Question of the Month: October (2024)

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Perhaps your travels will inspire some of your own jewelry when you join O.A.T. for

From Journeys to Jewelry

We have enjoyed each and every trip, some more than others. Our Trip Experience Leader always contacts us ahead, and I always mention that I make jewelry and always have my eyes open for special beads that I might incorporate into a piece of jewelry that will have special memories for me. While on our latest trip to Sicily, I was able to purchase some hand-painted beads, which I have made into a necklace. I collected salt samples from our visit to the salt flats and lava from Mt. Etna, and these too are now in a Sicilian Memories necklace.

Thanks to: Barbara H., 14-time traveler & 12-time Vacation Ambassador from Encinitas, CA •

Creative Quilting

I have taken pictures of interesting trash cans from all over the world—from a collection of holes in the ground, an ice cream cone, a bear, a Mickey Mouse figure, various baskets, and even a cigar in Cuba. I transfer these photos to fabric and made a quilt of 55 photos from 27 countries. The official title of the quilt is "Poubelles Around the World" and the border is quilted with "Garbage" in as many languages that I could find to match the locations for the photos. We now have 3 trips planned (just added another) that will give me 4 new countries and 4 repeats. By far, it has been the most fun quilt I've ever made and I've been an avid quilter for over 15 years. What a memory of our experiences with your company.

Thanks to: Ron and Judy A., 26-time travelers & 19-time Vacation Ambassadors from Benicia, CA

As I walked in Vietnam, I saw colorful broken china pieces on the ground and thought they were too beautiful to be discarded as trash. It occurred to me that I could make a stepping stone as art for my garden. When I am in my garden, the stepping stone forever reminds me of the steps I walked on my trip. Since then, I have made one from pieces I collected in Morocco and Turkey.

Thanks to: Arlita S., 16-time traveler & 7-time Vacation Ambassador from San Ramon, CA • Inside Vietnam

Maybe you’ll discover a new furry friend during Grand Circle Travel’s

A New Addition

We were in Rome, riding a local bus in the shopping area near the Spanish Steps. On the bus was a young Italian woman from Milan who had the most adorable puppy in her lap! Soft, gorgeous eyes and a wagging tail that did not quit! I asked the breed—Cavalier King Charles spaniel was the reply!

I determined that I would get a dog in the spring and started my research. I hadn't had a dog since high school—a few years ago! My research began, and I was delighted to learn the intimate history with great artists who painted Cavaliers and the wonderful relationship with English history—one of my passions along with art history.

So the next spring, we went to a breeder of note and picked up our eight week old tricolor Cavalier named Victoria Theresa. What a joy! She has been trained as a therapy dog and we are presenting a program next week here at our senior citizen residence on the Cavalier in Art and History! She is our joy and lovely pal.

Thanks to: Dawn H., 5-time traveler & 2-time Vacation Ambassador from La Grange Park, IL •

All It Takes is One

Because of a lucky shot of the Grand Canyon, I became passionate about photography. While I’m not a professional, I do win prizes and am frequently asked to donate a photo to a fundraiser. I use my pictures to make cards and calendars. I have been on two O.A.T. trips and have a third booked for next March. I took a really great photo on my recent trip to Iceland.

Thanks to: Suzanne W., 3-time traveler & 2-time Vacation Ambassador from Modesto, CA • Untamed Iceland

Memorable Movies

I love this question because shortly before I took my first trip, which was to Turkey, I got a new computer and learned how to make movies. I take videos and still photos, and then put them together with music and titles. They turn out, even if I say so myself, spectacular. It's probably more the subject matter than my own doing. Then I can look at them either on my computer or other devices and show them to anyone who is interested in going to where I've been or just to enjoy what I've seen. I continue to do this with every trip—every video/movie is different and shows other parts of the world that I've visited.

Thanks to: Joan R., 22-time traveler from Palo Alto, CA

Finding Faith

On a humanitarian trip our synagogue made to Cuba, our Rabbi, well knowing my passion, asked me to document the trip to show to the congregation on our return, which I did. This inspired me to seek out sites and stories of Jewish Culture in countries and cities that we traveled to in future years. These included Portugal, Paris and Provence, Warsaw to Berlin, Northern Spain, and now Venice and Croatia. I have presented this material at the Jewish Community Center in Boynton Beach, Florida, and also at adult communities in the area.

Thanks to: Kurt B., prospective traveler from Cherry Hill, NJ