Even though I am here on my own, I’m loving doing new things in this beautiful new-to-me country.
Here’s something new: I slept on the plane last night! Also, when I showed up early for my hotel in Lucerne, it was ready! Those are both such wonderful things when you are new in town.
Do any of these images show that I am new in town?
Because my flight was delayed, I got to briefly join the weekly ZOOM call with my sister-in-law and my son. We talked about taking past pictures flying out of Logan when we were all going to be new in town. Because I’m new in town, I thought “walk: 59 m” meant “walk 59 minutes” (instead of meters). I’m new in town, so I’ll definitely snap pictures from a train. I love being new in town in Lucerne!
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I think the Daily Bitch has the perfect advice on what to do when you are new in town.
Since I am new in town, I don’t know if I’ll figure out the perfect way to spend two days in Lucerne, but that’s okay.
Whenever I am new in town, it helps to communicate and connect with wonderful people like you!
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.
Whenever I pack for a trip, I make many decisions about what to take and what to leave behind. Rather than get too caught up in perfectionism about that, I remind myself that no matter what I forget to pack, I can always adapt. At the same time, I make sure that I have my medication, my identification, a device so I can blog and tweet, and layers of clothing to wear no matter what the weather.
Yesterday, when I was packing for my trip to Portland, I couldn’t decide whether to take a portable music keyboard. I packed it, took it out, and then repacked it again.
On the way to the airport, I talked to my Lyft driver about that nagging feeling that I had forgotten SOMETHING. He related to that, mentioning a toothbrush as something he had forgotten to pack in previous travels.
When I was on board the plane, I felt pretty secure I had everything I needed for the ride, including masks, something to read, and snacks (especially useful because the airline announced that only people who had reserved food over a week ago could get any). After my friend Maria picked me up at the Portland airport and I got settled in her lovely home, I realized, as usual, that there was one thing I had forgotten to pack.
Let’s see if my readers can guess what that might be, as they look through the images in today’s blog.
Happy National Pack Rat Day (which seems somehow appropriate as I post about packing). And by the way, I didn’t pack walnuts, cherry cobbler, or a graduation tassel and I’m not in Idaho, but I’m okay with all that.
Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “what I forgot to pack.”
Hint: I didn’t pack everything on her list and she didn’t have what I forgot on hers.
Don’t forget to comment with your thoughts about this what-I-forgot-to-pack post and thanks to all who help me blog every day (no matter where in the world I am), including YOU!
How are you going to live each day amidst so much injustice, pain, brutality, loss, and uncertainty?
How are you going to live each day to make it matter?
How are you going to live each day balancing other people’s needs with your needs?
Each day I live, I look at the news and all the images I’ve captured on my phone, and that’s why today’s blog post title is “How are you going to live each day?“
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Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “How are you going to live each day?”
While that video says we should live each day like it’s our last, in this videoLeana Delle says the opposite:
I live each day with gratitude for all that I have, including YOU.
I have many happy returns to share in today’s post, including the return of my son Aaron from Scotland to Boston.
I was happy to return yesterday to my home work desk, Twitter, Wollaston Beach, the Kindness Rocks Project, Logan Airport, and Facebook; Aaron was happy to return to our home; and Harley was happy to return to our couches (if not happy about Aaron’s return).
I’m happy you’ve returned here today to share in our happiness.
The Daily Bitch is happy to return on this many happy returns day.
While I was waiting for my driver yesterday morning to take me to Boston’s Logan Airport, I got these notifications about best strangers from Lyft:
The concept of “best strangers” is no stranger than anything else that is happening during these stranger times. Also, it felt stranger to me to be traveling to Nashville on my own, but so far I have met many best strangers here.
That’s my Lyft driver in Nashville, John, who was a best stranger in so many ways. He thought my song “Everybody’s Somebody’s Asshole,” was great, and he didn’t seem to think that it was stranger of me to sing it for him before my Open Mic last night. He also predicted that I wouldn’t want to leave Nashville on Thursday and, believe me, I’ve heard stranger predictions.
Here are two best strangers at the Graduate Hotel in Nashville — Alyssa and Luke.
Best stranger Luke showed me a photo of best dog Skippy.
At the Open Mic at the Tennessee Brew Works last night, I met best strangers Tio and Laura.
Tio and Laura also performed at the Open Mic and they were the best! Note that they both worked on creating Tio’s best jacket.
Tio and I were best strangers for each other when we recorded each other’s performances. Here’s mine, with lots of background noise from many best strangers.
Gracie, who was the best M.C. of the best Open Mic I’ve ever seen, told me she spent four years in Boston as a student at Berklee, which I didn’t find strange at all.
Do you see other best strangers in my other best photos from yesterday?
It’s crazy how many best strangers there are out here.
Don’t be a stranger; please leave best and/or stranger comments, below.
Gratitude makes any best stranger into a good friend, so thanks to all who read my best AND stranger blog posts, including YOU.
Yesterday, in my location, I was focusing on the location of my upcoming show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as you can see in this email I sent to my “Venue Captain.”
Hi!
I’m working on my flyer so I wanted to know if the venue was handicapped accessible. Also, would you say it’s considered a little out of the way? I’m thinking of saying it’s not too far from St. George Square Gardens and/or the Meadows Tennis Court. Does that seem like a good way to get visitors to find it and not be too discouraged by the distance?
Also, if I put chairs in a circle how many people do you think could fit in the room?
Many thanks,
Ann (of Group “Therapy” with Ann)
By the way, I had one of those locations wrong — the correct name for that Edinburgh landmark would be “George Square Gardens.”
I don’t know the current location of my Venue Captain, but he was kind enough to email me back immediately .
Call me if u can. The spot the Venue is not out of the way from anything it’s in a great spot it’s next to summer Hall … I’m not next to my computer but it’s not like New York City where you have a show in Brooklyn and listen everybody’s excited to see shows ..don’t even mention anything you just tell them where it is it’s next to summer Hall . ..use google maps … download the app… so don’t worry about anything …
No matter what the location is, I agree with the Venue Captain, my Captain, that it doesn’t help to worry. Here’s what my captain said about the size of the room:
if you put people in a circle you might get 10 12 15 I’m not sure, it’s not a very big Room …I don’t know if you saw pictures of it
My captain told me not to worry about anything, so I won’t worry about what might happen if more than fifteen people show up at that location on August 19 at 13:00. Just like the five groups I do every week in the location of a hospital-based Primary Care Practice in Boston, I will do my best not to turn anybody away.
In my current location on the South Shore of Boston, I spent many hours yesterday trying to add a map with the location of my Edinburgh Fringe Festival venue to my flyer. This is the best map I’ve been able to capture so far:
Now that my son Aaron is in the same location as me (after arriving last night in Boston from his previous location in Jordan), I’m sure he’ll help me locate a better map locating my venue location on my flyer.
Here’s a video recommending locations to eat in Edinburgh:
I’ve been to a few of those locations (as you can see in locations here, here, here, here, here, and here). After watching that video, I’m adding several of those locations to my list of new locations to try.
Before reaching that Logan Airport location last night to await the arrival of my son Aaron, Michael and I revisited the location of Rincon Limeño, a wonderful Peruvian restaurant in East Boston. At that location, I took this photo, knowing it would appear in this exact location in today’s blog.
Thanks to all who helped me create this “locations” post and to YOU, no matter what your location is, here and now.
Yesterday, when Michael and I were inside a Target Store, counting the moments until my son was going to arrive from inside the United Kingdom to inside Boston’s Logan Airport, I saw this inside the Target gift section:
Inside my mind, I counted several ways that “It’s What’s Inside That Counts” could count, counting on that to be the title of my next blog.
No matter what our appearance at whatever age, it’s what’s inside that counts.
No matter what we’re wearing, it’s what’s inside that counts.
We may hide,
duck,
and pretend to be something we’re not, but it’s what’s inside that counts, so we might as well be honest.
Let’s see what counts inside the rest of my photos from yesterday.
It’s what’s inside Aaron’s room that counts — it’s Aaron! (And he’s majoring in mathematics — does that count?)
I’m counting two songs titled “It’s What’s Inside That Counts” — one from Cinderella 2:
