Out of Africa

I think it's about time to introduce you to my mother-in-law.....we'll call her Jean for privacy purposes. She lives in Albuquerque and is quite independent and active for an 85 year old woman. To tell you the truth....she's in great shape for a woman many years her junior. I hope to be doing so well when I am in my 80's.

Jean has lead quite the interesting life. She was born in a relatively small town in Texas. But she married a career air force officer and has traveled the world during and after his service. They lived in 8 different states in this country as well as in France, Japan and Taiwan. In fact Chris was born in Japan and graduated from high school in Taiwan. They eventually retired in New Mexico because the weather and flying opportunities were so wonderful there.

I won't tell you right here and now about all the fabulous places Jean has been, but I will tell you about a few. Among the more memorable trips in recent years was one to the Galapagos Islands. Now mind you this involved getting off and on a small boat to visit the islands and even sleeping on that boat. As I recall, there was eating of some pretty exotic food also. Another adventurous trip included Southeast Asia and sleeping on a water barge during some rather extreme weather conditions. My personal opinion...Jean is one tough cookie and loves to travel and continuously learn new things.

Her most recent trip was to Morocco, another relatively exotic locale. She stopped in Dallas to visit on her way going and coming back. So we were able to hear about her plans before the trip and then about the adventures she had actually experienced upon her return. There were many bazaars, the typical Moroccan architecture, multiple medinas and of course the colorful pots, scarves and rugs. Take a look at http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/Marrakech-Tensift-El-Haouz/Marrakech/photos-page-1.html for some truly amazing pictures of the country that I found on the web. Her favorite city was Marrakech and she rode the proverbial camel through a horrific dust storm to watch the sunset. All in all it was a lovely tour involving travel on a bus with about 30 people from multiple countries (all of whom spoke English) and their tour guide.

Chalk that up as another country Jean can cross off her list. What's next....a question she was asked quite often by a fellow traveler? Who knows what adventure awaits the fearless Jean. We should all be as lucky as Jean.....to enjoy good health and exotic travel into our 80's. I know all of you are very healthy and energetic, but if you know of someone who needs a helping hand, then please have them call our office for a free consultation.

Take a look at our website at www.hereforyouhomecare.com and see how we can help. Call 214-389-9401 today for help with personal care, homemaking, companionship or respite care. Thanks for listening and I'll be back soon. Please make a comment if there is something else you would like to know or if you have a similar story to tell. Until next time,
Jan