My mom and I have been making plans and searching out travel options. We have refined the details on the cruise, air, and pre and post hotels. The travel dream is taking shape!

When I look back on this years vision board, I see pictures of Greece. At the time I was wondering what I was attracting for this year? Memories of last year’s trip with family and friends? My mother had some second thoughts about not going with me last year … All the details in the space time continuum (quoted from the fabulous movie “Back to the Future”) conspired to bring me an opportunity.

Azamara Club Cruises is a wonderful, small, boutique-like cruise line, about 600 passengers and great cruise features, and provides luxury travel experience at an affordable price. The ship is the Journey. The destinations include 5 of my favorite Greek destinations, one new one for me (making my grand total of different Greek islands to nine!), two stops in Israel and one in Cyprus. It makes me giddy with delight to envision this itinerary. Lucky me!

My mother has great taste and wants the best we can afford; she deserves nothing less. She has expensive tastes, I love that about her. She always wants the balcony experience, so we book it and decide to talk more. My mom is in Nova Scotia now, and I live on Vancouver Island. We are as far apart as two people can live in this country, and yet very close as mother and daughter. My mother is my friend and the greatest support to me throughout my life. I love to travel with her. Taking her to Greece in style is a dream come true for me, and her.

Then we need to talk flights. She is on the phone with her land line phone to AirMiles, and has me on her cell phone, I can only hear what she says, not the agent on the other end. I have booked with AirMiles myself and their customer service is top notch. They have patience and expertise that is truly supportive to the customer.

As my mother is describing our trip, the representative on the other line says something that causes silence and a choking up in my mothers voice. I hear my mom say, with love and compassion, that agent had said longingly. “I wish I could go on a trip like that with my mom”. We all three have tears in our eyes for the sheer beauty of this experience.

Here is the reason for this blog entry. I am so grateful that I have the mother I have. I am so thankful she wants to travel, and with me. And I am so very lucky for this very special trip and that we have said YES to the opportunity.

More on our hotels and details another day.

With love and gratitude,
The daughter
Xoxox