Destination Sun

By Robert Goluba

A Memoir of Travel and Transition

 

A record snowfall prompted Robert Goluba to make a fateful decision. Should he remain in Illinois with his friends, family and a stable career, or should he follow his dream and pursue a life in the sun? He chose the sun and learned that moving 1,500 miles away as a newlywed brings adventure, turbulence, and humorous gaffes.

 

Destination Sun highlights the discovery of new sun-drenched land by a couple born and bred near Chicago. Follow along as they navigate unique terrain, new cultures, old regrets and the excitement of a significant life transition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Goluba
• Release date: Oct 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201427023

Book preview

Robert Goluba

Copyright

Copyright © 2021 by Robert Goluba

All rights reserved. This book is a work of nonfiction. Some names and identifying details may have been changed. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Published in the United States by Evertouch Publishing, an imprint of Evertouch Inc.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 1

Goosebumps covered my arms, and my teeth chattered as I battled the worst snow allergy attack in my life. It was two days before the new year, and instead of planning which of the eighty-seven college football bowl games to watch, I examined the snow drifting higher up the sliding patio door of my condo. The drift was already three feet tall, and my symptoms intensified with each additional inch of snow. Indoors, I struggled with dry skin, chapped lips, and a scratchy throat, but my symptoms worsened when I was brave enough to venture outdoors. Then my toes and fingers turned numb, exposed cheeks burned, and my nose ran all day. It’s complete misery. That’s when I diagnosed myself with the snow allergy that still haunts me today. There is no other explanation.

One of the snowiest months on record hit Chicago in December 2000 with over forty inches of snow. It was a massive snow event, even for a city known for brutal winters, and I loathed every minute. Everything was more challenging and took longer. Walking my dog on the sidewalk like I usually did was impossible since they were under several feet of snow, so I had to dodge neighbors in the street while my dog did her business. It took forty minutes to drive two miles to the grocery store, only to find the bread and milk were sold out. I was in the heart of my twenty-ninth winter in the Chicago area, and despite three decades of experience, winter seemed to get harsher, longer, and more dreadful each year. 

Occasionally, snow has its charm, like the first snowfall of the season, snow skiing, pelting younger siblings with snowballs, and scenes of snow on TV in July and August. As a lover of nature and the outdoors, I lived for the five and a half weeks of pleasant weather each summer in Chicago.

While I was in college, I dreamed of living somewhere else. I envisioned living in a warm climate like Florida or Arizona to enjoy outdoor activities all year. Instead, after graduating from Illinois State University in central Illinois, I accepted