This blog is written from the point of view of Winslow the travelling bear.  His home base is Venice, Florida under the care of Melodie and Clifford Cross, Alexa’s grandparents. He is currently living in Bourges, France, following Alexa during her time as an English teaching assistant. 

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He was received from Uncle Richard and Aunt Janet as a gift for attending their wedding on October 16th, 1993, at the Winslow House in Harwich, Massachusetts. He then flew to Pentwater, Michigan, the Cross’ home at the time. He went on the Ludington Ferry across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin, and continued with them on their tour of the United States, visiting many National Parks along the way. He came and went from Michigan to Florida during the Cross’ transition to Venice, where he has been since 2002.

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In his postcard messages to Alexa he called Grandma Cross “the short one” and Grandpa Cross “the tall one”, and prefers to call his present caretaker “the young one”.  For some reason, he has a name, but we humans do not.

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He was very excited to get to see Alexa and do some more travelling. He didn’t even mind being put in a dark box to be shipped to Massachusetts for Christmas Day. After all, he began his life in a box. From January to May 2017 Winslow accompanied Alexa to 8 different European countries and 15 French cities, calling Montpellier France home. Winslow does not know how to speak French but is eager to learn, as seeing and experiencing new places excites him most. Although he is quite quiet and shy around strangers, he does love to look and listen. Oh, and he does like an occasional change in his neck-wear.