I want to travel as long as I can, see as much of the world as I can, experience the tastes, the smells, the colors, and the people in as many places as I can. India is a place I never expected to visit because my husband said it was the last place in the world he wanted to go. I figured I’d have to wait and perhaps take my grandson. Then, suddenly, last year my husband wanted to go.

We knew we’d have to travel differently than we had before. A trip to Romania in 2019 told us this. We couldn’t travel comfortably with a group because my husband can no longer walk more than a city block or two without stopping. He couldn’t keep up, and sometimes I feared we would lose the group and the guide in a big unfamiliar city.

If we went to India, we’d need our own driver and guide. I assumed this would be astronomically expensive. Turned out it was about the same price as the group trip to Romania. And oh, what a magical trip it was! We both fell in love with India and its colors and smells and people.

Travel brings me great joy! I want to travel as long as I can. Soon this may mean further and different accommodations than those we had to make for India. So be it. If I need a cane, or a walker, or a wheelchair, so be it. The joy of travel is more important to me than my image or my physical ability.

There are other things that bring me joy, of course. I love to teach, to be in a room full of people my own age and to think with them about something that is important to me, something I know about and want to share. I am learning to draw and this brings me both frustration and joy. I love to cook, but not all the time.

I am fortunate that all of these things are available to me. I am fortunate to be mostly physically able now, and of a semi-sound mind. I am fortunate to have family and friends who encourage me and cheer me on. As I continue to age, the things that bring me joy may change. However, as long as there is a source of joy, I will be content.