It was true before and its even true-r now. Our “Travel Channel” days were over years ago. But now, except for me, our little traveling family is gone. Karla succumbed to cancer on October 26th, 2025. A few weeks after she last posted on this blog, she started to become very sick, and did not recover. The cancer had re-emerged and she was not strong enough for the treatments that only had a limited chance of success anyway. Our cats have passed as well. Oliver the Loud passed about three weeks before Karla, and Big Eyed Bert passed in March of this year. Both cats were 16 years old, and had been showing sign of age for several years.
Now I alone survive. (My daughter lives with me, so I am not by myself.) At the end of January, 2026, I had a stroke that affected my left side. I was unable to walk or use my left arm for several weeks. Thankfully my memory and cognition were not affected. With physical therapy and exercise, I have relearned how to walk, and regained use of my arm. Recovery is still in progress, but has developed enough that I have been able to return to work, with some accommodations. If I achieve full recovery, it will likely take many more months, but my recovery, so far, has been rapid, and my physical therapists have been tremendously helpful and positive. I am largely independent again.
Given all this, it will be a while before I travel again, if at all. I am ‘homesick’ for the rest of the world, but I will likely have to be content with the multitude of wonderful memories from around the globe, made with Karla. I have had an amazing life; more than most people experience, so I find no reason to complain.
Karla was a wonderful companion and partner, and she only became more so at the end. Her main concern seemed to be making sure that everyone knew that she appreciated and loved them, all our friends and family, not the least of which was me. She expressed very sweet and deep feelings for me. Spending time with her and taking care of her was a delight. I am very glad that I was privileged enough to do so. Our last days together were some of our best and happiest, despite the situation.
Going forward is a difficult transition. I hope to be of use to the community, and there are many possibilities now that I am single again that I had put off to care for Karla. I have plenty to live for, and my family is very supportive. I am living in Silicon Valley, San Jose, CA to be exact, which is even more expensive than Dubai or Shanghai, if you can imagine, and not overly attractive. (And, oddly, this ‘metropolis’ doesn’t even have the sort of skyscrapers and architecture that dominate those cities.) I call it “Asphalt Valley”. What used to be a lovely, natural bayside valley, then was covered with orchards after the settlers came, Has been thoroughly paved over and covered in concrete. Fortunately, many natural areas still exist just a short drive beyond the city limits.
I have been writing a few short remembrances of Karla, which I will likely post here, as well as read in a memorial video that I am planning, with input from those that loved her.
Karla and I lamented towards the end that one of the few drawbacks of having so many friends around the world is that most are unable to be nearby at such times as this. Many have asked about a memorial service for Karla, which we may have locally, but an online remembrance video will be important, to include as many people as possible. Please excuse me for taking so long on these matters. Between greif over Karla’s death and my stroke, it has been a difficult time for getting things done.
I’m thinking about changing the name of the blog to reflect my ongoing situation, but for now it will remain the same in honor of the travel experiences Karla wrote so much about over the years. Perhaps at some point I will rename it “Back from the World” or something.
Paul/ DaddyBird
“Asphalt Valley”
Living the Travel Channel 