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It's a Bonnie Thing

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Life is short, Create Memories and Experiences to last a lifetime

in Destinations, Inspiration on 10/20/17

Praia da Dona Ana, Lagos in the Algarve Region of Portugal

Beautiful places inspire me, like this beach in the Algarve region in Portugal. Praia da Dona Ana is a beach in the Lagos Area in Southern Portugal. We had a nice family day on this beach. I wore a bikini that day and felt good although I am far from having a perfect body. Our son climbed on the rocks and swam in the sea with his father. It was a good day. Today, I reflect back on these moments when I have a bad day and they make me smile. 
 
I’d rather spend money on experiences like these that are always good memories to look back on. Yesterday, was a tough day and going back through my travel memories bring a smile at times when I need one. Travel and seeing new places enriches my life more than anything I own. Material things like dresses, shoes, and new purses only bring about a temporary smile. Don’t get me wrong, a new dress can make me feel good. Feeling good about yourself is important too. I’m not big into designer brands unless I get them on sale or clearance. I equate all my spending to the price of plane tickets. My husband likes material possessions that bring adventure like snowmobiles, skis, boats, and Utv’s. I agree that some material possessions can enrich your life but for me traveling to beautiful destinations and re-living those memories through photographs last a lifetime. Family vacations together or Anniversary trips bring people closer together. Creating new experiences and going new places builds close bonds and good memories. We laugh about putting diesel gas in the rental car in Portugal now, but it was not funny at the time. 
 
We all have good days and not so good days. My dog has a heart tumor and we were at the Cardiologist yesterday for long hours. He was whimpering last night and it made me so sad. Death is a hard concept for me. I wish we never had to lose the ones we love. 

My dog Polar Bear and I always love to play dress up 

As much as I love to travel, I am planning on spending as much time at home with him and make his last days happy days filled with yummy foods like salmon, chicken, turkey and peas and carrots. It’s hard to realize you may be losing your best friend. Even sitting in a new dress with a glass of Champagne doesn’t have enough power to make me smile today. The only thing making me smile are travel pictures I have taken because the world is so beautiful. Life is short, make sure you are spending it with the people you love and spending your time doing the things you love to do. For me, it’s spending time in beautiful places around the world because I only have one life on this planet and I want to see it! You may not be a travel bug and it’s ok, just go out this weekend and do something you love and create a moment that will last a lifetime. 
I am supposed to be having a Girl’s Night Out at a Luxury Spa in Beaver Creek tonight but I am cutting my day at the spa short and will be spending the entire weekend having good moments with my dog instead.
While we don’t get to plan or choose when we die, We do choose how we spend our time. Hopefully, you spend your time checking off all those things you’ve always dreamed about. Make memories and have experiences that make you smile. When you have a bad day go back to those awesome pictures and memories. Life is short, create memories and experiences that last a lifetime.
No Regrets,

Bonnie

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Welcome to It’s a Bonnie Thing

Bonnie believes, "You can star as the Princess in your own Fairy Tale." She loves playing dress up and wearing costumes. She enjoys attending parties with friends, good food and tasting local wines. She lives life to the fullest. She has pursued many different jobs in her life from retail, sales, real estate, event planner, event crew at a ski resort, to designing a home. She has always dreamed of showing people the beauty in the world, spreading more positivity in the world and making people smile. She created It's a Bonnie Thing as a travel and lifestyle blog.
Bonnie lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with her husband and two dogs.

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Beauty is found everywhere, even when you’re runni Beauty is found everywhere, even when you’re running a little late to see it. ✨We were zooming to see Mt Shasta before the sun went down. 

#ItsABonnieThing #MountShasta #RoadTripLife #CaliforniaRoadTrip
As Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage, and As Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

Well, in this production, I’m the lead, Gary’s mostly the driver, and Cali is definitely the director.

Spoiler: the sun had other plans. And the sun always wins. 🌅

Act One: I-5, Oregon. Fall leaves showing off, rivers sparkling, mountain passes doing their dramatic thing. I was in the drivers seat, fully in my element, pointing at everything like, “Gary! LOOK! Gary! LOOK AT THAT!” Take your head out of your phone! He was researching LTV’s with Lift, his AI assistant. 

Act Two: Lithia Park, Ashland — the surprise star of the show. We stopped to stretch our legs, and suddenly it’s the most beautiful walk of the trip. Cali, our CEO, strolled in like she owned the park. The deer? Completely unbothered. Not a flinch. Cali looked at them, they looked at her, and I swear they had a whole silent conversation that ended with, “Yeah, you’re cute, but we live here.”

I wanted to stay in Ashland forever — coffee shops, bookstores, and a town so theatrical it’s literally famous for Shakespeare. To stay or not to stay, that was the question. The answer was: Bonnie, get back in the car.
Proof that retirement changes everything: Gary use Proof that retirement changes everything: Gary used to be a full-blown Type-A, pedal-to-the-metal, “don’t stop until we reach the destination” road-tripper. 🏎️💨 Now? With zero time constraints, his Type-A can officially fly right out the window.
Case in point: battling I-5 rush hour to Salem, Oregon, only to discover two wineries miraculously open late on a Friday night. We traded the freeway for a quiet vineyard, caught the sunset glow, and actually slowed down with a glass of Pinot at St. Innocent Winery. 🍷🌅
Naturally, our road trips always revolve around our CEO, Cali. While we sipped wine, she held down the pet-friendly patio and got locked in an intense, highly competitive stare-down contest with a resident cat. 🐾🐱😂
Turns out the journey is way better when you refuse to rush.
Hashtags:
#RoadTripLife #StInnocentWinery #SalemOregon #OregonWine #PinotNoir RetirementPerks DogFriendlyTravel LabradorRetriever TravelHumor SlowDownAndSip
Bye Bye San Juan Island It was smooth sailing on Bye Bye San Juan Island

It was smooth sailing on the Washington state ferry ⛴️ The ferry was on time with no delays. The sun ☀️ was shining and sea was calm. There is a little sadness of leaving when the sun is shining and looking out at the water makes me crave another boat trip. 

Until next season! Do you miss the islands? 

#washingtonstateferries #sanjuanislands #beautifulday #ferrylife #fridayharbor
It’s a beautiful day for a ferry ride It’s a beautiful day for a ferry ride
Wow! October has been a magical month in the PNW! Wow! October has been a magical month in the PNW! Just good days outdoors soaking in Vitamin D! 

If it stayed like this year round I would stay here forever! Now it’s time to chase summer and head to a place that is summer year round. Do you know a place that is summer year round?
Is it just me, or is the universe dropping subtle Is it just me, or is the universe dropping subtle (and not-so-subtle) hints to slow down lately? 🕯️✨
Between ferry delays forcing us to sit back and wait, and an inspiring chat with an island neighbor who swears by a post-travel “pajama day,” Gary and I took the clue. We spent the weekend cozy in our condo—watching movies, reconnecting with friends, and only changing out of loungewear to hit the trails for a crisp autumn walk.
Looking around, I had to laugh at the symbolism in our life right now. We run so hot and fast that our car is a GTS model and our boat is a high-speed machine. Maybe it’s time to trade the horsepower for a Sprinter van or a slow-and-steady trawler!
Relearning how to not be in a hurry is going to be a journey, but this weekend was a sweet start.
How do you hit the pause button when life gets too fast? I’d love to hear your favorite ways to unwind! 👇🌲

#mondaymotivation #slowingdown #taketimetoslowdownandenjoylife #reachouttofriends #sanjuanisland
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