Flights Booked, Adventures Ahead!

 “Lewy may grumble, but we’re on the move! We tackled Mt. Tam, James nearly asked his ‘hallucination houseguests’ to chip in for travel funds, and now—thanks to YOU—we’ve booked our flights. First stop Austin, then Mexico!”

Ok, everybody — here’s another update, one that’s been ripening in my consciousness for a while now.

First things first: our “visitors” (those uninvited guests) have been quiet lately. Entertaining as parts of that saga were, we’re grateful for the break. At one point James even joked about asking them for a contribution toward our travel fund. We didn’t — but the idea still makes us laugh.

Meanwhile, we tackled our first big climb with James’ trike and its kick-ass battery: Mt. Tam! We made it all the way up BoFax from Fairfax and down the other side through Olema. Ridge Crest will have to wait for another day, but for now, it felt amazing. We were exhausted, but happy — proof that new adventures are still possible.

Then came James’ birthday (yes, it’s on 9/11). Leading up to it, he had been digging around in his storage shed — which we call The Taj Mahal (or just The Taj now). Out came his table, cooking gear, and his old 2011 desktop computer, miraculously resurrected with AppleCare’s help. Soon our old photos — the two of us crossing the Americas on loaded bikes — were glowing on the screen again.

Those photos lit something in James. Inspired by the sight of our younger selves pedaling through deserts and mountains, he insisted on dusting off his two-wheeler for a little meeting in Lagunitas. I was terrified (balance is one of Lewy’s cruel tricks), but downhill was smooth, even joyful — eye-to-eye, side-by-side again, just for a few minutes. On the way home, though, pain and instability returned. James admitted it was probably his last ride on that bike. That truth hit hard.

The following week was rocky: morning blood pressure drops to 60/45 or 68/51, me desensitized until one evening he began speaking gibberish mid-dinner, then slid from his chair as if fainting. I got him to the floor just in time — narrowly avoiding the cat food — while his body flailed as though falling from the sky. Later, James said he’d had a vision of tumbling from an airplane. It was terrifying. Our medical team adjusted his medication, and thankfully, things seem steadier now.

On the housing front: there’s still no word from the owner, so we remain “hanging in the air.” But little by little, we’re settling deeper into the space, unpacking, reclaiming corners of life, and it feels good — grounding, even — in spite of the uncertainty.

And then — courage: I booked our second trip.

Here’s the big news: thanks to your generosity, all our flights are booked!

• Trip one: Austin in October for Mabel’s 2nd birthday. James and Coby for 4 days, me for 12.
  
  

• Trip two: Mexico in November — finally Chacala, finally our dear friends, after so many years. Eleven whole days!
  
  

You, our sponsor team — our trusted circle of supporters — are making this possible. You lift us up, not just financially, but emotionally, spiritually. The anticipation itself feels like medicine.

Now we’re daring to dream: that Lewy will behave, that we can steal moments of normalcy, that we can play pretend — as just another aging couple, heading out into the world with a boatload of adventure still ahead.

And if the “visitors” show up again, maybe we’ll pass the hat this time. 😉

https://gofund.me/736ec308

With deep gratitude,
Margit and James