In the Loire Valley

Nothing is quite comparable to enjoying the Chateaux of the Loire Valley.  As most people never have the quality time to really explore this region we find 3 days is not enough. We do know that visiting in the fall you will not experience crowds and will not run into the traffic that would surely slow down any summer visit. 

This year we enjoyed Chenonceau, Amboise and Villandry, which blew us away! Posting a few photos of our days here.

A Life By Design - Funding the Perfect Life

As we are about to embark on 4 weeks abroad, there is the realization falling upon me that life as it is today is about to be put on hold.

Having responsibilities and those who look to you for guidance on a daily basis makes it much more challenging to step out of 'the present' and allow yourself to totally disconnect and live the life you planned for two years.

As the Managing Broker of a very large Real Estate office in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, I am surrounded by some of the most brilliant minds in the business, coupled with THE most brilliant leaders in Real Estate (Technology) industry today.  

We have been abroad many times since 1982 however this is only the third trip since 911.  We had returned from France 9-10, the night before life as we knew it changed forever. It took us until 2004 to work up the nerve to go back. Then the economy tanked, real estate markets collapsed and those in my line of work had to be serious and not waste further time.

With economic improvement in 2016 we found ourselves returning to France and vowed we would not allow another 12 year gap pass not going anywhere.

To begin our next adventure in the Loire valley, we are excited to return there having been their last before digital photography was created.

As guests at our first French wedding will surely be one of the highlights we look forward to.

I eagerly await the scenery and new stories that will greet us in every direction.