Bombs or Bordellos - My Travel Adventures by Judith Ashley

Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, soul nourishing romantic women’s fiction that honors pagan spiritual practices. My stories show you what life could be like if you had a place like The Circle where you are unconditionally accepted, supported and loved. And where, with this support, you do overcome obstacles and find your happily-ever-after.

I lived well-over a quarter of a century never traveling far from home. I was in my thirties when I first visited other countries unknown to me and experienced a few Adventures in Travel.

But which story do I share?

Ending up in a bordello in Mazatlán, Mexico?

Being stopped by crossing guards and relieved of my passport when leaving Croatia during the Balkan War?

Or the tamer, missing my bus and almost missing my flight back to the US from a visit to Australia? Thankfully the bus driver turned around and came back for me.

Photo bySkitterphoto

While those all were adventures, the one that had the longest lasting effect on my travel was ending up at the United Airline Gate at Heathrow Airport, London, England to take my flight home from a visit in Ireland ---without a security stamp on my passport.

Said passport was confiscated.

I spot against the wall was designated “mine” as in with finger pointed at my heart “stay there and do not move.”

Oh, and I had a travel alarm clock in my checked luggage that “ticked” (this was in 1994 when there were active hostilities between the IRA and England. Passengers were warned that luggage could be destroyed if thought to be carrying a bomb).

If that wasn’t enough, I, unwittingly, had mace/pepper spray in my purse.

My efforts to be prepared on my first trip traveling alone as well as across the Atlantic was a dismal failure.

As I type this I’m smiling.

But in that moment, my heart raced, my hands sweated, my mind imagined all sorts of dire consequences.

I was grateful for a wall at my back when my knees weakened.

So how did I manage to create this disaster?

To this day I’ve no idea. I got off the plane from Dublin to London where I had to change to my flight to the U.S. I followed signs and asked directions to the United Gate. I did end up, at one point, outside Heathrow and knew that I’d taken a wrong turn somewhere. I felt immense gratitude to have finally made it to The Gate when my adventure truly began.

Yep, bright Yellow but tape and words
 "Security Inspection" on it
Photo by Kat Wilcox from Pexels

While polite, the security man was stern.

Did I know that carrying pepper spray was illegal in England and I could go to jail? Words failed and I shook my head.

Did I understand bombs ticked? I nodded.

Those questions I could reply to. The one that, to this day, I still cannot answer is “How did you get here?” Oh, I had a response. “I followed the signs and asked people when I wasn’t sure where I was going.” I’m sure my blurted confession that, at one point, I’d been road side didn’t help.

“Don’t move.” More threatening because of the deadly quiet tone than if he’d yelled.

Here I am in 2019, sitting at my computer, writing about this Adventure in Travel and not including my experiences in an English jail (and No, I do not watch Locked Up Abroad). It seemed hours when in fact it was under an hour before he returned and gave me back my passport.

When I arrived in the U.S., my luggage had bright yellow “security” tape. It had obviously been searched.

The next year when I traveled to Croatia during the Balkan War to help with a conference for my Glasser colleagues, my suitcase was also wrapped in yellow tape. I was pulled from the line and went through additional security when travelling within the U.S. Years later, when I traveled to Australia for yet another Glasser conference, my luggage still was wrapped with the yellow security tape!!!

Who knew that getting lost at Heathrow airport would have such long term consequences!

Available now in e-book and print

However, in 2008 I took my granddaughters with me to a Glasser conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. We flew in to Heathrow, and much to my relief, all was well. We safely made it through baggage claim with no yellow tape in sight! All’s Well That End’s Well!

You can find all of my books at your favorite e-book vendor. Be sure to ask your local library if you’d prefer to read my books through that resource.

Learn more about Judith's The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshleyRomance.com

Follow Judith on Twitter: JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB! 

© 2019 Judith Ashley

How a War Changed My Life by Judith Ashley

A version of this post first appeared at http://judithashley.blogspot.com

Judith Ashley is the author of The Sacred Women's Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual traditions that nurture the soul.

In 1994 I attended a William Glasser Conference in Ireland. There I met colleagues from the Balkans. The Balkan War was raging and their once peaceful lives were in chaos. When asked what The William Glasser Institute could do, they said they needed everything.

Funds were donated and used to purchase diapers and formula and other necessities like soap and shampoo that were in short supply.

A group of us went a step further and organized a small conference on the shores of the Adriatic Sea in Rijeka, Croatia. We paid our own way and raised additional monies to cover expenses for those who could come. In addition we volunteered to lead workshops and support our colleagues however we could. Our group was received by the Mayor of Rijeka and one evening the government minister for prisoners of war and torture victims spoke to us.

I had a chance conversation with a professor at the local University. He invited me to speak to one of his classes. I also led a group discussion with a small group of women who’d braved Serbian fire as they drove up the Dalmatian Coast from their homes in Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik had been bombed that morning.

Jagoda Tonsic-Krema and husband - Scotland. Jagoda presented

Our evening activity (a boat trip to a nearby island) was canceled when Zagreb, the capitol of Croatia, came under fire (we were about 50 miles away). I went to breakfast in the morning and found colleagues I’d had dinner with missing. No one talked about where they were.

They’d just vanished—called back to the war.

That morning we were ordered to leave the country. We were an easy target and to kill ten US, Canadian, Irish citizens along with Croatians who were leaders in their country was seen as too tempting. While we understood that our being there actually put our colleagues more at risk than if we left, it was not easy to say good-bye, leaving people we’d come to know and care about in a few short days in danger.

The Mayor sent his van and driver to take us across the border into Slovenia and on to Bled. Traveling through border check points where the guards were armed was an event I’ll never forget. We were in Bled for a couple of days waiting until our flights back home left.

Sitting in an airport waiting for a flight with military tanks on the runway, armed soldiers carrying automatic rifles patrolling the concourse—I’d never had any of those experiences.

When I reached my home I was compelled to do something.

This is my Circle of Life. While the flowers are silk, everything else is natural (well, actually the silk flowers are made from the spinning of silk worms).

Because of that trip I’m very aware of how quickly deep and abiding relationships can form in times of trial. I still hold in my heart many of the people I met over two decades ago. I still feel an instant connection when I see any of them at conferences. One of my favorite experiences was at the Edinburgh, Scotland conference when most of the women I’d met in Croatia were there. Tears of joy, of gratitude on both sides—they’d rebuilt those lives that had been so traumatically disrupted.

There are so many aspects of that trip that were life-altering.

Hearing firsthand the experiences of people who became friends. Hearing how their lives had changed. Hearing the pain and resolution to not just survive but to overcome the challenges they now faced.

Seeing people create a life out of chaos. Seeing people find a point of light, of optimism in the darkness that surrounded them. Seeing the displaced rebuild some semblance of their former life.

Touching the edges of suffering through compassion and empathy. Touching and hugging knowing their healing powers. Touching and connecting with strangers who quickly became friends.

The sights and sounds I experienced fifty miles away from an active war zone changed my life. Even more so I seek to understand another’s point of view, to find a way through disagreements to solutions. Seeing the cost of war leads me, even more than before, to seek peace.

What life altering event have you undergone?

How has it changed who you are?

What have you done to honor that experience and that transformation?

You can learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on my website.

Check out my Windtree Press author page.

Follow me on Twitter: @JudithAshley19

I’m also on Facebook

© 2016 Judith Ashley