Prisoner of Hopes

Category: Perspectives

  • Isola Bella- The Beautiful Island: Travel Goals Italy

    Isola Bella- The Beautiful Island: Travel Goals Italy

    The day started slowly. We changed plans again and again. Finally we decided to go to Stresa to see if we could find spots on the Centovalli rail and boat excursion to Switzerland. The people at the travel agency were great and so helpful. We laughed and chatted, only to find out that the tracks…

  • Stress Free Stresa: Travel Goals Italy

    Stress Free Stresa: Travel Goals Italy

    It is a rare day that we both awaken at about the same time. In sync, we enjoy coffee. My husband decided to try Italian toasted bread. You buy it prepackaged and already toasted. It is hard as a rock. I took a hard pass. He is desperate because there is no toaster in the…

  • Angera Unplanned: Travel Goals Italy

    Angera Unplanned: Travel Goals Italy

    I am up with the dawn no matter where in the world I find myself. My husband is up with the owls and does not like mornings. This makes for some interesting travel logistics. Multi-room lodging is usually best, so I can get up and move about without waking him. But after three hours, if…

  • First impressions of Northern Italy in Arona and Lesa: Travel Goals

    Waking up in a new space can be disorienting. Waking up in a traditional Italian house? A whole other level of level of confusion. Stumbling into the bathroom, I forgot the light switch was actually in the hall. In my sleep addled haze, I tried to recognize the toilet from the bidet in the dark.…

  • Arrivals: Travel Goals Italy

    Arrivals: Travel Goals Italy

    When the plane takes off from American soil, I always release a big sigh. It finally sinks in that I am going on an adventure. This trip I was especially ready to release pre-trip tension. We flew through Atlanta on the day hurricane Helene hit Florida. The airport was pounded with steady rain and high…

  • And So It Begins: Travel Goals

    And So It Begins: Travel Goals

    Travel is an intentional act to get out of your comfort zone and encounter new experiences. What makes it thrilling and satisfying is also what can make it stressful. While planning our latest adventure, I discovered the video feature of this platform. I have no desire to be an “influencer”, if I’m honest I don’t…

  • Skunked

    Skunked

    Friday started out normally. I had laundry running and was packing for an upcoming trip. As I moved from room to room, I caught whiffs of an unusual odor. I kept working. There was a heat wave, with temperatures reaching 100 and I wasn’t too keen on working outside in between my zoom calls and…

  • Stillness, Surgery, and Serenity

    Stillness, Surgery, and Serenity

    If you know me, you know I rarely sit still. Even when I am “watching” television, I am usually doing a word puzzle or craft project. When I am driving, I ponder and grapple with ideas. I like to be on the move mentally and physically. So when my husband finally decides (after 10 years…

  • Don’t Overstay Your Welcome: Rural Road Trips Missouri

    Don’t Overstay Your Welcome: Rural Road Trips Missouri

    I was always taught not to overstay your welcome. This colloquial saying communicates that you should always leave before your host tires of your presence. I generally like having company, but it is hard for people with different schedules and routines to coexist. In a campground, a diverse group of people are living in a…

  • Give a Hoot: Rural Road Trips Missouri

    Give a Hoot: Rural Road Trips Missouri

    Encounters in nature are calming and peaceful. Sayings like ‘leave only footprints, take only pictures and kill nothing but time’, remind us that our wild spaces should be protected. Every outdoor enthusiast seems to understand the gift and works hard to protect and preserve natural spaces. Unfortunately, there are others that are not so in…