32. A Dream come True

I finished my first year of college in the spring of 1974.  Instead of planning a fun summer, I decided to take a gap year before my second year of college. The school I attended had church affiliated programs in connection with the church’s international efforts where students could spend a year in different countries of the world working in various capacities.  I accepted a position to be an English language conversation and pronunciation teacher in Seoul, South Korea.  So, at the age of 18, I took my first commercial flight and traveled halfway around the world to reach Kimpo Airport in Seoul.  At that time, there were no computers, cell phones, Wi-Fi, Facebook, or Facetime.  One could make long distance phone calls, but they were expensive so my only means of communicating with my very trusting parents was by snail mail.  It took about two weeks for a letter to reach home.  That year was a pivotal year in my life.  It broadened my world view and gave me confidence in myself.  But it also sparked my love for travel and seeing the magnificent world we call Earth.  

Over the years I have traveled to many fantastic destinations and seen many wonders.  When I was diagnosed with PD in 2017, I realized that the sands in my hourglass had an endpoint to my mobility.  I was determined to make the most of the time I had left and do what I could to slow the progress of PD.  I made a commitment to living fully and vibrantly and taking charge of my situation.  I now looked at my hiking and healthy lifestyle choices as requirements to extending my mobility and slowing the sands from pouring through the hole in the hourglass.  Just a few weeks ago I got the opportunity to realize one of my dreams – to see the glory of the Aurora Borealis.

I began working on this trip about a year ago.  I researched to find the best place, the best time of year, the best phase of the moon, and the best tour company to realize my dream.  Once I had those factors decided, I recruited friends to join me on this journey.  So, on February 19, 2025, four of my friends and I, flew out of Raleigh, NC to go to Reykjavik, Iceland to begin an 8-day northern lights tour around the island.  We flew out of Raleigh amidst a very rare for Raleigh, snowstorm.  After arriving in Iceland the next morning, our first stop was at the Blue Lagoon.  It is a hot thermal mineral baths spa that was amazing and a great way to relax after a long travel.  The next day we were guided on a walking tour of the city by a local Icelander who told us about the history of Iceland and showed us around Reykjavik partly in the rain.

Then on Saturday, February 22, we started our 8-day minibus tour.  There were 16 tourists and one guide on our tour.  They included Francesca and Tom from England, Alex and Luna from Singapore, Gustavo and Bety from Mexico, Megan and Melissa from California, Jin and Min from South Korea, Damien from Australia, and our group of five – Betsy and her sister Margaret (Marg), Joy and me from Asheville, and Susan from Ft. Myers, FL.   In no time we were all friends and having a wonderful vacation together.  We saw gorgeous waterfalls, glaciers, snow covered mountains, beautiful sunsets, black sand beaches and rocky terrain of lava fields.  We trekked on a glacier, explored an ice cave, delved into the depths of a lava tube, rode Icelandic horses, went whale watching, saw a geyser and other hot spots and geothermal vents, and soaked our tired bodies in two different hot mineral baths.  We even did the cold plunge into the icy waters of a partially frozen lake.  We ate fantastic food and met the warm, friendly and kind Icelanders.  We learned about the history of Iceland and did so much more.  It was an awesome time, made even better by our fantastic guide – Johann.  He is a native Icelander and told great stories and knew all the best places to take us.  He is first rate and made our trip just about perfect.  

About midweek we had seen some faint signs of the lights, and some had gotten up at 3:00 a.m. to see a good show but I still hadn’t seen what I had hoped for. It was a crystal-clear night in Akureyri and after eating dinner some of us decided to go to the local hot baths to see if we would get lucky to see the lights.  The prediction showed we had a good chance of seeing them.  We waited about two hours when a wisp of haze appeared in the sky.  Through the lens of the camera, we could see the green light but not with our naked eyes. A native Icelander in the baths with us told us to wait, they would be coming soon.  She was right.  It was like the sky opened and this tube of fluorescent green light emerged in the sky.  We were awestruck as we watched the show of light snake around in the sky and at times its tail would shred into ribbons.  It was fascinating to see how it would dance and curve around in different directions.  It was so very bright and vivid.  I could have watched it for hours, but the spa was closing soon, and we had to leave.  When we left the spa showered and dry, the magical light in the sky had disappeared again.  But I had gotten to see them and realize a dream of a lifetime. 

At the end of the tour, we said goodbye to the friends with which we had experienced so much wonder.  We vowed to stay in touch and invitations were given to visit each other in their home countries.  Who knows, maybe I’ll be traveling to England, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, or California one of these days.  My friendship with the four women who joined me in my personal group was strengthened even more.  I am so grateful to them for going with me on my quest.  My determination to preserve movement was made even stronger.  There is so much to see, do, experience and people to share it all with.  The effort to keep pressing on is worth it.  At times the depression that often accompanies PD snags me too.  But memories of being on the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, or reaching the vista point at the top of Angel’s Landing, seeing the Aurora Borealis, and feeling the warmth of family and friends is there to keep me going.   PD never lets up.  It is there every day all day long. I know that in the end it will win this tug-of-war I’m in with it.  But I’m going to dig in my heels and make it work for it’s victory.  

Thank you to all the many friends and family who support me with your love, kindness, patience and encouragement as I travel on.  I have my eyes set on a new goal for this year.  The Michael J Fox Foundation is sponsoring a fundraising event to climb three volcanoes in Guatemala in November.  It will not be the challenge of Mt. Kilimanjaro, but it will be difficult with daily hikes traversing straight up volcanic scree trails.  One of the days has the group getting up at sunrise to ascend 5,000 feet elevation.  I will be working on getting signed up for this event soon so you can be on the lookout for the information about it.  While it is a fundraising event to find a cure for PD, it is so much more than that to me.  I have found a valuable community in the PD world through my MJFF efforts.  It also gives me a goal and incentive to keep going.  It gives me opportunity to spread awareness about PD and inspire others.  All fundraising efforts are meant to be totally voluntary with no pressure to donate.  Your encouragement and support is sufficient enough.  I am truly blessed as I keep trekking upward.

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