Stop here if you want to see many images from my trip to Rome with friends.
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We’re not going to stop here in Rome for long; today, after seeing the Colosseum, we’re moving on to our next stop — Florence!
Stop here if you want to see a YouTube video about the museums of the Vatican, where we stopped for many hours yesterday.
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Stop here if you want more gratitude from me for stopping by this daily blog.
I’m in Italy! Let’s see what the Daily Bitch has to say on this momentous day.
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Actually, I think I’m in the right place at the right time (despite the time difference and not being able to sleep on the plane).
Where I am is a place where I can share these day-before Italy images with you.
I’m glad that that on the International Day for Achievers that I’ve achieved my dream of visiting Italy. Now I need to explore Rome with those other international achievers, Janet, Ray, and Jeanette.
Thanks to all for being here where I am no matter where you are.
My husband Michael, whom I’ve been with since 2010, has many helpful sayings, including:
“It’s not where you are, it’s who you’re with” is reassuring to me today, as I experience my usual nervousness about leaving home to go to a strange and unfamiliar place (even though that place is Italy, which I’ve always wanted to visit). It helps to know I’ll be with three long-time, wonderful friends — Jeanette, Janet, and Ray — whom I was with at film school in the 80’s.
And even though I won’t be with Michael and our two cats in Italy, I’ll be with them through the magic of FaceTime.
Are you with me here as I share my images for today?
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I am with my cuddly kitten on Cuddly Kitten Day, for now.
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Here’s what I find when I search for “it’s not where you are, it’s who you’re with” on YouTube:
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It’s not where you are, it’s who you’re with and thanks to all who are with me today, including YOU!
I’m in the midst of preparing for my trip to Italy, starting on Sunday.
Preparing for travel includes packing, which I started last night.
Preparing also includes learning about my future destination while also being present, here and now, to deal with many issues at work. Typically, when I am preparing to go away, people prodigiously add to my work load the week before my vacation,
Do you see preparing in my images for today?
On Client’s Day and International Clients Day I’m preparing to work with many clients in individual therapy and group. And after work, I’ll be preparing for my trip with a manicure/pedicure.
Because of cognitive distortions like catastrophizing, I am also preparing for my trip by noticing things that might go wrong, including a sore thumb (from blogging on my phone?), a sensitive tooth, and possible issues with my vision. Part of my preparing also means packing my medication, my portable blood monitor, and injections in case my INR goes too low.
I’m also preparing to visit Rome by watching this video recommended to me by an artist I know:
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Now I’m preparing for your comments about this post.
Are you preparing for my gratitude?
Many people have theories about how we got to this dissettled place; I’m wondering: “Where do we go from here?”
Where do we go from here to preserve democracy and bring back civility, kindness, equality, and justice?
One place I’m going from here is Italy. Then I’ll be happily going back to my hometown Boston, where Mayor Michelle Wu is bravely and strongly defending people’s freedoms and standing up to Republican bullies.
Where do we go from here? We go to my images for today.
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Where do we go from here? We go to this song by Chicago:
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Where do we go from here? To gratitude, of course, for YOU.
After a memorable vacation, thanks to our memorable friends in Vancouver, we’re home in memorable Boston!
Do you see anything memorable in my images for today?
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Thanks to the enthusiastic and supportive response to my original songs I got from our memorable friends in Vancouver (who were always willing to lend a hand), I think I’m ready to give a memorable concert/Democrat fundraiser on Saturday.
Here’s what I find when I search for “memorable” on YouTube:
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Now I am looking forward to your memorable comments.
Thanks to all my memorable friends, including YOU!
From my work as a psychotherapist, I know that people need to be seen and heard.
Thanks to our fabulous hosts (who were celebrating their 40th anniversary yesterday), my son and I felt seen and heard as we saw and heard many wonderful things in Vancouver, including the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia.
As we get ready for our departure back home tonight, what is being seen and heard in my images for today?
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Here’s what I find when I search for “seen and heard” on YouTube:
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Here is a brief video of some young people who were seen and heard at the Museum of Anthropology yesterday:
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Thanks to all who are here for this seen-and-heard blog post, including YOU.
Now that my son and I have reached the beautiful city of Vancouver and we are staying with my beloved blogging friend Maureen and her wonderful family, this is turning out to be a dream vacation.
Do you see elements of a dream vacation in my images for today?
Part of my dream vacation will be performing my original songs on Saturday and contributing all proceeds to support the Harris/Walz ticket and other Democrat races in the USA. Last night, Maureen and her family listened as I shared some of my songs and their supportive response helped make this a dream vacation for me. One of my dreams is that many people will hear and heed this song:
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Thanks to all who are joining me on my dream vacation, including YOU!
Yesterday morning, after I published my blog posts with some complaints, I noticed it was raining. I don’t like to complain, but that rain lasted the entire time the train went through the Canadian Rocky Mountains. I felt very selfish complaining about that, since the rain was sorely needed by this forrest-fire-stricken area.
I have no complaints about the precious time spent with my only son, and we even got an hour of clear viewing at the very end of the day.
Do you have any complaints about my images for today?
Well, I have a complaint. None of my images seem to be loading.
Wait! It looks like WordPress has loaded the list of today’s “ holidays and observances,” so I don’t want to hear any complaints about that.
Ooops! Wrong day!
I’ll try to load one more image, lest there be complaints from those who love my son.
Yay! Here is one more.
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Any complaints?
Thanks to all who listen to all my bloggy complaints, including Maureen who lives in Vancouver (and is kindly putting us up for our stay there) and YOU!
Day 4466: Expectations
I had expectations about finally making it to Italy with friends — that the food, the company, and the art would meet high expectations and so far, so great.
Yesterday, I told my friends that I try to lower my expectations for every experience and that way I’m pleasantly surprised.
Sometimes my expectations are based on worst cast scenarios; sometimes they’re based on something that has rarely happened.
Sometimes experiences are beyond my expectations. For example, I had no expectation that my first meal in Italy would include pizza with French fries on it.
I wonder what expectations you might have for today’s blog post.
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I had expectations for the awesomeness of Roman churches, cathedrals and basilicas and here’s a video about the basilica of St. Mary Major, which we wandered into yesterday.
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I don’t know if you have expectations about the comments in YouTube about this video, but here they are:
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I wonder if I’m exceeding your expectations by including another video about the Basilica of St. Mary Major:
Thanks to all who are here for this expectations post, including YOU.