This trip was a long time coming.

Many years ago, Paula confided in me that her dream for her 60th birthday was to go on a hot air balloon ride in Kenya.

Much as I would have loved to make her wish come true, I didn’t have connections in Kenya, had no real desire to go there myself and really wanted to be there when she went aloft. So I gave her an alternative: a ticket to the United States and a hot air balloon ride there (my sister has a patient who does them all the time so she was willing to set it up).

But this was all in December of 2006.

Somehow, however, one year after another passed and both Paula and I were too caught up with the care of our parents and children and jobs to think about ballooning. But this year, after several false starts, we managed to pull it off!

I was so excited I was at the airport in Boston an hour before her flight was to arrive.

I guess we really had let too much time elapse between visits because I almost assaulted the woman in blue here as she emerged from Immigration.

“Paula!” I shouted.

No response.

“Paula!” I yelled again, clicking away as I raced behind her, dropping my purse in the confusion, only to cringe with embarrassment as she turned and revealed herself to be someone totally unfamiliar.

Luckily, Paula came out soon after, and this time, there was no mistaking her:

There she was, just as I had dreamed it happening. . .

Just ten days together, and so much to do, so many plans, so much to catch up on, so many stories to tell. The trip passed by in a happy haze of walks in the countryside, lunches in cafes, visits to museums and parks and – best of all – introducing her to all my family.

Each morning began, of course, with tea, and I had to learn all over again how LIGHT she drinks hers and how MUCH milk she puts into it (and no sugar!).

We took long walks every morning, averaging around seven miles a day. The weather, while not always sunny, was almost always perfect for walking – and the flowers (lilacs, tulips, daffodils!) were incredible.

Next up: the people she met!