When there’s nothing on my mind to write about, I consult the 1000 Places to See Before I Die calendar, hoping for some inspiration. The past week I’ve seen photos of places that I have traveled near like Peloponnese, Greece and the French Alps, along with Venice, Italy where we spent three rainy days last year. I understand that Venice is dealing with major flooding issues right now that has threatened a historic bookstore. I’ve yet to venture close to Cuba, Australia, India, Madagascar, or the Seychelles that filled the calendar pages of the last week. With just the final month of the year ahead, it’s time for a new one. A friend suggested a running calendar called Run 365 filled with original illustrations and inspirational quotes. It seems that everyone feels that I need a way to keep track of the days since I’m no longer faced with work deadlines. They do tend to run together in retirement. 

My wife and I are anxious to hit the road again. We did a day trip to Fort Vancouver yesterday and BBQ at Daddy D’s, uniquely housed in a Shell station. We’ve been home now for over two months, anchored by both my step-daughter’s wedding and our move from condo to apartment. I was able to sneak away to Florida for a few days, but my wife commented yesterday that this has been one of the longest stretches of non-travel for her. We’ll escape to Oregon wine country next week for a couple of nights and then head to Florida for the new year. It’s hardly calendar-worthy, but at least something to look forward to, visiting family and possibly finding a retirement home. 

As I flip over the pages on the calendar, it’s a constant reminder of my mortality and the race against time to see as much of the world as possible. It’s a game of crossing things off my list. The desk calendar’s very title, …Before You Die, is somewhat morbid. This coupled with the hobby genealogy work that I do on Ancestry.com often brings me face-to-face with the Grim Reaper. I can’t help but note the birth and death dates of my ancestors and wonder what it might read on my tombstone? There will be no stone monument, but future generations might take a glance at my obituary. It will probably not include all the places I saw.