Deborah Guy:  

Life update (as of Deecember 28, 2022) Greetings! Presently I am living in Columbus, OH, with my adult son, Nicholas, and our current cat, Gracie. Little Gracie joined the family after our dear Gypsy crossed the rainbow bridge in December 2020 at age 17. On August 26, 1995, I survived a major hemorrhagic stroke. Despite the physical deficits it left me with, the stroke did not prevent me from returning to a full and even more vibrant life than before. In August 2012, following six months of ongoing of medical crises, I retired on disability. At the time I left government service I was just days away from completing 26 years. I also had nearly 10 years in guest services experience at Nationwide Arena and at Germain Amphitheater prior to its 2007 closing. The medical issues obliged me to give up my volunteer ushering for CAPA ands Wexner Center. However, I continue to participate in several writing and creative arts groups. I am also active in stroke support and disabilities advocacy groups. In November of 2014, I started a travel blog, Ubiquitous Gypsy Spice, on Tumblr. Although I have many connections to and fond memories of Columbus, I intend to relocate to a milder climate as soon as I can manage it financially. My health issues demand it. (Wrote that circa 2014). While it appears less likely I will ever effect a permanent relocation, I have been able to follow the snowbird migration most years to escape the worst of what Ohio winters dump on us. My chief passion in life is traveling to warmer climes to scope them out. In April 2008, I flew to Cancun to celebrate my 50th birthday! The grand fiesta included a day trip to Chichen-Itza, a ferry ride to Isla Mujeres and, best of all, a dolphin swim. My most memorable snowbird adventure prior to 2020 was a January 2013 Snowbird Pilgrimage through the deep south. Traveling 3,825.8 miles over 15 days, I passed through portions of eight states and hit many cities that figure prominently in the USA's musical heritage. In February 2020, I fulfilled my fondest snowbird travel dream by spending the month traveling between LA, French Polynesia, and Oahu. Less that two weeks after I returned home. we were in lockdown. Since the inception of the pandemic, my Snowbird migrations have been on hiatus. That is scheduled to end in January 2023 when I depart for Barbados, where I will board the Rhapsody of the Seas. The ship sails in mid-month for a 14-night Southern Caribbean cruise book-ended by resort stays at the Hilton Barbados.. Nine ports of call in the islands of the Southern Caribbean, Central America, and South America plus three at sea days are on the itinerary. When warmer weather and clear pavement return to Ohio, I will resume my in-state day trips. Each year I pick a new theme and build a series of road trips around it. Past themes have included literary sites, scenic byways, festivals, ethnic heritage, made in Ohio, and bad-ass girls of the Buckeye State, among others . For 2023, the theme will "Exceptional Ohio" The theme honors those locations, people, events, and products that make the state noteworthy. It enompasses many of the historical firsts, the stataistical biggests, and empirical bests that have cemented Ohio's reputation and the places associated with them. Some of the many Halls...Expand for more