For most of my life, the most traveling I did was back and forth to work. For some reason, I have rarely had a job within 10 miles of home, so driving 45 miles each way makes for a 90 mile round trip and that’s traveling!

Once I discovered the joy of REAL traveling, I was hooked. Not only traveling to conferences for my professional association and staying a day or two to see the area of the country we are in, but it has escalated into international travel and I love it!

Travel includes lots of things for lots of budgets. Whether it was a road trip to the outlet malls in California (before they had such great outlet malls here), a road trip to Disneyland, or a road trip to Vegas, going with friends and sharing the costs of gas and a hotel room makes for the ultimate bonding experience.

We also build in travel when we go to conferences. I have been able to see amazing things in places I otherwise would never go to. I’ve seen the Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati, Williamsburg, VA while going to a conference in Norfolk, the Gone With the Wind Museum in Atlanta, and many more.

Having been born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, my lifetime landscape has always been a dry desert valley. When I travel to other places, I get to see grass, rivers, bridges, and unbelievably beautiful scenery.

And the things I saw in my trip from Spain to Italy were remarkable. Just knowing the history of that part of the world is so much longer than the history of the United States and seeing pieces of that history still standing was truly awe inspiring. Pictures online don’t do it justice. Seeing those things with my own eyes is something I will never regret and will always be thankful for.

Traveling certainly isn’t cheap. Traveling with friends helps cut the cost down, but it is still expensive. But I’ve worked hard for years to be able to do things like this. And it keeps me working hard so I can continue to travel. Oh yes, I will continue to travel! I have a very long bucket list to catch up on!

We all know we are supposed to have regular dental checkups and medical checkups and mammograms and colonoscopies and, and, and. Regular checkups and timely testing is important.

I’m what I call a “heart attack sandwich.” My dad had a quadruple bypass and my son had a quadruple bypass, so I always feel like I’m a quadruple bypass waiting to happen. I went to the cardiologist regularly for the first few years after my son’s bypass, but then got out of the habit. I recently figured out that while I knew I needed to go for a checkup, I was really afraid of what I would find out since it had been so long, so I procrastinated on even making the appointment. I finally bit the bullet and made the appointment. When I showed up at the doctor’s office I was a nervous wreck. Once I saw the doctor and he ran the tests, everything was fine. So basically, I worried myself into a frenzy for nothing. But it would have been better had I kept up with regular appointments. The fear would not have built to such a level. It is really crazy to be so stressed out over something so easily prevented.

It is important to stay as healthy as possible. And if you go to the medical provider of choice and something IS wrong, if you’re going regularly, it should be found early enough to be more easily treated. There are, of course, always exceptions, but the sooner you know there is a problem, the sooner you can decide on the best treatment plan.

There are other options available now besides the regular doctor’s office, so look around. I heard a commercial one Saturday morning for a one-stop women’s clinic where you could go get a well woman exam, have a mammogram, get blood drawn, and meet with a nurse practitioner, all on the same day for one co-pay. Several months after I saw the commercial, I actually made an appointment and LOVE the office. The people are exceptional, the office is comfortable, and it is unbelievably convenient. I had to go back for a redo on the mammogram for a “questionable” area, but the radiology tech spent time showing me the first xrays and describing to me what they were looking for with this test. Just in case anyone in the East Valley area is interested, it is Ma’am Exams. Right now, I think they only have that one facility, but they did tell me they are planning expansions into the Phoenix area, so keep watching for that!

You only have one you, so you need to take care of you. If that means you need to get regular checkups, then please do it. The inconvenience of taking the time to go to the medical practitioner could be worth it if there is something wrong that can be treated. You are worth it, so if you have a nagging voice telling you it’s time to make an appointment, stop right now and do that. You are more important than whatever you are doing or watching or playing right now!

I’ve seen often the poem about friends being here for a reason, for a season, or for a lifetime. I’ve had the privilege to have all of those.

Sometimes there is something going on in your life when an angel in the form of a friend comes into your life. Once what you are going through is done, so are they and they disappear from your life.

Sometimes there is a period in your life when you need a certain kind of friend and they show up. Once you have moved on, so do they.

Then there are friends for a lifetime. While I’ve had many of these friends that I thought would be an important piece of my life forever, one or both of us have moved on. We haven’t completely left each other’s lives, and we remain important parts of each other’s lives, even though we don’t see each other often.

One of my favorite stories is when I happened to read a Sunday newspaper (which I very rarely do anymore) and saw the obituary of the mother of my best friend from junior high and high school. After graduation, I got married (she was my maid of honor) and then so did she and she moved away. I wrestled with whether to attend the funeral service or not. I’m practically an expert at talking myself out of things, but in the end, I decided it was important for me to go. I walked into the church and her brothers recognized me immediately. She was off to the side of the church getting herself together and praying before the service started. I touched her shoulder, she looked up and jumped up to hug me. Neither of us wanted to let go and she kept telling me she was so glad I was there. She kept saying
that me being there grounded her. All the pieces fell into place (reading a newspaper, talking myself into attending, and actually showing up) and that day I was her friend for a reason. We spend hours together that night and I was really happy that I made the right decision.

I am so lucky in my life right now to have many “lifetime” friends. They are all really important in my life and have had a hand in the person I am today. They make me laugh, listen when I complain, give me ideas for dealing with things that are bothering me, make me feel special, and teach me more about life than I ever thought possible.

But then so have all my other friends, whether for a reason or for a season. I feel like every person I have met and spent time with (even some Facebook friends that I have never physically met) have somehow had an impact on my life. Whether encouraging me to do something that scared me, giving me advice that I needed to hear (whether I thought so at the time or not), being there when I needed a shoulder, introducing me to concerts, vacations, plays, foods, and lots of other things I didn’t know enough about to know whether I would enjoy it or not, and who have made me a better mother, wife, and employee. Everyone you spend time with has an impact on your life–sometimes negative and sometimes positive.

Seek out those who have a positive impact on your life. There is enough negativity around without having it as a constant. You can easily tell the difference in how they make you feel when you spend time with them. Whether you can’t wait until the next time you get together or you are completely drained by what feels like an energy vampire, it is your choice. Make a good one!

I spent the bulk of my life not knowing the best way to take care of my skin. I often tell myself that I was young and had plenty of time to worry about dry skin, oily skin, acne, moisturizing, tweezing, and many other pieces of a beauty regime. And here I am. I have since learned many things about products and when and how to use them. Between that and good genetics, I’ve been very lucky.

Using lotion when you get out of the shower is a quick way to ensure your skin gets some of the moisture it needs, but the best way is to drink water. While there are many different suggestions for how much water to drink, just drink water. Especially in our dry Arizona climate, drinking water is really important. I know I feel better when I drink enough water–which I don’t do often enough.

So take care of your skin. Wash with a good quality product every day. Once you keep doing it, you won’t be able to go to bed without washing your face because it will feel like there is an inch of grime on it. So wash! Then moisturize your face with a quality moisturizer. When they say that the skin around your eyes and on your hands gets thin as you age, they are right. So don’t pull on the skin under your eyes and don’t use your pointer finger to apply product under your eyes. Use your ring finger as it has less power than any of the other fingers.

Then moisturize your body–especially your hands. I don’t know if it is thin skin or just veins out of control and wanting to be noticed, but if anyone had any doubt about my age, they would only have to look at my hands. All those years I said “next time” are showing.

You only get one body, so take care of it. Your body really is your temple and it is the one thing that everybody who meets you sees. Impress the hell out of them by keeping your skin looking young by taking care of it. It’s not fun, but it is necessary.

I know when my kids were little, one of the first things they learned was saying “please” and “thank you.” As they grew, they learned other normal manners. Holding doors, calling adults Mr. or Mrs. until instructed otherwise, not taking the last of something–the usual.

Every day as I am out in public, I wonder where the manners are. Just today, I had a young man barge onto an elevator before me and not hold the door or the button. I’ve had women go out the door ahead of me and let go. I rarely hear anyone say thank you.

That is an amazingly powerful two words. But don’t say it just to say it. Look the person you want to thank in the eye and say “Thank you.” Whether to your barista, the person delivering your food or refilling your drink glass, the person actually cooking your food when you pick it up, or anyone who helps or does something for you. Yes, they are doing their job, but they are doing it FOR YOU! You can afford the two seconds it might take you to say “Thank you.”

Appreciation is one of the best motivators there is. People want to be recognized for doing a good job. Tell them when they are. It doesn’t hurt you or lower you in any way, but you could make someone’s day with that one small act. Don’t let it become rote, but help someone feel like they did their job well today.

It doesn’t take much, but manners are really important. It shows someone that they matter to you. Otherwise, it appears that it’s all about you–and in real life, it is not!