GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - 19

travel
I found a wonderful travel agent who specializes in
the South Pacific. He planned our two-week adventure
to Sydney, Tasmania, and Melbourne and it was the
best trip of my life. I came home with a giant boost of
travel confidence eager to plan my next trip.
What made the trip so magical was sharing it with
Jay. We never had a crossword the entire trip. Jay was
an excellent navigator. Whether we were walking to
a restaurant, taking the tram to a museum, or driving
to our next hotel, Jay gave excellent directions with
help from Google Maps. They also warned me when
I was driving too close to the left side of the road in
Tasmania.
"
Jay and me just
after our biking trip
19 GRAND SPRING 2024
I feel so grateful to have shared
this adventure with
my first-born grandchild
and treasure our memories
"
I confess to being a worrier when it comes to
travel. My biggest fear was getting sick while I was in
Australia. But that fear proved unfounded reminding
me once again how worry is such a waste of time. We
both remained healthy the whole time. In addition, all
of our flights, rides, and tours were on time.
We did city tours on bikes in Sydney and
Melbourne. I hadn't ridden a bike in over 20 years,
but I quickly got my confidence back, and by the
end of the 4-hour tour, I felt quite proud of myself.
What a great way to see the highlights of Sydney! Ten
days later, I felt like an old hand when we got on our
bikes in Melbourne. At the end of our 5-hour tour
despite the searing 97-degree temperature, I texted
my neighbor to ask if I could ride her bike when I got
home.
On our flight from Sydney to Hobart, Jay and I sat
next to each other. When Jay was seven and we flew
together for the first time, we started a little ritual. I
asked if we could hold hands when we took off and
whoever felt liftoff first, would squeeze the other's
hand. As we taxied down the runway in Sydney, Jay
took my hand and we waited to see who would
detect the liftoff first. I was touched that they still
loved our ritual.
On the last day of our trip, I asked Jay what their
best and worst memories were - another travel
tradition we've shared over the years. Jay laughed
remembering the modern dancer who surprised us
during lunch at MONA (the Museum of New and Old
Art) in Hobart and sashayed past our table. We both
moaned recalling the hour we spent in a stifling hot
van on the way to Penguin Island when we got stuck
in gridlock.
My last day in Melbourne was Valentine's Day. I
gave Jay a Valentine and included a list of memories:
cities we visited, the four hotels where we stayed, the
names of all of our tour guides, the wildlife we saw,
our sea adventures, memorable food, high points, low
points and solving our daily puzzles together: Wordle,
Connections and the New York Times mini crossword.
I feel so grateful to have shared this adventure with
my first-born grandchild and treasure our memories.
I've already talked to Jay's younger sister, Amelia, to
start thinking about where we can travel when she
graduates from high school in a year.
Donne Davis is the founder of the GaGa Sisterhood,
a national membership organization
for enthusiastic grandmas. She founded the
organization in 2003 after witnessing the birth
of her first granddaughter and going completely
" gaga. " Donne has hosted a bi-monthly
speaker series for grandmas from all over the
U.S. for the past 20 years.
She stepped down from
her role at the end of 2023
to pursue new interests.
Donne is the author of When Being a
Grandma Isn't So Grand: 4 Keys to L.O.V.E.
Your Grandchild's Parents - a practical
guide for building mutually respectful relationships
with your grandchild's parents and
handling common grandparent challenges.

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GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024