Trip from: Austin, TX to St. Paul, MN to Berkeley, CA to Pasadena, CA

Hello everyone,

After my trip to Mexico I made some decisions when I got back to Austin, TX. I thought about what I wanted to do in life and I decided that I wanted to travel. So I packed my house and I put all of my belongings (except; clothes & shoes.... very important things in my life) in storage. My girl Melissa, son-in-law Alex, my sister Rita and nephew Carlos helped me pack and gave me lots of encouragement to begin my new life. My daughter Tammy came down to Austin to help me drive to St. Paul, MN where she lives with her husband Kevin. It took us 1 1/2 days to arrive in St. Paul. We had so much fun talking, laughing and singing all the way there. Yes, we did have a flat tire in Oklahoma where there is absolutely nothing to see but open land and beautiful skies. A very handsome Highway Patrol Officer helped us. We arrived in St. Paul on October 17, exhausted but happy to be together. Tammy's house is beautiful, and Kevin and Tammy made me feel right at home, as well as Lola (the dog). After being in St. Paul for a week, I received a sad phone call, my beautiful cousin Laura had passed away and my aunt Carmen, who lives in Pasadena, CA asked me to come down and help her. On my way to Pasadena, CA I made a stop in Berkeley, CA to see my daughterGigie, who attends CAL Berkeley. We had so much fun together, we went shopping in San Francisco, stayed up late night talking and laughing. We walked around Berkeley and had a fancy Italian dinner. I love spending time with my girls.

Crossing the Oakland bridge to San Francisco

I finally made it to Pasadena, CA and spent a month with my relatives. It was hard to have this experience. One never expects to loose some one you love at such young age. Having this experience helping my relatives has made me stronger and has helped me realize that I can be on my own and be happy every moment of my life.

My beautiful cousin Laura

It was a sad moment for the whole family, but we will remember Laura as a kind person, whom always had a big smile and brought the family together, not just for her funeral but to all of her parties at her house. I really appreciate the effort she made when she attended Melissa's wedding in Austin. We will miss you Laura, but we'll always have you in our hearts and sweet memories.