BJ and I took a vacation trip to Kauai last week, and I was so gratified by all the queries about why “Life in Ludlow” was not in last week’s paper. Well, there was one.

Travel provides so many opportunities for impacting your life. For instance, BJ caught a cold on the beach and has now shared it with me, creating indelible memories for both of us. In addition, we did get more than our fair share of needed vitamin D for the week as well as some Hawaiian culture. We did the obligatory luau, with fabulous food and dancing (complete with fiery batons), but almost as much fun was finding the local high school canoe-paddling races on the Wailua River. There may have been a couple of hundred folks watching, cheering and partying. However, it appeared there was enough food for 500. When we went to Salt Pond Park, we were talking with a younger couple from Milwaukee. The fellow had brought his guitar and planned to write some songs whilst sunning on the beach. I pointed out the shelter with microphones and amplifiers set up and encouraged him to check it out. As it turns out it was the day for “Pickin’ in the Park,” and he joined the other guitar, harmonica, keyboard and saw players for a great jam session entertaining the other sun seekers. In my not-so-humble opinion, his talent exceeded theirs, so he was welcome. In addition, with his bald head, he could not have handled much more sunshine.

Surprisingly, one of the fun things about travel is seeing if you encounter anybody from where you came. Weren’t we trying to escape? Probably not, really. We spent the whole week not seeing anybody except people from all over the world with one common denominator. They were all from someplace colder than Hawaii. However, while in the departure lounge at the airport, I was greeted by Thomas Beres, son of Jeff and Stephanie Beres. He was there with his sister Hayley, brother-in-law Christopher and nephew Paul, all of whom had spent the past week sunning in Kauai. Tom even confessed that he thought he might have seen BJ and me on the plane from Seattle to Kauai. So much for the escape. Hey, it was great to see them all.

Shortly after arriving home, Pang, the East Jefferson Rotary foreign exchange student from Thailand, moved in with us for the second semester of her year at Chimacum High School. She is bringing us into the 21st century of living with a teenager as we learn something new every day. The activities, energy and technology are enlightening, at the very least. I provide a paraphrasing of the sarcastic Zen observation that “wisdom gained from experience is something you don’t get until just immediately after you needed it.”

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week!