Welcome to our blog. This is where we will share our firsthand travel experiences as we navigate international travel while managing disability, chronic pain, and life with a toddler in tow. Life has not been easy for any of us. We’ve experienced our share of ups and downs, but through it all, God has seen us through. After retirement, I knew I needed a new adventure. I had always loved traveling, but never on the scale my family and I were about to embrace. We donated, sold, packed, and stored away most of our belongings. We downsized our entire 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment into six suitcases and fourteen storage boxes. Truthfully, even that didn’t feel like enough. We sold furniture, lamps, artwork, and countless items that simply wouldn’t travel well. At first, it was difficult. Many of those things carried memories and sentimental value. But eventually I realized something important: they were still just things. When we’re gone, those possessions become someone else’s responsibility. They become items left behind for others to sort through, donate, sell, or discard. Our lives are often defined by what we hold onto, but I made a different choice. I chose freedom. Today, I no longer look at furniture and possessions the way I once did. I value comfort and necessity over accumulation. As long as I have what I need, I have enough. Leaving Arizona was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. Arizona had become home, but Pittsburgh will always be where my story began. It’s where my parents are laid to rest. It’s where my family, friends, memories, favorite foods, sports teams, and lifelong connections remain. After my mother passed away, everything changed. For the first time, I felt free to pursue opportunities wherever they might lead. I had always dreamed of living out West, and little did I know that God was already preparing that path for me. I simply had to trust the process. When my daughter suggested we drive across the country to Arizona, I thought she was crazy. Apparently, relocating to a state where we knew absolutely no one wasn’t adventurous enough. So we packed up the car and headed west. Like many East Coast families, we started with a AAA map spread across the kitchen table. Then we hit the road. Our journey took us through Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and finally Arizona. We visited the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, stopped at Sweetie Pie’s, drove stretches of historic Route 66, and made memories that still make us laugh today. The trip wasn’t without challenges. We needed an oil change along the way and eventually discovered our cooling system needed replacement shortly after arriving in Arizona. Thankfully, it was still under warranty because Arizona’s 120-degree September temperatures were no joke. But we made it. Six years later, I retired. Most people think retirement is where the story slows down. For me, it’s where the real adventure began. Today, my daughter Dani, my granddaughter Brooklyn, and I are exploring the world together one destination at a time. We’ve traded certainty for curiosity, possessions for experiences, and comfort zones for growth. Some people call it being a digital nomad. I simply call it living. Thank you for joining us on this journey. I hope our stories inspire you to travel boldly, embrace change, and discover that it’s never too late to start a new chapter. Welcome to LeJean Travels. Where Movement Inspires Journeys.
