I was looking for the trash collection schedule when I found it.
Tucked away in a drawer was a card from my friend Bruce. On the front was a furry little creature in pink curlers and a bathrobe, coffee in one hand and a cookie in the other. Inside, the message simply read, “Livin' the Dream.” The moment Bruce saw it, he thought of me.
After more than 30 years in Boca Raton, I traded Florida for a small Croatian village. Bruce could hardly believe it. a lifetime of traveling the world, staying in beautiful hotels, and helping others plan their own adventures, I had settled in a place where tractors are more common than traffic lights and storks are regular visitors. The card made me laugh when it arrived, and when I found it again recently, it made me laugh all over again.
The funny thing is that Bruce wasn't always a friend. I had heard his name for years through the travel business, but we only really got to know each other over the past few years. Somewhere between planning trips, sharing stories, and checking in on one another, a friendship developed. The older I get, the more I appreciate friendships that arrive unexpectedly.
Bruce recently returned from three weeks exploring India and Nepal. In September, he is off to Istanbul and Budapest. Last year he traveled through Australia and New Zealand, followed by Berlin, Krakow, Warsaw, and Prague, and later traveled to Marrakech, Casablanca, Dubai, and Muscat. What impresses me isn't the number of places he visits, but the enthusiasm he brings to each one. He reads constantly, researches everything, and usually knows exactly which hotel he wants before we even begin discussing a trip. For Bruce, planning is part of the adventure. Having something to look forward to may be one of the secrets to staying young.
A few days ago, I called to see how he was doing after a doctor's appointment. Somehow the conversation wandered from health concerns to travel, then to cremation arrangements, family stories, a beloved horse, a cat, and enough laughter that neither of us could finish a sentence. To anyone listening, it might have sounded like the most morbid conversation imaginable. To us, it was hilarious.
Bruce turns 86 just one day after my birthday and will be celebrating in Toronto. Like me, he enjoys being somewhere special when his birthday arrives. Over the years, I have celebrated birthdays in more places than I can remember, and I honestly can't recall the last one I spent at home. What I admire most about Bruce isn't the number of places he has visited, but the enthusiasm he brings to life. He is still reading, still planning, still laughing, and still looking forward to the next adventure. I hope that when I get there, I'm doing exactly the same.
I opened a drawer looking for a trash schedule. Instead, I found a reminder of friendship, and a card that still makes me smile.