Thanks (again)!

Since my last blog post, I have often reflected upon the incredible and blessed life I am living! And I would like to say thanks again to family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, acquaintances and even strangers, who have positively touched my life in so many ways.

During the last several weeks, I traveled the continent of South America from Santiago, Chili, in the west to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the east coast. My friend, Mae, along with the rest of our delightful Tauck tour group members, visited a great wine estate in Chile; marveled at the beautiful scenery of Patagonia as we crossed the mighty Andes Mountains by boat and luxury motor coach; enjoyed the rich culture of Tango (even though I couldn’t quite master this sexy dance) in Bariloche, Argentina; experienced the thrill of standing beside the massive Iguazu Falls in both Argentina and Brazil; and wrapped up our journey in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with its diversity of citizens and fantastic views from our balcony at the Copacabana Beach Hotel. The city reminded me of a colorful rainbow.

With only a few hours left before we headed back to the States, Mae and I had lunch and walked a few blocks in Ipanema, a vibrant Rio de Janeiro neighborhood. In our minds, we were transformed into “The Girl from Ipanema” who was immortalized in song. Okay, that’s wishful thinking, but we can dream! I’ve traveled a lot, and I can unequivocally state that this was one of the best trips of my life.

With all of our ups and downs, I believe the United States is the best place in the world to live. So, I was very happy that we were able to return home with renewed hope as the result of the Democratic Blue Wave in the mid-term elections. Today, as I watched the funeral of President George H. W. Bush, I choked up when we were reminded of his love of our country, but not to the exclusion of others. Now, we must work through the next phase of our democracy. With Democrats having the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, I am looking forward to our government having much-needed checks and balances.

In the meantime, I will personally continue to raise my voice for what’s right, and seek new adventures that will broaden my views of our fellow Americans and other people around the globe.  And I will continue to be thankful.

I met my new boyfriend in Puerto Montt, Chile! Fortunately, he didn’t follow me home.

We started our adventure in style at the Ritz Carlton in Santiago, Chile. Nice!

Iguazu Falls was breathtaking and I was a little bit silly!

Our tour group pretended like we were at carnival in Rio de Janeiro, and became aspiring Samba dancers with a quick change of clothes.

Mae gets her Tango “on” in Bariloche, Argentina.

I thought I was going to pass out when this professional Tango dancer dipped me!

Christ the Redeemer statue atop the Corcovado Mountain in Rio was a wonderful sight to behold.

Coincidentally, my blouse from Sandylew Boutique in Seattle matched the orchids on the yacht! Wow…

Mae and I got a nice hug from one of the crew as we enjoyed a private cruise on Guanabara Bay in Rio.