Leialoha and Mark from Minnesota were a delight to see last night at our Meet & Greet!

After almost two months in the USA, we’re ready to move on. We’ve spent quality time with family and friends, rebuilding and enhancing relationships, catching up, and filling our hearts and minds with loving thoughts to carry into this next phase of our travels.

As always, we had a great evening at The Elephant Bar with friends.

Are we at all apprehensive? As Tom and I are sitting together this Saturday morning in air-conditioned comfort in Henderson, Nevada with literally every amenity we could need or want, with nary a scary insect or snake at our feet, I asked Tom, “Do you have any apprehension about continuing in our world travels?”

The Elephant Bar in The District in Henderson is a great meeting place.  Prices are reasonable, especially during happy hour.

After all, we have some substantial challenges ahead of us, we’re not getting any younger, and we’ll be forfeiting this easy and comfortable life we’ve experienced while in the US over these past two months.

He picked up his head from his computer, contemplated my question, made a goofy smirk, and said, “No, not at all. On the contrary, I’m looking forward to it!”

The Elephant Bar has a rewards program. By signing up, each new member receives a free appetizer even on the same day as registering. We did this before heading out yesterday and enjoyed our two complimentary appetizers for both of our temporary US phone numbers. Click this link to sign up for free.

At times, we can all overthink our lives, cringing with a bit of apprehension over that which we don’t know for sure…what the future holds. Is it a matter of destiny or luck that propels us into the next phase of our lives, or is it predicated by our design, tinged with a bit of good fortune?

For us, good fortune revolves around good health and safety. If we have these two, coupled with our mutual love and compatibility, we’re content. However, we often ask ourselves how much we can control these two areas when so much about safety can be a matter of being at “the wrong place at the wrong time.” Do we have control over this?

The food coming out of the Elephant’s Bar kitchen was fresh, hot, and delicious.

To an extent, we do. But aren’t we placing ourselves into situations where risks may be considerably higher than sitting here in Henderson, Nevada, in air-conditioned comfort? 

Yes, we are exposing ourselves to certain risks, but that’s not only the nature of leaving the safety of one’s surroundings, but it’s also the nature of travel in itself; the airports, the flights, the seas; the trains, the buses, the rickety taxi rides, and the outdoor cafes, all present some risks.

The decor is pleasing and comfortable. However, it has changed considerably since the last time we were there in 2009.

Although mindful of these possibly risky scenarios, we don’t allow ourselves to contemplate the potentiality of the worst happening.  Doing so would hinder or prevent a traveler from the all-encompassing joy of their experiences.

As for health, here again, we can’t allow ourselves to spend time worrying about “what if?” Instead, as our regular readers well know, we try to stay fit and healthy to the best of our ability through a nutritious diet, visiting mobile and active, and avoiding stress-inducing scenarios.

Having healthy relationships and a positive attitude is also a significant aspect of maintaining good health and a state of wellness. Worry and stress have no place in attempting to achieve such a scenario. Instead, joyful anticipation, enthusiasm, and hopefulness for a safe and healthy future somehow seem to propel us to our next awaiting experience.

Tom and Mark, old buddies from the railroad in Minnesota, were happy to catch up at our Meet & Greet last night.

As for last night, we had a small turnout for the Nevada Meet & Greet at The Elephant Bar in The District. Nonetheless, we had a delightful evening. Several readers contacted us via email apologizing for being unable to attend last night, and if time allows, we may meet with them before we leave in 10 days. So we’ll see how it goes.

Tonight, we plan to head to the strip to check out a few new hotels and have dinner at a famous Brazilian barbecue. We plan to return with many new photos of the Las Vegas Strip, which we’ll begin sharing in tomorrow’s post.

Have a blissful day!

Photo from one year ago today, July 22, 2016:

One year ago today, we made it to Phuket, Thailand, where we stayed for six weeks. Photo showing businesses, one after another, in tight spaces. For more photos, please click here.