Traveling With Older Women
After a year of health crises and legal battles, I took a two-week vacation in China to celebrate my triumphs and victories. I was eager to escape my world and dive into a pool of adventures far from home. As much as I learned about the Chinese people and their culture, I also gleaned a great deal from the Americans who journeyed in my tour group: most notably the two women in their 70s who were traveling solo. First impression? How interesting could they be? They're old, they could slow us down. Quite speedily, I was won over by the wisdom and beauty of wiser mature women. These ladies were even hungrier for the journey than I was, both fearless, feisty, always eager for a new experience or to try a new food. Each prepared for their travels with a collapsible walking stick, small bills to tip staff who gave them extra assistance and an admirable, burning desire to enjoy life. Further comparisons? Every evening, during the course of animated dinner conversations while consuming spicy Chinese delicacies on a rotating lazy Susan, each woman gently unfolded her life story as if it were a highly-coveted silk kimono.
