It is no secret that I love to travel. After 18 months of life without the most perfect travel companion anyone could ever hope for, I realized that if I wanted to continue, I needed to evaluate my situation and take action. I was daunted by the logistics of making travel plans, the idea of traveling alone with a heart condition and a heavy suitcase felt risky and filled me with anxiety.
The easiest solution, it seemed, was to ask friends to travel with me. No takers. Then, C’s cousin Brad, who travels a great deal for work, mentioned he was going to Paris in the fall and invited me to join him. I said yes without hesitation. More like YES! I asked him if, instead of returning to the US, he would mind if I went on to Italy to see my family. He generously offered to accompany me as far as the Pisa airport. Amazing.