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Back from the blogging abyss

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The last time I wrote here was in December 2024, when my dad passed away, and there’s a reason for that. When I went to Paris in the spring of 2024, my plan was simple. I’d take photos, check in with my dad while I was there so he could see pieces of the trip with me, and then pull it all together into a blog post afterward. At the time, writing during the trip felt like too much. I wanted to be present, to experience it as it was happening, not through a draft folder. So I let the blog wait. Paris ended up being the last trip where everything still felt like “normal.” Before I left, I did what I always do before a flight to Europe, I called my dad from the airport. It was a small ritual, but one I never skipped. While I was there, I checked in with him several times so he could see what I was seeing, and when I got home, I sent him a t-shirt, just like I always did. Somewhere in those conversations, I told him something I’d been thinking about for a while, that maybe, someday, I’d spe...
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Riding Into the Sunset: David Handshew Leaves a Legacy of Adventure

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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, David Handshew, who left us suddenly at the age of 83 on December 4, 2024. David was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and grew up as an only child in a small town where the world felt big, yet the connections were close. It was later in nearby Boiling Springs that he met our mom, Frances, and together they began a journey that spanned countries and decades. In 1962, David enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, a decision that took him around the world, including Alaska, New York, California, Germany, Montana, Utah, the Philippines, and Panama. He proudly served for 24 years. After retiring from the Air Force, David continued his commitment to the country by working for the Navy for several years before fully retiring. David's pride and joy came in the form of his daughters—Jennifer and Jill. He adored his girls and was deeply proud to be their father. In addition to his dedication to family and country, David also pr...
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Final days of tour (feeling verklempt!)

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We arrived in Rovinj on Wednesday and it was so cute! We hopped off the bus with all of our stuff and had to wait for a ferry to take us to Katarina Island, where our hotel was located. Upon arrival, we got our hotel room assignment info, waited for our luggage to be brought up from the ferry, then headed to our rooms. Overall, it was a beautiful and quiet hotel setting, and I had a nice balcony overlooking the garden area, which included some seagull 'regulars.'  That evening, we enjoyed a decent buffet dinner in the hotel, which included a self-service ice cream bar, which was nice. It was a mellow evening--I just hung out in my room and made a plan for the next day, which was what they referred to as a "vacation from your vacation"...a free day in Rovinj...which absolutely had to include laundry for me! The next day, Thursday, I rolled out of bed, got ready, and headed back down to the hotel restaurant to have breakfast--it was PACKED and I could barely find a tabl...
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Welcome to Croatia!

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Tuesday was a long bus ride from Budapest to Croatia, but on the way, we stopped at a cute family run restaurant for a lovely homemade lunch, walked the grounds, and our bus driver took a group picture and video. When we got back on the bus, it was covered in stink bugs...ew ew ew!  Later that day, we arrived at our hotel in Lake Plitvices, which was absolutely overrun with tourists. Hats off to the hotel for managing such a large number of guests so well though. The dining room was just jam-packed, but somehow, there was plenty of food for all.  On Wednesday, we loaded our bags onto the bus, then met back in the lobby to start our descent down the stairs and into the park. We took a little slinky bus up to one of the trailheads, where our guide gave us the lay of the land via a map. We then set off on a beautiful, but slightly treacherous multi-part hike through the park. It was stunningly beautiful, with TONS of waterfalls and trees everywhere you looked. We had gotten an ea...
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