David Johnson

October 2022

Hello and welcome to my October 2022 newsletter. I am writing this at the end of a long visit to Europe. I’ll be starting my journey home as this newsletter goes out. Most of the posts that I have shared here come from the journey of the last six weeks.

My wife and I left Maui in the closing days of September and now November is just beginning. As I was putting together the newsletter, even finding time on this trip to do that has been a challenge, looking back through my blog I was amazed at the ground that we have covered, both literally and figuratively. And I haven’t even shared every detail of the trip. Time to post has felt constricted.

We started off in England, visiting my mother who I have not seen since my father passed away a year ago. My sister and her husband also came to visit. traveling from New Zealand. All was going well until my sister and husband contracted COVID. Life in my mother’s apartment became very tight and uncomfortable, with everyone having different ideas as to how to handle the situation. Then on the morning that we were leaving for Portugal, mum walks out of her bedroom with a mask on. She had COVID!

Our first few days in Portugal were nerve wracking for me, with my aged mother now unwell with COVID. Thankfully my sister changed her plans and my mother is now doing well. Indeed we will see her briefly on the trip home.

Our visit to Portugal was brought on as we have bought a small house just south of Lisbon. That adventure has still to unwind, but we spent a week there sorting out some initial things with the house and laying the ground for the future. During that time I met up with Maique Madeira from Micro.blog (the hosting platform for my blog), and he showed me around Lisbon while we chatted. A lovely morning - thank you for your hospitality Maique.

From there it was onto Italy for my wife’s nephew’s wedding in Florence and some time traveling with her sister and husband. There was a part of me that was not looking forward to this part of the trip…the introverted part of me. Yes I have had some times when I have just wanted some quiet time, to step back from the socializing and seemingly continual do, do, do. But I have enjoyed myself.

For now though I am looking forward to getting home, my wife as well, to rest, regroup, get back in our routines…and see what comes next.

This month’s posts

And so onto this month’s posts. You will mainly see photographs and a few short reflections on the trip.

Thank you as ever for reading.

With best wishes,
David.