Apologies but I needed to resend this post with the updated photos. Enjoy the updated version!

As 2024 comes to an end, I am grateful for the opportunity we had to travel and stay connected with many of our friends and family. We started the year with a train journey in Switzerland, then traveled by train to Italy to reunite with friends from previous Trafalgar trips. Our journey continued to beautiful Poland, where we were captivated by its rich history, stunning architecture, and warm hospitality. A highlight was our summer trip to Canada, meeting up with Brad and Lynn, whom we met during our Switzerland trip, and spending 15 days with Elizabeth and Hughie, whom we met in Egypt in 2023. They took us on the most amazing tour of Newfoundland. We also took a little road trip from Ohio to Maryland to visit Bart and Lolly, Jay’s brother and sister-in-law. This year truly gifted us with unforgettable experiences.

Along with our travels this year, we had a wonderful time reconnecting with both old and new friends. We kicked off the year with a fantastic visit from Janice, Arlene, and Mervin, a family from Saskatchewan, Canada. Following that, Ellen and Tim from Boise, Idaho, came to see us. We spent a long, leisurely day with Andy and her brother and sister-in-law, Peter and Elaine. As funny as it sounds, I even spent an afternoon catching up in the hospital lobby with my friend Kathy, who was my mentor when I was a brand new Intensive Care nurse many moons ago! To top it off, our friends Mary Beth and Bob visited us from St. Charles, Missouri. We also had a chance to catch up with Sharon, my beautiful friend who took a chance on hiring me for an IT job when I had no idea what I was doing! Though I did not see her in person, a dear work friend, Elizabeth, and I reconnected through the wonders of LinkedIn. Joe, who became a friend through the committees we both participate in as Patient Family Advocates (PFAs), and Leonardo joined us for brunch. We also had delightful visits with our friends Mary and Steven. We also met the best innkeepers in Easton, MD, Tammy and Ken, and we are so looking forward to staying with them again this year. These moments with friends truly added to the richness of our year.

We had several gatherings with family as well in between our trips. We also attended several of our grandson Samuel’s performances; he has become quite the self-taught guitar player. Our grandson Quinten announced his engagement to his fiancée Maddie—wedding bells are in our future this year, on September 6th to be exact. Our granddaughter Keira is working as a Special Education TA and completing her studies as a Special Education Teacher. She is looking forward to graduating this year. We enjoyed several plays in San Francisco with our daughter Rica.

 

We did have an incredible surprise this year from the trip to Croatia I won in 2023; we found ourselves on the cover page of the Trafalgar mailer! It was such a thrill to see ourselves as the Front Page Duo!

Thank you for being a part of our journey and for enriching our lives with your friendship and love. Here’s to a new year filled with exciting adventures, cherished memories, and wonderful connections. We can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store and look forward to spending more time with all of you. We hope to see more of you this year as well. Wishing you all good health, happiness, and prosperity in the coming year.