My deer friend, Amie-Lu*, has been having a great time exploring the town. Amie-Lu has plenty of energy…she rides comfortably in the pocket of my travel vest.

I, on the other hand, find myself hitting a point where I just need to rest. One art of traveling is knowing when to get off the boat and just enjoy the view for a while…before you are exhausted. It’s fine to have a list of potential ideas, just don’t mistake it for a to-do list.

*Amie-Lu is a Chinese talisman for safe travel; James says they typically hang on rear view mirrors in cars. She was given to my husband and I by one of my son’s co-workers, a Chinese woman named Amy. Her name is from Amie-French for friend and Lu-Chinese for deer. We don’t take selfies when we travel, we take Amie-Lu-ies.