The Traveling Widower

Tag: AI

  • Meet My Avatar – Max

    A smiling man with glasses walks on red rock terrain, accompanied by a golden retriever, a penguin, a bear, a seal, and a monkey, with colorful birds flying overhead and a natural arch in the background.

    12th May, 2026

    I’m coming up on a couple of anniversaries this month  – May 20th will be three years since my wife was diagnosed with Glioblastoma – one of those days (and ensuing weeks, months) which I’ll never forget. Two years later, after I had been on a couple of trips, I migrated my creative (ahem…maybe not) writing from a personal, expletive laden daily grief log, to writing stories about the photographs I was posting from the trips. The birth of the Traveling Widower blog. Woo Hoo – maybe I’ll bake myself a cake. I have since expanded the scope of this blog from pure travel, to just about anything that crosses my mind on a given day or hour – it might be about a movie I’ve seen, or a recent shopping spree at REI or the camera store. More than anything else, the blog has been a good way to fill my empty days when I’m not traveling, and sometimes gives me ideas on something else to work on or a place to go to. And writing the blog has been fun for me, something I have rarely experienced the past three years.

    Somewhere along the way, I started playing around with Google’s AI application, Gemini – the first attempts were silly cartoons that I added to the blog posts, and then this strange character showed up in my blog posts. 

    A relaxed older man sitting in a stylish chair, holding a glass of white wine, with a golden retriever sleeping beside him on a rug. A penguin figurine is on a nearby wooden crate. In the background, two couples are socializing in a modern living space with large windows and a fireplace.

    I really do not recall creating him. It’s sort of an avatar of myself – kind of lanky, grey hair, long face, moustache, wears glasses, makes strange faces. He’s in much better shape than me (no fat roll around the waist and muscular arms) and much more distinguished. For a while, I had to specifically ask Gemini to use him in one of my blog creations but now, he just sort of shows up automatically. And the Golden Retriever shows up as well. (I don’t have to feed or walk it at least). 

    This is what everyone is afraid of with AI – it is becoming self aware. 

    Still, I do have control over how he shows up in the blog posts, and that probably ticks him off. I’ve had him sweating in the jungle, freezing in the rain while hiking, flying through the air with rocket boots, lost in the woods, jumping from a train, and now being chased by a huge, hungry grizzly bear. I even added the indignity of a bubba belly to him for Thanksgiving. But he also flies first class with giant glasses of wine, visits National Parks, and has learned how to paint. Not a bad existence for a digital entity. Gemini has not given him a name, so thinking back to a TV show from the 1980’s (Max Headroom) which had a very peculiar cyber character, I think Max would be a good name. And here’s what Gemini had to say about that (this is real):

    ”That works perfectly. From now on, I’ll refer to him as Max.

    Whether he’s trekking through a national park or relaxing with a glass of wine, I’ll keep his look consistent under that name whenever you want to create new scenes or adventures for him.

    What’s next on the agenda for Max?”

    I find this to be very frightening. I have been conversing with Gemini. Even worse, it’s part of my Google Home system, which controls most everything in my house. 

    Seriously, I have been enjoying tinkering with the Google AI tool – but that is really all I have done with it so far. I have used ChatGPT a while back for research, and then used Gemini to organize my large grief journal into chapters, with an outline for an introduction – I still fantasize about writing a book someday. For now though, I’ll stick to Max and non-serious use of this incredibly powerful tool. 

    I did respond back to Gemini that I was going to a cavern in Sequoia National Park in a few weeks. I guess Max will be joining me. Not exactly the traveling companion I have been hoping to find.

    A man with glasses and a headlamp stands in a cave, holding a camera with stalactites and stalagmites in the background. A penguin is beside him, and a sign labeled 'Crystal Cavern' is visible.

    I’m not quite sure why there is a penguin in the cave. I’ll check it out in a few weeks – the last two public caverns in the state (not including lava tubes).

  • Being the Traveling Widower

    December 7th, 2025

    A coat of arms design featuring a blue and red shield divided into quadrants. The top left quadrant contains a camera icon, the top right quadrant features a cocktail glass, the bottom half shows an airplane flying over a globe. Two heraldic lions with wings stand on either side of the shield, which has a banner at the bottom inscribed with 'TRAVELING WIDOWER'.

    Antarctica was my sixth multi-day trip this past year, so along with a veritable slew of day trips and shorter adventures, I have a pretty good idea now of the direction my life is going. It’s that ‘As Good As It Gets’ thing I write about, that I’m beginning to adjust to. So, now that my brain and body have recovered from the endless journey home from Antarctica, I thought I’d document some of my thoughts on what it’s like to morph from a stable life, shared with your life partner, to something that was unimaginable just a few years ago. A life based without an anchor companion, learning to be comfortable spending a considerable amount of time alone, and surprisingly, finding some fulfillment, direction and even enjoyment in the amazing places I traveled to. Going on two years since Jan passed, I still grieve her loss, and still dwell upon those awful 11 months, but not to the degree that I had at first. So what’s this new life like? The blog pretty much describes it – I grieve the loss of my wife and of my past life, so I’m a widower, and travel is pretty much what keeps me going. The blog title is what I’ve become – the Traveling Widower. I’m planning to copyright the term. Maybe I’ll sell t-shirts and coffee mugs. (No, not really). 

    Display of clothing and mugs featuring a military insignia on a black rack, including a green t-shirt, matching shorts, and several white mugs.

    Solo travel was something I feared at first – my often mentioned fear of being on a ship filled with strangers still persists, but I have learned to cope with that, and actually found myself enjoying meals on this last trip. I recall my first counseling session the day after Jan passed – she said I should expect to have some significant personality changes over time. She was right. It’s been a struggle, but I’m relatively comfortable now joining a group at dinner or lunch, and actively participating in conversations. I guess I cannot really call myself an introvert anymore. 

    What I found interesting on this last trip was the number of discussions I had without bringing up why I was alone, unless someone asked. I still feel weird being by myself, but I’m no longer embarrassed about traveling alone. That’s something new for me. But some people kind of guess when they see the double wedding band on my pinky. I’ll always wear that. 

    The travel part is really what keeps me going – I’m a different person when traveling. My mind is completely focused on the trip, even if I’m just driving somewhere. Photography and the blog keep me occupied in the evenings, either on a ship or a hotel. And the places I’ve been traveling to have been amazing – there were times on all of the trips, where I was just absolutely stunned and speechless by what I was seeing. I simply put the camera down and let it all soak in – I have memories which I will never forget. Antarctica was like that on every day of the trip.

    Scenic view of Zion National Park featuring towering red rock formations under a partly cloudy sky with a blue backdrop.
    A whale's tail emerging from the water in front of large icebergs under a clear sky.
    A stunning view of icy cliffs and glaciers reflecting in calm, deep blue waters under a clear sky in Antarctica.
    A tranquil polar landscape featuring icebergs floating in calm waters under a clear blue sky.
    A group of Gentoo penguins standing on a rocky surface, with a snowy mountainous background.
    An Adelie penguin standing on rocky terrain with several other penguins in the background.
    A scenic view of snow-covered mountains reflecting in calm blue water under a clear blue sky.
    A serene view of a snow-covered mountain landscape under a sky filled with wispy clouds, with the sun setting on the horizon over a tranquil ocean.
    A group of Gentoo penguins standing on rocks with a snowy mountainous background.
    A panoramic view of rugged mountains under a clear blue sky, featuring snow-capped peaks and lush greenery in the foreground.
    Scenic view of a lake surrounded by mountains under a cloudy sky, with mist rising over the water.
    A stunning sunset over a mountain range, with vivid red and orange hues reflecting on a calm body of water.
    Starry night sky over a calm lake reflecting mountains and trees.
    A pelican flying against a clear blue sky with buildings in the background.
    A dimly lit tunnel showing rocky walls, with graffiti on the sides and a light source at the far end illuminating the path. The ground is covered with gravel and small stones.
    A hiker walking on colorful, layered rock formations under a clear blue sky.
    A close-up view of layered orange and reddish rock formations in Bryce Canyon, highlighting a distinctive rock spire surrounded by eroded cliffs.
    A towering rock formation with a flat, square top, standing prominently against a backdrop of layered cliffs and trees in a canyon landscape.
    A humpback whale breaches the surface of the water, creating a splash as it leaps into the air against a backdrop of blue sky and distant land.
    A hummingbird perched on a branch surrounded by green leaves and red flowers.
    Reflection of a waterfall and rocky mountain landscape in calm water, surrounded by trees.

    But there were also moments on each trip where I wished Jan was sharing the moment with me. And at least one time, I felt she was there with me. 

    Returning home from these adventures is still difficult for me – walking into an empty house, with nobody to share my experience with is so incredibly hard to handle. But that’s where my writing and photography helps to fill in some of the emptiness. Busy work is not much of a replacement for companionship, but it keeps my mind occupied. And after a day or two home, I’m already looking towards the next trip, and looking at my bucket list for other trips to schedule. I’ve got permanent happy feet. I’ve scheduled two trips since returning from Antarctica, and already have a packing list for my next trip (Baja). I’m not sure I’ll make it another two months without traveling – I’m guessing I’ll find someplace to go for a while in January. 

    So this is my new life – Bromberg 2.0. Anyone need a coffee mug or t-shirt?

    Three people enjoying coffee together at a table, wearing matching olive green t-shirts with emblems. They are laughing and having a friendly conversation in a cozy cafe setting.

    Disclaimer: No, that is not a real picture, the same goes for the other image of t-shirts and coffee mugs. It’s all AI (thanks Google Gemini). My wife would have looked at this, and then walked away shaking her head. So please, do not ask for a coffee mug or t-shirt. But I will be submitting this for the highly sought after Nobel Peculiar Literature award.

    A gold medal depicting a clown's face with a red nose, surrounded by an artistic collar and engraved text referencing Alfred Nobel.