Sometimes the world throws you a lifeline when you need it most. That lifeline in 2019 came in the form of some co-workers who are now great friends.
Since Q4 of 2019, I’d been working, along with the other members of our team, 14 hour days as companies were evaluating the purchase of our organization. I was leaning a lot on Doug, even though he was going through his own company purchase/buyout. Shortly after the deal closed, I thought the purchasing company would absorb us faster than a Tour de France peloton chasing down the lead riders but that didn’t happen. Instead of drafting at the back, I had another 18 long months of grinding through a clinical study and product transfer to their Costa Rica facility.
Lucky for me, 3 people (Alan, Katherine, and Cindy), made all the difference in that 18 months. It wasn’t just that they shared in the workload, they became friends who listened, who helped, and who made me laugh on a regular basis.
Alan, Katherine and I had worked together for a few years so were already close due to the shared experience. Katherine and I hit it off from her first day on the job. She’s talented, smart, focused, and truly one of the kindest people I know. We make a great team and dubbed ourselves the “porch pounders” because we like light, fruity summertime wines. I miss her regularly, but love that when we connect, it’s always like no time has passed at all. Like the oldest of friends, we just pick up where we left off. It’s fantastic.
New Orleans 
Napa Porch Pounders
Alan is funny, capable, diligent, and never fails to come through when needed. He and I had a chance to travel together a few times during a product transfer to Costa Rica which was really fun. Like Katherine, I never would have survived that 18 months without his help, but also without his sense of humor and empathy. My sister visited our office once and I ended up putting her to work on a project with Alan. Because of it, she shared with us this BBC video and from that point forward I fondly asked Alan for help by hollering across the office, “Alan, Alan, Al, Alan….”
I am thankful that we’ve remained friends and I can’t say enough about the generosity he and his lovely wife, Flora, have shown us as we’ve been on the road. They’ve got the cutest baby boy, Jules, and I’m so lucky and proud to now be “Aunt Wendy” (and Doug is “Uncle Doug”). Their family is so special that even though Fresno, CA has been out of our way a few times, we make the detour just to see them. We always enjoy our time with them, love watching Jules grow and flourish from great parenting, and Alan’s on the short list of people I regularly contact when I have cell signal on the road to catch up. He always makes me smile.
Alan, Jules, and Flora
Cindy..where do I start? Cindy Grabowski is like a barrel of joy and midday sunshine. It doesn’t matter if you connect with her via phone, text, video or in person, she will invariably brighten your day! She’s wickedly smart, funny, and her enthusiasm for life is nothing short of contagious. She’s an open book; wears her heart on her sleeve; if you need it, will give you the shirt off her back; and won’t hesitate to let you drive her brand new off road vehicle, because that’s what it’s for.
There are few people who can make everyday work tasks fun, but she can. As an example, during the Covid stay home orders she wore a new costume one day per week for the Zoom calls to keep her team engaged. Who does that? Cindy does!
Cindy and I travelled together for about 6 weeks straight for work in 2019. Doug and Cindy’s husband, Leo, joined us on a couple of legs of the trip and the 4 of us just clicked. We’ve formed a friendship that if we’re lucky will last a lifetime!
We’ve stayed at casa Grabowski multiple times since hitting the road and I look forward to it every time we’re headed through Arizona. It’s icing on the cake that they live near Doug’s son and now our granddaughter, but when we’re there it feels like an RV resort – complete with water hook up, laundry facilities and a pool – but the BEST part of staying there is sharing a bottle (or three) of great wine with your BFFs on a warm Arizona evening, talking and laughing about life. Without a sticks and bricks home now, the Grabowski house has truly become my happy place. I can’t wait to get back.
Sometimes we’re asked if life on the road is lonely and on occasion, I’ve found that it can be when we’re remote for extended periods of time. Hiking, biking, and paddling in new locations is always fun together but I think it’s important that each individual continues to bring new ideas from books, research, media, friends and family to maintain a lifetime of happiness. Both of us are fortunate to have great friends that are not only happy for us, but also encouraging, supportive, reach out regularly to see where we are and how we’re doing, offer some respite from the road and most importantly share their lives with us. Great friends (these mentioned above and more) plus our wonderful family enrich our lives along with the travel. They are everything and we are beyond fortunate!
