In 1968 after graduating from college, I came home to Illinois to roost, but only for awhile. Like many college graduates, I had bills and loans to pay off. I took a job close to home, but only for awhile. "But for awhile" turned out to last my life time! In my early twenties I envisioned living in strange, exotic places, experiencing the world at large. Then...in '68 I met the love of my life - Larry. My goals and dreams changed and were now centered on marriage and a family. We lived, and we loved. Today, forty years later, here we are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary with two grown sons, a daughter-in-law, and three grandkids, and still very much in love! In honor of the occasion our entire family headed to a beachhouse on the shore of Pensacola Beach, Florida for a week's worth of R&R.
We enjoyed seven days' of sunny, ninety degree weather on the white sands of Pensacola. During the week's stay, our days were filled with shelling, boogie-boarding, golfing, fishing, kiting, and lounging on the beach. 
More than anything during the vacation, Larry and I most enjoyed being with the kids, both the young and old. They gave us laughter and love. As for the "exotic" places of my youth, I wouldn't change my life for anything! Life is a journey of the heart, not a journey 'round the world.
