Autumn is coming

Autumn is coming. My favourite travel time is September to March. It's more affordable and my skin burns in summer so autumn works for me. When I worked away years ago, I checked into hotels, dined alone in restaurants and found my way around railways and airports. I learned to pack efficiently because I always had to carry my own luggage. Travelling for work definitely prepared me for my life now as widow. I can still pop my overstuffed luggage bag into an aircraft overhead locker. Although now I do regular weight training to ensure I don't drop my luggage on other passengers heads or look like the granny of 'em all struggling up stairs puffing and panting.  

I'm probably slightly adrift from the ordinary expectations of life, I enjoy what others don't. I enjoy being 65, and look forward to being 75, 85 etc. Gone are the anxieties of being a good enough daughter; wife; mother; employee. I don't trouble myself about courses, qualifications, property prices or finding time to cook, clean or iron shirts. I've realised that stressing about anything is pointless. Attempting to plan my future, control anything or anyone is even more pointless. I don't waste time and effort overthinking because I've learned  'what will be will be'.  Any pressures I had in the past have given way to feelings of contentment, confidence and completeness. I've learned how strength comes from resilience and this can only be gained by  experiencing and surviving tricky times. Not  pleasant but very effective.

Over the last 4 years I've been lucky enough to travel to 21 different countries. I've climbed two mountains, enjoyed horse riding in the -30 arctic climate of northern Sweden where I saw the Northern Lights, grey wolves, brown bears and arctic foxes. I've also been to Central America and ridden horses in the rainforests of Honduras. I've seen crocodiles, lizards, snakes, a jaguar and monkeys in their natural environment - not in a zoo. I really loved horse-riding in the sea in Roatan which also has the most amazing coral reefs . I've been backpacking in quite a few remote areas now and i also scrub up well so I enjoy cruise ships and posh resorts too. Northern Cyprus has some great resorts and Ibiza was fun too beautiful scenery. I prefer the hippy market to the night clubs these days . 

I've got more countries lined up for my next set of adventures. Southern Italy is coming up soon. All in all life is great.