The Gap of Dunloe

Monday, May 2, 2016

Day: travel companion, best friend, wife and caretaker


     I am so far behind on my blog now, and I have so much to say, I am going to try this a different way. My posts are about trips and are long, maybe too long, shorter and more often might be the way to go. Posts about ideas, thoughts, or a specific event instead of a whole trip, may be more interesting for you, and easier for me. So many ideas are rolling around in my head.

     Our trip to Ireland with friends, a trip to Prague and a distant relative, TripAdvisor and walking tours, blogging, selling photos, traveling for the disabled, traveling with friends, and most important, traveling with your significant other, which is where I will start.

     Day and I recently went to the Grand Canyon and Ireland with friends, and finally after 15 years of traveling with friends, we went to Prague, Czech Republic by ourselves. I love traveling with our friends, but this was a much needed trip for just the two of us. It takes years of practice to become a good traveler, well it did for me.

     I have little patience for long lines and less than smart people, the more politically correct way of saying, "stupid people." My impatience and short fuse, would only stress out Day, especially on our day of travel. On the outside, Day appears to be calm, but on travel day, she is stressed, and does not need me making it worse. So on travel day I have learned, if Day wants to be at the airport three hours early, then we are at the airport three hours early. "Stand here with the luggage," my reply, "ok fruitcake." And why not, it doesn't cost me anything to do what I am told on travel day. It makes travel day less stressful for my wife. Once we are one the plane, Day gets the window seat, every freakin time.

     The plane ride is not so bad though, I keep myself amused on my phone with pictures or writing on the notepad app, or, farting, yep farting. Getting healthy means eating healthy, and that means gas, and I let them rip. Everyone within 15 ft of me has their shirt pulled up over their nose. Yep, I am that guy, and it amuses the hell out of me. I laugh as Day pulls her shirt up over her nose, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at me. Hey, it is no more offensive than too much bad perfume.

     Travel for Day is about food, so our trips usually involve a "food tour." It makes her happy, and I get to eat. For me, it's about writing and getting that one great picture, so I photograph everything. This means Day needs to stop often and walk slower, and for those of you who know Day, nothing drives her more crazy than walking slow. But, she does it for me, because it makes me happy (topics I will write about later).

     These last two trips have been challenging for the both of us, I am having serious back issues (traveling for the disabled). Painful does not describe sciatic nerve issues, especially while walking on cobblestone streets and sidewalks for 10 miles.


     I did not want to ruin her vacation, so we did everything we wanted, and she took care of me. She walked slow, I held on to her arm most of the day, and we sat often. She help me out of bed, into bed and tied my shoes. In the mornings we sat for breakfast, a buffet, and she brought me my food. I appreciate everything she did and thanked her often. She was patient with me, and I tried, I think I did a good job, to not be an ass to her, because I was in pain. We did everything we could to make it a great vacation for one another.

     We do this because we should, and we appreciate one another and thank one another, because we should. We are travel companions, best friends, husband and wife, and caretakers.

Thank you Day, you were wonderful, and I love you for that.



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