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Welcome to my adventures. Happy reading!

Machu Picchu

Last night I could barely sleep in anticipation of a dream come true – seeing, touring, and photographing Machu Picchu!! While the trek sounds like a great adventure, albeit grueling, we didn’t have the desire or time to do that. 4 days of walking with a myriad of bugs and no running water – hmmm, hard pass. So, we stayed in the quaint town of Aguas Calientes last night, at a lovely hotel. Had a great dinner, and are well-rested for today’s adventure. Our hotel arranged a guide for us and we’ll be off on a bus shortly. Sure we could have walked a couple hours in the forest to get there, but that bus looked much better and easier. The bus ride was very easy and we were there in 25 minutes, with what looked to be near-misses on a narrow road.

It was overcast and a bit foggy as we entered the gates. We were so hopeful it wouldn’t rain! The steps approaching the top were narrow, uneven, and at some times nonexistent. After an hour of walking, we encountered alpacas – a strange surprise! And moved towards the plateau to overlook the citadel. Our guide was a wealth of information and regaled us with great stories, interesting tidbits, and pensive theories. We waited on the plateau for over an hour, with groups of others, each quardened off in a white circle on the ground for COVID measures. As the fog cleared and the sun peeked out, we got our first view of the citadel – and it was breathtaking. I may have teared up! Our guide captured this pic and it captures the slow reveal of the treasures beneath.

Oddly enough we have better cell service up here than at my house. Can’t wait to share more of this fab day!!

Peru – here we come!!

A dream come true happens today! Michelle and I planned this trip for over a year, and it was upsetting to have it cancelled in 2020 – understandable but upsetting. We’ve planned every detail and the excitement is uncontainable!! Today we fly from Denver to Houston, then onto Lima. We’ll nestle into our lay-flat seats for the 6.5 hour flight and arrive into Lima around midnight. Luckily we passed our COVID tests and are prepared for our adventure! Oh the sights we’ll see: Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Puno, Paracas, and so much more. And, the adventures, laughs, and awe we’ll share! Paddington Bear was my absolute fav book as a kid… and I’ve long imagined what Darkest Peru will be like. Now, we’ll find out. Hopefully my Spanish skills aren’t too rusty!!

Be Your Best Advocate

I tell this to anyone and everyone who will listen – be your best advocate! Demand help. Put yourself first. There’s a deep reason behind this, and while I’m largely private about my illnesses and struggles as the sick kid… I feel this is so vitally important for everyone to hear.

October 12, 2012 was the date I found out I don’t have cancer. Thank the lord!!

After battling doctors to find one that could help me, and suffering for four months, I underwent surgery to remove an ovarian tumor. It was 5cm in diameter and luckily it was benign. However, had I not had it removed, it would have ruptured and caused more harm.

Recovery was easy (for me) since I went back to work in 4 days and ran agility two weeks later (despite doctors orders for an eight week rest and no driving.) No one keeps me down for long! I even drove to Omaha to go coursing and pickup a Pharaoh Hound rescue named Siris the same weekend I ran agility.

I know I am very lucky and beyond blessed to be here. I strive to do something each day that scares me. Time is precious and I try not to waste it.

Listen to your body. If your doctor isn’t helping you, find another one. Be your own advocate. And be loud. Your life is worth it.

Serengeti

Even the best planned trips will hit snags. About a week before I left, the airlines contacted me to let me know that the two smaller airports we were planning to fly into both were still closed. I was offered a few other options, but all were too pricey or too long. So, I contacted Serena Resorts and when I say they’re rock stars… they really are…coming through for us by arranging transport. The Serengeti is not that far away from the Masai Mara. But, getting there is a challenge. Mara Serena Lodge arranged for a driver to take us to the Kenya/Tanzania border. Our driver is not allowed to take us into Tanzania (something about tour guides & drivers being restricted to their original countries – and that this has not always been the case.)

After our 3 hour drive replete with a lasting glimpse into the lives of the Maasai people, and seeing the vast countryside, we finally arrive at the border crossing. Our driver helps us get through customs and taking yet another Covid test. After an hour or so, we meet our next tour guide, Zakariah, who will take us to the Serengeti and also the Ngorongoro Crater.

It’s another 3 hours from the border to our lodge in the Serengeti. We chat with our guide, check out views of local life, and I napped. We are looking forward to a beautiful day on Safari. The views from this lodge are incredible!

July 6, 2021
Countries, Friends, Thoughts, Travel

Let’s Normalize Traveling with Friends

If you’ve followed my angst over traveling to Africa, you’d know that it was a last minute addition of my friend Curtis to join me.

Since inquiring minds want to know, here’s some answers to your questions.

1. Am I still married? Yes. And no I’m not leaving him or dating – it was cute to get some messages inquiring though.

2. Who’s that dude? His name is Curtis, he lives in Montana, and he’s the partner of a very dear friend of mine.

3. Have you traveled together before? NOPE! It’s a big, huge gamble to travel with someone for 13+ days and not know whether you are compatible travel companions. But, I’ve known Curtis almost 15 years and have stayed at his house countless times — he’s stayed at mine countless times, including when I’ve been out of town. We have mutual respect, a shared love of animals, and of course we are both crazy dog people.

4. Why? It has been Curtis’ dream since he was a young child to see Africa and go on Safari. The timing, opportunity, and cost were right.

5. How did it go? OMG – it was awesome! Curtis was so helpful with me (see post on my illness before the trip), he was FUN!!, we laughed SO much, and guess what? He’s Jack Hanna – no, seriously. He knew every animal and all about them. I’m still in awe at the depth of his knowledge. Best of all Curtis was OK with my organization, planning, and schedule. My vacations are often called amazing races… and this one was no exception.

Back to the title of this post – we seriously, as a society, need to normalize traveling with friends. Let me start: it is OK to travel with your friends. Go as far as you can, on as many adventures as you can, and just dive in! Life is meant to be shared and lived in community. Also, stop judging people. I’m not a bad person/wife for traveling. My husband didn’t want to go, and that’s OK too. It is NORMAL for married couples to have other interests and still be married. Sharing my adventures with my friend were wonderful. If travel renews your spirit, like it does mine, then do it!

In closing, get out there!! I thoroughly enjoyed our trip and we are already planning the next one.

Masai Mara

It has been an incredible few days in Africa. From the bustling, noisy city of Nairobi, the odd juxtaposition of the national park, the short & amazing small plane ride, and now this. To say this is peaceful and soul-filling does not do this moment justice. My eyes have filled with tears countless times, and I am not typically a crier. The sights have taken my breath away and will be with me forever. I can see now why people come back time and again. And, most people who know me, know I rarely do the same things over and over. But for this, I would.

The weather has been absolutely perfect! Nights and mornings are cool (glad I bought that purplish Eddie Bauer sweatshirt) and days are warm, but not overly so. Bugs are nonexistent, so far, which is a pleasant surprise.

Food – I’ve been able to eat just fine, with our lodge going above and beyond ensuring I have plenty of choices. They’ve made some unique gluten-free items including a lovely coconut cake topped with tomatoes (it wasn’t sweet and the tomatoes were a nice balance), and a spiced/sweet bread for breakfast. Breakfast is a massive spread of anything you could possibly imagine. I stick to the made-to-order omelette, black tea, and GF bread. Lunch – again a massive spread with anything you can eat. I haven’t needed lunch because breakfast is so massive, safaris have been early, and I have my trusty Luna bars for snacks. Also probably why my luggage was overweight… to ensure I have enough food! Dinner is crazy good…it’s bigger than breakfast, and all kinds of things are labeled as gluten free. I’ve been eating an inordinate amount of cucumbers as regular greens don’t seem to be prevalent. Dessert is always amazing too.

Lodge – Mara Serena the views are incredible, the staff amazing, and the room is perfect. I highly recommend this place! Furthermore, every person I worked with prior to the trip was wonderful. They were all so helpful organizing transportation, tours, guides, activities, and when I needed to add Curtis – it was a breeze! The resort is half or full board optional, and what you get for the money… I highly recommend full board. Our room was clean, comfortable, and the balcony provided incredible sunrises and views of animals. I felt safe the entire trip – even on the night safari.

I truly would spend more time here!!

One Impossible Goodbye

KABA
Multi-BIF DC Naha Atomic Blond Revival, RN, MC, NAJ, AXP, NFP, CA, CGC, TKA, LCM2, V-FCH, HIC, VCX
12/13/2006 – 6/16/2021
I’m impossibly sad that my love has left this world. I am forever grateful that he chose to stay so long and that I had the honor of being his Momma. Thank you to Carmen, Kaba’s breeder, for taking a chance on a girly girl in stiletto boots. Thank you to Rebecca for pointing me in Carmen’s direction and being so welcoming into the world of Pharaoh Hounds. I’ve met countless friends throughout the dog world because of Kaba.
Thank you to Caly for helping Kaba and loving him.
Thank you to Grandma for always watching him while we traveled. He sure loved you a lot even though he sulked while I was gone.
Thank you to Jill Clark for dropping everything to capture Kaba’s last sunset. I cherish these pictures.
Instead of sharing how he died, this post is about how he lived. From the day I brought him home in February 2007, Kaba was my heart. He filled a void we had after the loss of Chili. He was super smart and took over the household — managing the Weims and cats. He helped show countless Weims & Weim-wannabes the ropes of our home while we fostered them. He slept about 4 hours a night that first year — so I used that time to teach him tricks and train for dog shows.
Dog shows were not Kaba’s thing but he would do anything for some treats.
He picked up his first 2 majors at 6 months old in Dallas, TX — handled by my Dad. We traveled to a lot of shows across the country, but struggled to get more points. By 2009 he only needed 1 point to finish. At the 2009 Pharaoh Hound National in Eugene, OR he finally got that last point handled by Don Delmore. I stupidly tried to show him as a veteran at a specialty. He faked a limp and I asked to be excused, only to have him hop around quite happily outside the ring. Message received – no more shows.
Lure coursing was absolutely Kaba’s thing! I saw Kaba chase the lure for the first time in Falcon, CO at the Zoiboyz Ranch — the sheer joy on his face hooked me for life. He was ridiculous going to the line for a number of years – barking, lunging, pulling, and usually dragging me down and getting away from me to go shred the bags. He usually barked the entire course, bringing joy to all who watched him. 2008-2009 we traveled the country going to lure coursing and dog shows, attending the 2009 “Bogswell” ASFA II where he earned his ASFA field championship and a grueling 9 trials in 6 days in Columbia KY where he earned his AKC field championship.   He loved to fake out the lure operator and slow down so the lure would slow, then he’d easily catch the lure, which was the whole object of the game to him. For years I had a giant summer sausage so I could catch him at the end. Eventually we moved to smaller treats and even blueberry muffins — those were his fav. He had a long coursing career and while he earned enough points for his Veteran LCM, he did not have enough placements. He helped certify over 40 dogs, mostly Ridgebacks, simply because he loved running so much. In 2018 Kaba retired himself from coursing. I’d let him run a 10-20 yard fun run whenever he wanted but he usually only wanted to go with me wherever I was going.
We tried rally, obedience, dock diving, and scent work — not really our thing. Being loose in an outdoor obedience ring, at 7 months old, panicked every onlooker who came to see the idiot that thought trying this with a Pharaoh was a good idea… his recall was epic, thankfully! But we found our shared sport in agility.
Agility — our biggest accomplishment as a team. He loved spending time with me and worked for his soup and treats at the end. We played “run fast and jump jump” for 8 years picking up many titles and ribbons. However, it took us 4 years before we earned our first title and found our rhythm. I never gave up as he truly enjoyed the time with me, and I with him. As we’d wait in line for our turn to run, I’d sing “Don’t stop believin” to him. He’d get all excited and bump his nose into my cheek. Probably because my singing is terrible. When we entered the ring, I’d kiss him on the head and ask him to stay with me, then remove his harness so we could go. There was no start line stay — that wasn’t the game to him — we’d leave the start line together and we’d finish together. Kaba was invited to the Agility Championship in Orlando 3 times as one of the Top Pharaohs in the country.   We went once — Kaba did not like to fly so it was a challenge getting there — but he did well and did everything I asked.   Our team retired in 2018 at the spot where we earned our first title. I treasured every single run.
Kaba was more than all the titles earned, he was my cherished, constant companion. He slept under the covers with me every night, head on my stomach. When I worked at home, he slept on the office sofa closest to me. When I’d come home from a trip, he’d greet me with the biggest smile ever — and only smiled for me. He would even say “Momma” when he saw me if I’d been gone for many days. He was my shadow.
In his last years, Kaba went on many road trips and was Cayper’s best buddy. Kaba’s last road trip was to pickup our latest addition, Calyber, and he had such a fun time visiting our GA family’s home. Although he was naughty and ate the bird food from the pantry, as well as attempted to escape the confines of the yard by wading in the lake… he entertained us all. Thank you to Sandy and Jerry for welcoming him.
These last 14 months of being homebound due to the pandemic have been a gift because I’ve spent so much time with Kaba.
We had so many adventures together across 48 states and 2 countries, most by car. I have so many fabulous pictures to remember him by, but it’s these last pictures truly show our love for one another.   I can’t imagine my life without him.
In closing, I feel these song lyrics are fitting for Kaba’s 14.5 years on this planet:
   I, I did it all
   I, I did it all
   I owned every second that this world could give
   I saw so many places
   The things that I did
   Yeah, with every moment spent
   I swear I lived
Until we meet again, KK I am forever in your debt for all you gave to me.

Napa Time

Y’all! We had a truly awesome time during our 2021 girls getaway. I am so grateful to know these two phenomenal women for nearly 20 years now. Supportive women are the BEST and they have always been there for me unconditionally.

We stayed at a darling VRBO in Napa proper, went to several wineries, and spent quality time with each other. The best news is that they didn’t have to endure my snoring since I had a separate bedroom.

I cannot recommend Napa Private Tours enough! We thought we’d just spend a few hours on this decadent tour, but once the wine, laughs, and specially made nuts started flowing… well, we powered through nine incredible hours. Every detail, experience, and accoutrements was impeccable. Our lunch spot accommodated our gluten-free and vegetarian requirements, making this day even better. Javier made this day so special and we cannot thank him enough.

Javier is to thank for this picture. Although I didn’t like how I look (we are our own worst critics), I love this moment so much. We were laughing so hard and just so you know…. Sheena was a man.

Girls Trip – Cheers!!

Not all my travels involve dogs or work or exotic destinations, although California Wine Country is way awesome… this trip was 3 gals who have been friends for a long time and love wine! These ladies are my rocks and have been there for me for nearly two decades. And we’re about to take Napa by storm – so watch out! Lots of laughs, general silliness, and wine ahead.

SAFARI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m going! I will be on that plane in a few weeks and crossing several countries off my bucket list! Even better a good friend is coming with me, and since it’s always been his dream, that will make this even more special. Everything is planned, booked, and paid for — so it’s happening! As I sit in my hotel tonight in Hanover, PA, reading over the itinerary, I am so thrilled I can barely sleep. The culmination of researching, dreaming, and planning — it’s unimaginable to think that it’s actually going to happen.

We’ll meet in Frankfurt and then fly to Nairobi, Kenya. After a couple days in Nairobi, we’ll fly to Maasia Mara for a several night stay at an all-inclusive safari lodge. Then, after a flight, ground transfer, border crossing into Tanzania, and another flight, we’ll arrive in the Serengeti for a couple nights. From there we’ll travel to the Ngorongoro Crater via land to spend a few nights. We’ll fly to Zanzibar and spend the reminder of our trip there – soaking in the sun & sand – a well-deserved rest before our long journey home.

Oh my! The packing! One can’t just hop on a plane without the proper gear and careful planning on what to pack. I figured I had most everything I needed and yikes…I was wrong. For starters, I can’t take my beloved hard-sided luggage from Away. Not allowed on the small planes and with 7 flights, that’s a no-go. Plus, we’re limited to 33 pounds of luggage TOTAL. My chronic over-packing cannot come on this safari trip. After many days of research, I chose a wheeled duffel bag and a very fancy backpack. That backpack is more than I spend on my handbags, which BTW are always purchased on sale. I cringed as I clicked the “buy now” button… but once it arrives it will feel more real. For now, I’ve got my list of must-haves on this trip and I’ll stick to not dragging the kitchen sink with me.