changing my diet in August 2011, almost six years ago.

Once I became pain-free (after three months on the “diet”), and Tom faced retirement, we decided to travel the world “while we can.” At any given time, I could awaken one morning and be faced with the return of the excruciating pain affecting what felt like every nerve in my body. 

We hope to dine at this restaurant when they have several options that work well for my way of eating, based on their menu found online.

That is the reason I so diligently follow this low inflammation diet excluding all sugar, fruit, grains, and starches, limiting my daily carb allotment to 15 grams, fat to 100 grams, and protein to around 65 grams. 

These restrictions leave me eating only grass-fed meat (when available), organic free-range chicken and eggs, organic non-starchy vegetables, and a small amount of full-fat dairy. 

Tom follows suit with me in this manner of eating when I’m cooking most of our meals, as we’re doing now during this three-week stay in Nevada. When we dine out, he prefers to indulge in some starches to supplement his meals, such as a bun on a burger, fries, and rice included with some dishes. 

In years past, when we visited Henderson, we dined at this popular restaurant and meeting spot, Elephant Bar.

I don’t have the liberty even to take a bite of such “luxuries,” and because I’m pain-free, I have no desire to taste any items not included in my plan. I haven’t had so much as a tiny bite of a cookie, cake, or fruit in these past six years. Why take the risk? 

Unfortunately, my sister has chosen to continue to find pleasure in food and, in reality, cannot prepare the sometimes more elaborate dishes that may require time standing in the kitchen chopping and dicing to put together an occasional interesting dish. She has health care helpers preparing her meals, not professional cooks, and they prepare only basic meals.
 
I understand how food can be such an important aspect of one’s life. As a long-time “foodie,” I may appreciate that fact all the more. As a former avid and enthusiastic cook with an attitude (at the time), “healthy whole grains,” fruits, and starches were good to incorporate into one’s meals.

Years ago, we frequented this popular chain restaurant.  But, with many choices of local establishments, we doubt we’ll return during this visit.

These days, I cringe over how I continued to literally “poison” myself with foods that ultimately caused a rise in blood sugar resulting in an inflammatory response.

This may not be true for everyone. Our bodies are unique in our response to a variety of foods. We see healthy individuals able to eat whatever they want, or a diet comparable to that in my “old life” who continue to thrive on a lower fat, high carb, and high sugar diet. 

There’s no benefit in my “preaching” to my sister on how she may be able to find substantial pain relief over the long haul in following this way of eating. She already knows, having tried it for a year to find her pain too, dissipated considerably, if not entirely. 

A stone marker designating the entrance to the Green Valley Ranch area in Henderson, where we’re located at this time.

Yet, with severe damage to her legs and feet from diabetic neuropathy, she was still unable to walk. This fact would hardly motivate a person to restrict their diet to such a huge extent. A short time later, she returned to the typical American diet (SAD, standard American diet) of high carbs and many sugary foods, starches, and grains. In no time at all, the pain returned. 

Of course, it’s difficult for me to see this lovely woman, a former highly successful businesswoman of the world, who traveled extensively and played a hand in many exciting business transactions, now lying in bed, basically helpless and in pain.

Her beautiful spirit and upbeat demeanor make being with her purely delightful. Few individuals could maintain such a positive attitude with her current situation. Somehow, she revels in the experiences of her long-ago past and seems to live vicariously through the joy and excitement of our world travels. 

One of the roads in The District in Green Valley Ranch where there are unique shops and restaurants.

There’s not one iota of sadness or jealousy in her demeanor when she asks many questions about our world travels. Having owned a major travel agency in her past, she too had an opportunity to travel the world and loves sharing stories of places we’ve mutually visited, only at different times.

On Monday, I visited her for three hours and will head out soon to see her again. The drive to her home is over 30 miles away and takes approximately 45 minutes, considering some traffic on the freeway. 

Driving all the way on Highway 215 seems to be the best route but is a boring drive through the barren desert with not much in the way of interesting scenery. But, once I walk in the door to her apartment and see her smiling face, the boring drive is long forgotten, and all is right with the world.

May your day be filled with events that make your day feel “right” for YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, July 12, 2016:

It was scorching and uncomfortable on the long walk to and around this site, The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. For more photos, please click here.