2017 has been an incredible year of growth and adventure. Cataract surgery greatly improved my eyesight. Easter was celebrated with my family in Culiacan. I treasure the memory of spending Mother’s Day with my son in Winnipeg. I discovered the Senior Center in Leavenworth. And I discovered a whole new world in Centro upon my return to Mazatlan in the fall.

And the friendships renewed and the new friendships I have made in my travels as well as in time spent in three countries……………there just are no words to describe how precious these are to me. Many people who read my blog I have not yet met in person, and perhaps never will, but you are all special to me too.

This afternoon I went for my final walk along the malecon for this year as tomorrow I am off to Culiacan to ring in the new year with my Mexican family. That means my next walk along the malecon will be next year, in 2018.

As I passed the cliff divers, the statues, the salt water pool, the food trucks and the vendors, I marveled at how blessed I am to spend the winter months in this amazing city. I can even hear the sound of ocean waves through my opened bedroom windows.  I am living the life I once only imagined as I gazed at the photos in travel brochures.

Friends often commend me for following my dreams. However I feel that I have surpassed that point of following my dreams. Excitement and adventure abound in my life in ways that I had never ever contemplated before. Indeed I often have a difficult time realizing that this is actually my life now even though I am experiencing it for real.

For me the key lies in accepting that life does not always go as planned and that change is inevitable. Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint those exact moments that will have the greatest impact on our lives. Nonetheless it is important to view change of any kind as a positive experience that may lead us on an unfamiliar path with wonderful things yet to come. While we can’t change the past, we can live in the present and influence our future.

In the fall of 2010 I came to Mexico to teach for one year. I am into my eighth year here although I am now retired. In the summer of 2016 I went to Leavenworth for two weeks and stayed for four months. In 2017 I stayed for six months. I wonder what is in store for me in 2018.

Here are some photos taken this afternoon on my walk. I hope you enjoy them. Better yet, I hope that if you have not already done so, you will be able to come here and experience them for yourselves. Even on a cloudy day, this is a beautiful place to be.

Happy New Year! I hope that 2018 brings you health, happiness, peace and love.