Some Memorable Experiences

As this years draws to a close, I've been thinking about some of the many memorable experiences I have had during the past few years. Here are a few:

• Working for NASA and getting to watch many launches and landings of the space shuttle, as well as working in both the American and Russian mission control centers.
• Standing at the base of the space shuttle on the launch platform just hours before launch
• Living in Moscow for 3-1/2 months
• Walking part of the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) in Spain
• Visiting Africa several times
• Getting to photograph elephants, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, leopards and other amazing wildlife
• Hiking in France and visiting Omaha Beach and the American military cemetery in Normandy
• Watching the sun set over the Sahara Desert in Morocco while sitting atop a camel
• Touring England's Highclere Castle, where the Downton Abbey series was filmed
• Walking on a glacier in New Zealand
• Finally getting to visit the ancient Jordanian city of Petra
• Visiting Auschwitz
• Visiting amazing countries such as Costa Rica, Cuba and Ireland
• Being one of the first two people through the gates of the Taj Mahal, before the crowds arrived
• Visiting the elephant orphanage in Nairobi and getting to stand outside the stockade where one of my foster elephants spends the night, watching her eat, and being so very grateful that she was rescued and is on her way to living her life in the wild
• Being just feet away from an adult female lion as she was fitted with a new radio tracking collar and being in awe of her size and strength
• Hearing lions roaring and elephants trumpeting just yards from my tent at night
• Seeing the prison cell on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years locked up 
• Shaking hands with Bill Clinton (before his extracurricular activities became known)
• Meeting Senator John Glenn and getting a photo of him with my niece sitting on his knee
• Adopting a daughter from Russia
• Sharing my life with a dozen dogs over the years (I still have three dogs)

These are just some of the highlights of my adult life. I continue to make new memories and new friends through my travels. I have tens of thousands of digital photographs to keep the memories alive. As I am now in my 'golden years,' I treasure these memories so much more than any physical possessions I have.

I encourage everyone to make new memories and treasure them always.