Slice of Life Post for March 21, 2025 (3:40-4:11) by Barb Edler

Tonight, at close to 4:00 p.m., we will be checking into a hotel. We are only traveling a short forty minutes, but it’s for a big birthday bash and the host made sure there was a block of rooms for the partiers. Why not, I thought to myself. Drink a little or maybe a lot???? Doubtful, but it sure is nice not to think about abstaining as I am the DRIVER.

I’m fussy about hotels. I like really comfortable beds, free breakfasts, free food and drinks during happy hours, and why not a balcony, too. Our vacations only happen when I plan them and choosing a hotel may take me quite some time. I think I am a member of every chain possible, well, maybe not all, but I do pay attention to points, etc. I like a “deal” but do not appreciate the beds at Motel Six.

Last May we spent two weeks in Europe on a no-frills educational tour adventure. It was fantastic and exhausting. If I ever go overseas again, I will not choose this route. Although I am fussy about hotels, I do want to be careful with my money. I want time to relax and explore; the European vacation was not relaxing. We saw a lot and I have several fond memories, but time is running out, and I do not have endless funds to travel nonstop.

This August we plan to take an Alaskan cruise. I’m worried sick. I’ve never been on a cruise. In fact, our travels for the most part have been limited. Most of our trips are cross country and I do the driving. We’ve traveled to Colorado, Florida, Tennessee, Wyoming, South Dakota, and South Carolina. I want to travel more and feel at this late stage in my life a sort of panic. We’ve never been to an all-exclusive resort. This sounds wonderful to me, but I do not just want to be in a pool and drink as lovely as that might be for a three-day jaunt. I’d like to see the landscape, explore historical sites, and take in a museum or two, and of course, eat at marvelous restaurants.

Needless to say, I need help; I need a plan, and I need advice. Please feel free to share your favorite destination spots and hotels. In the meantime, I need to decide to move forward with our Alaska cruise, get our flight tickets or cancel it and reconfigure. Ugh!

One of my favorite European places was Switzerland. Our hotel was in a small town and quaint, but it was Pentecost and nothing was open. Plus, the two beds pushed together to accommodate my husband and I were uncomfortable. Here’s a little video that reflects today’s poem, a naani.

Switzerland's Choir

cowbells serenade us 
through open windows
we lie on hard beds and breathe
soothed by their mountain song