Today is my brother Joel’s “Golden Birthday”. Golden or Champagne Birthday occurs when you turn the age of your birth day (he turned 31 on the 31st of October). It’s also Halloween, a fun holiday in our house; decorations, elaborate homemade costumes and birthday cakes shaped like huge pumpkins.

This is the first Halloween I’ve actually been at home to greet the trick or treaters (in more than a decade) and I decided to dress up as someone who appropriately reflects my current status. No, I didn’t dress in a leisure suit. Although, I do feel I’m a lady of leisure as of late – the only thing missing is a fully relaxed state of mind, a little lap dog, a fresh mani/pedi and of course the leisure suit! Instead, I donned my mothers finest cruise wear, a vintage Pentax, sunnies, map and white socks. Now that I’ve got the look of a tourist all that’s left to do is actually get on the plane, right? EEEEEK (that’s me), if you listen closely you can hear my mother sighing in the background and her nerves causing hives to slowly pop up one by one.

If  you don’t know me, or you haven’t heard – I took an early retirement. Yes, a very, VERY early retirement –  I turned 35 this month.  In TEN days, I leave for a six and a half month RTW trip (round the world).  This is just the start to what I hope will be a fun way to follow my journey, enjoy a few photos and hear some crazy stories!