Author: thestampsinmypassport

A professional serving the travel industry for 25 years. Expertise and knowledge in sales, customer care and knowledge of the world. Sharing my knowledge, travel stories and tales from around the world in an engaging way.

A sad day

On By thestampsinmypassportIn Uncategorized2 Comments

I haven’t been here for a while. It is not because I am at a loss for stories to tell, or thoughts to share, but today…

Today…on the 3rd last day of 2010…when everyone is talking about what to expect in 2011 and what their resolutions are for the new year, what we want to change, I received a message from Shari on facebook that Lex had passed away in Israel. I never met Lex, but her passing has really made me sad today.

For those of you who don’t know about Lex, she and her mom have been in Israel for the last three months while she underwent hopefully lifesaving treatment for her re-occurance of her Leukemia. She, like Shari received a bone marrow transplant earlier this year. In the summer they found out that her cancer had returned and the only place she could get help (at a very large financial committment) would be Israel. There was no question in their mind – the community came together and raised tremendous amounts of money for the treatment, and off they went. Mother and Daughter together – to save each other.

Her mother, Debbie, has been writing beautiful, descriptive, poignant blogs (http://debra-lovinglex.blogspot.com/) which I have been following on a regular basis. Her stories about their life in Israel through the last three months, in and out of the hospital, the holidays, shabbat. Even the little details Debbie made beautiful. They have been so blessed with family and friends constantly flying in to be with them, comfort them and bring the some sort of normalicy in a foreign land.

And today she posted her last post, as she called it. Her chapter in Israel is now over. She and her family now have to come home and live a life that no one should know.

I am not a mother, but I am a daughter, a sister, a niece, an aunt and a friend to many. I can’t imagine what her family is going through now. I lost a friend a few years ago, and I have had a glimpse of what it is like for a parent to lose a child.  I can only say a prayer for the Wronzberg family to help them find light at the end of their darkness.

“Baruch atai Adonai, Elonheyu Melach Ha’olam, ha’noten laiya’ef Koach. 
Blessed are you, Lord our G-D, king of the Universe, who gives strength to the weary.”

 Amen.

frienship thoughts

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“Friendship, it begins when two people choose each other. But what happens when we outgrow the choice. When little by little our paths diverge, our needs change and one day we wake up and realize we need to choose something different.” – Erica Strange, Being Erica.

More stamps….

On By thestampsinmypassportIn Uncategorized1 Comment
This next part wouldn’t be complete unless I discussed my love for Las Vegas. I know that when I talk about Vegas, my voice gets more explosive, my smile gets bigger and I just get to a ‘happy place’. I have been 16 times I think, and for the most part each time with different people. So the experiences are always different.
In October 2003, on our last night of our trip, Shari and I went in search of $1 blackjack tables. We found them at the Sahara hotel and casino. Little did I know that playing $1 blackjack that night would allow me to meet one of my best friends today. To make a long story short, Brad was there that night as well, and ended up playing blackjack with us – all night long! Since we were leaving the next day, we exchanged email addresses, and I guess it is like they say – the rest is history!

I have probably travelled with Brad more than anyone, now that I think about it. I went twice to New York to visit him, twice to LA to visit him, he has been here twice, and we have been to Nassau, Paris, Cancun and New Orleans….WOW – that is really amazing actually. So, as you can imagine, the memoriest that I have from these trips are numerous.

I think I need to start with Paris. We went there for my 35th Birthday. We did so many amazing things, like going to Versailles, the Louvre, Musee D’Orsay, Notre dame, and more. But on my actual birthday, we went to the Moulin Rouge (http://www.moulinrouge.fr/). If you can picture this – sitting at the Moulin Rouge, being served “real” french Champagne by white gloved servers, eating escargot and watching the Can Can being danced in front of you. I know that Brad could do without the escargot, but for me, it was something I will NEVER forget.

Last year we went to the city of NOLA – New Orleans. It was on my ‘bucket list’ but after Katrina I never thought I would get there. But I can say that I went there, loved it and would recommend to go there any chance I get. Bourbon Street is something else. By day it doesn’t really look like much, but at night, they close the street to car traffic, and there is music playing from every bar/lounge/restaurant. Live local musice. Better than American Idol….

And the food – don’t even get me started on the food! I said I would try something new everyday, and I did. There was jambalya, po’ boys, gumbo, etoufee and who could forget beignets at Cafe du Monde (http://www.cafedumonde.com/) WOW!! The wait was worth it…

On our last day we ate brunch at a place called Court of Two Sisters http://www.courtoftwosisters.com/
It is a really historic building and the story of the two sisters is on the attached website.
they take you to the back courtyard where they have jazz playing and you have a beautiful buffet lunch. It was so amazing, and it was a great way to end our amazing weekend.

I think that I will have to continue my adventures….as there just seems to be more and more now that I have started to write about them.

Stay tuned…..