“But listen to me. For one moment quit being sad. Hear blessings dropping their blossoms around you.” ~ Rumi

Traveling the Danube recently allowed me to put problems with Mom, world events, and stress behind me. What a gift to spend time in places like Prague, Vienna, and Regensburg with good friends.

 

One thing I’m learning about living with a mom with Alzheimer’s is I can’t let it consume me. I can’t control it. And if I don’t live my own life, too, I won’t be of help to her.

Three things I’m going to do more often that I learned on the trip:

• stop at a local coffee shop and drink espresso mid-morning
• wear clothes that make me happy
• laugh with friends

I also realized I can’t eat anything I want. Whoa, is it easy to get off track while traveling. Pastry, wine, bread, bourbon, wine, strudel… you get the idea. A little goes a long way for me, and I need to protect my gut.

But what a lovely adventure. I will carry it with me for a long time.