Year in Review: 2024 Above, Below, Aboard, All Around

Reflections on 2024

Pertinent prepositions prevailed in 2024—I was on the sea, beside the ocean, I was beneath the earth, I was above the clouds, I was aboard a ship that went along the Nile. I was among and amid many passengers at the airport. I watched our luggage go around the carousel. I was behind schedule on Egypt Air. I went through customs and stood before the official. I watched our luggage go around the carousel. I was among the most impressed after the visit to the Valley of Kings. I sailed from Southampton for New York.

There were also a few travel firsts this year: first ocean liner, first group tour, first time in Africa. 

Tucson sunrise

 

Tucson sunset

I started and ended 2024 in Tucson which is fitting because Tucson is all about starts and endings with daily dramatic, sunrises and sunsets.  And there is a bonus round after sunset. The sky turns into a planetarium. Tucson is an astronomy capital and has a world famous observatory, but anyone can see tons of stars and planets every night. 

High tea with Susan, London

I got a slow start on the travel year but made up for it the last 8 months.  In April I flew to London to see my dear friend Susan who is an expat living in the English countryside. She and I used to go to New York City a couple of times a year and we do cities well. Same walking gait, same "hanger" levels, etc. We did classic London activities, long walks, rain dodging, the theater, high tea, and a trip to Wimbledon. I would like to say I was featured at Wimbledon, but more accurately, Wimbledon was featured in my blog.

Cruising into Brooklyn

In May, I experienced a travel first—I boarded an ocean liner from Southampton, England to New York City, the glamorous, elegant Queen Mary 2. There is a clear distinction between the QM2 and a cruise. I was assured there would be no wet t-shirt contests. Plus we didn't make stops like a cruise, we crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 8 days.  I was there to participate in a 5-day writing workshop, Rebirth your Writing. The ship pulled into New York Harbor trip in time to see the spectacular Statue of Liberty at sunrise, and then we were rather unceremoniously dumped in Red Hook.

Birthday boy at Commander's Palace

Also in May, Darr requested a trip to New Orleans for his birthday, so off we went.

Nila and Peter in India

Franky meets the Dalai Lama

The whole family was on the go in 2024. Peter and Nila went to India in January and stayed until June. In July, Peter and Nila moved from Brooklyn to Berkeley. Franky left for India in October and will return in April.

This happened!

In July we went to see Pittsburgh, where Nila grew up.  It’s a pretty cool city I hadn’t been to since 1996, so I needed a refresh. 

Cape Cod

In September we went to Cape Cod for a week. Franky was in Wellfleet for a wedding so we decided to meet there for a family vacation. Even though we are Maine people, we gave Chatham a chance. As it turns out, Cape Cod, too, has beaches, the Atlantic Ocean, lobster rolls, and strawberry rhubarb pies. 

Beiser brothers in Plymouth, MA

At the end of the trip the two brothers flew home to Berkeley. They live there now. This is what I get for raving so goddamn much about California. 

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo

In October another huge travel first, Darr and I took a group tour to Egypt. We loved it. What a relief turning over the logistical planning. But Egypt is such a sea of wonderment that it will awe and amaze you no matter what travel arrangements you make. This blog is in two parts.

Birthday in San Francisco

In November I staged a large birthday campaign. I headed to San Francisco for part one of the celebration, and then met Judy in Maui to continue the party. 

Maui

Coming home I experienced a letdown with the short days and the low light.  But I knew I could cure it with a tablespoon of Tucson, where Christmas is never white, and the sun is always bright. We went December 21st and ate at our favorite restaurants,  Rosa's and Micha’s twice, and we walked up the challenging Tumamoc Hill twice to counter the double doses. We rewarded ourselves afterwards with the delicioso spiced maple latte at Presta in Mercado San Agustin.

What's ahead for 2025? Follow this space.