Chris Lugo at Fora Travel

02/13/2026

02/13/2026

Mom,

We’re two hours in to the beginning of your 80th year sitting in an apartment in Paris, France. I have been thinking for weeks about how to adequately express the occassion. There aren’t enough words to describe what you mean to me, but today I want to try.

You’ve always been the largest part of my heart, my greatest supporter, and my safe place through every time of life. I always knew we had a special bond ever since I was a child but when I came out to you, what happened next was one of the most beautiful parts of our journey. You didn’t close your heart, you opened it even wider. You chose love. Being able to watch you evolve through your personal experiences with such grace has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.

You’ve stood by me through heartbreaks, disappointments, and tough times. You’ve lifted me when I couldn’t lift myself. You’ve cried with me, laughed with me, and reminded me that no matter what happens, I am never alone. To share little everyday moments with you, to have dinner together, talk about life, or just sit in silence and feel understood and known; this is something I treasure more than I can say. There’s a quiet comfort in knowing that, at the end of the day, my mom is right there, loving me just as I am.

I don’t take lightly how fortunate I am to be able to not only celebrate you on your 80th birthday but to be able to do it with you in your favorite place. I’ve tried to make this trip move as slowly as possible in order to savor and remember every second of it. When you know time is precious (something we usually just let slip away in our youth) you sit, you listen, you watch. Cheers to 80 years and many more to follow.

Thank you for choosing love. Thank you for being brave. Thank you for being my mother.
I love you with all my heart, Mom. Always have. Always will.

02/11/2026

Gustave Caillebotte “Les raboteurs de parquet” 1875 🇫🇷

02/09/2026

In the sculpture garden of the Rodin Museum.

02/08/2026

A return trip to Paris after ten years truly feels like getting back together with a long-lost friend for me. 🇫🇷 🗼

11/22/2024

Old world transportation in modern Salzburg, Austria.

10/28/2024

The Alps: truly one of the most beautiful natural wonders of the world. If you have have the opportunity to take the train from Switzerland to Austria, don’t miss it! The beauty of the hills and countryside are unlike anything you’ve ever seen and, perhaps, anything you may ever see again.