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November 16, 2009
Back in the game again: One traveler’s inspiring story
“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
— Harriet Beecher Stowe
As we get older, we learn to understand that loss is a part of life. We may lose our hearing, our eyesight, our health, and our loved ones. The greater the loss, the more time we need to allow ourselves to grieve … and it’s so hard to decide when it’s time to start living our lives again.
Before she became a 14-time OAT traveler, Mary Lou D’Altorio was struggling to cope with the loss of her 36-year marriage. She knew she needed a push to get back in the game … so she pushed herself straight into one of the most physically and mentally challenging destinations OAT offered back in 1999: Nepal.
Ten years later, whether traveling on her own, with a roommate assigned by OAT, or with the new man in her life, Mary Lou is not looking back.
When Mary Lou sent her story into Harriet’s Corner, I was compelled to share it with several of my colleagues. We were all so inspired by her determination and sense of humor that I knew she’d inspire other travelers, too.
Mary Lou, thank you, thank you, thank you for reminding us that eventually, it’s time to stop focusing on what’s lost … and to start looking instead toward what’s to be found.
I encourage everyone to read Mary Lou’s story here.
Harriet Lewis