Still Traveling The World
A world traveler once said, “The best thing about traveling is that you have disasters.” That world traveler is Barbara, and she has been nearly everywhere: Bali, Colombia, and beyond. Her most recent trips took her across California via the California Zephyr, to Quebec, and to the west coast of Costa Rica. Wherever she goes, Barbara refuses to let fear get in the way.
“You can do a lot of research, but you don’t know what’s going to happen in the world,” Barbara said. “You overcome the disasters and then say, ‘What a beautiful day it is. Let me go to the next place.’”
Barbara’s travels were recently featured on the PBS NewsHour in a segment on women traveling solo. Though she sometimes travels with her daughter or husband, Barbara said going alone is an entirely different experience.
“Travel has been really important to me,” she said. “There are life lessons for sure.”
When she is home and giving her suitcase a break, Barbara stays involved with her new community of New Castle, Delaware. Originally settled in the 17th century by Dutch immigrants, the small town is full of history.
“We are in one of the only buildings built in the 20th century,” Barbara said. “New Castle is completely historic.”
For 30 years, Barbara enjoyed a career in writing and film production in New York. She crisscrossed Manhattan, living in the Upper West Side, the West Village, and the Meatpacking District. But a few years ago, the cost of living — and winter weather — persuaded the couple to retire to Delaware.
“My husband didn’t want to shovel snow,” Barbara said.
Twenty years ago, when Barbara was still living in New York, blood work showed her liver enzyme levels were unusually high. It wasn’t until 2010 that a doctor at NYU Langone Health diagnosed her with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a rare liver disease. The news came as a shock.
“I didn’t know what was wrong with me,” she said. “I’m very healthy and try to keep active.”
Thankfully, Barbara connected with a vibrant online community for people living with PBC. The group shares the highs and lows, personal testimonials, and resources that provide financial assistance with PBC treatment costs.
In 2023, a community member suggested Barbara apply for The Assistance Fund’s Primary Biliary Cholangitis Financial Assistance Program, which provides financial assistance for copays, deductibles, health insurance premiums, and incidental medical expenses like travel costs.
“The medication is incredibly expensive,” Barbara said. “But it’s working for me, and I bless it every day.”
When the COVID pandemic hit, millions of jetsetters like Barbara were stuck at home, left to dream about trips they couldn’t take. It was during this time, just after she was laid off from her job, that Barbara began writing and blogging about her travels. With each new adventure, Babara attempts to capture the soul of each city in her writing.
“I don’t earn much money, but I started getting hired by online magazines and by travel companies that pay me in travel,” she said. “I’m grateful that I carry on traveling, even with primary biliary cholangitis.”
Read Barbara’s travel blog: https://thebabybloomer.blog/
