Sandra Bornstein

Welcome

Unlike other websites that are narrowly focused on one or more related topics, you have landed on a website that mirrors the unpredictable nature of life. Life can, at times, be messy. Throughout this website, Sandy Bornstein shares many of the lessons she has learned while adapting to these unanticipated events. Sandrabornstein.com is also the anchor for Sandy’s two books, May This Be the Best Year of Your Life: A Memoir and 100 Things to Do in Boulder Before You Die.

Since travel opportunities were limited during the pandemic, Sandy decided to focus her attention on one of her favorite places in Colorado—Boulder. Many COVID related obstacles were encountered while researching and writing 100 Things to Do in Boulder Before You Die. In concise vignettes, Sandy showcases a cross section of places that will appeal to locals, visitors, college students and their parents.

May This Be the Best Year of Your Life highlights Sandy’s once in a lifetime expat teaching adventure in Bangalore, India, and how she learned to cope with an assortment of unimaginable events and unrelenting culture shock.

In conjunction with marketing her first book, Sandy began publishing lifestyle and travel stories on this website as well as other places. To gain more traction, she launched a second website, The Traveling Bornsteins. This site exclusively showcases Sandy’s travel writing since 2016.

When people reach the empty nester years, they often encounter a host of medical and family issues. Some popular stories include tips on how to overcome these midlife challenges.

In July of 2020, Ira, her husband, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an incurable brain cancer. After countless hours researching the best options to combat Ira’s terminal diagnosis, Sandy added a For Glio page. The stories posted on this page are created to inspire other people facing a terminal disease to embrace life and not cancer. In the future, Sandy hopes to write a book that will share in more detail what she has learned during Ira’s glioblastoma journey.

Sandy and Ira, divide their time between the Front Range, the mountains, and traveling. Whenever possible they spend time with their four adult sons and their families which includes 6 grandchildren.

If you always stay in the security of your home environment, you will never see what the world is all about. So, take a few moments and join Sandy on her latest adventures. Reach out to Sandy—sandy@sandrabornstein.com

Book Trailer For Memoir

May This Be the Best Year of Your Life

“Sandy takes us on her personal adventures in India, with all the ups and downs and uncertainties of the unknown. She confronts social, family, and professional challenges with refreshing openness, vulnerability, and determination. I was right there with her, sharing both the anxiety and the joy… every step of the way.” – Rita Golden Gelman
author of Tales of a Female Nomad and more than seventy children’s books”

 

Latest Work

Reflecting on 2022 Colorado Brain Tumor Walk & Race

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Keep Moving No Regret Team Participants Colorado Brain Tumor Walk and Race September 2022
Keep Moving No Regret Team Participants Colorado Brain Tumor Walk and Race September 2022

Yesterday (September 17, 2022), our family participated in the Colorado Brain Tumor Walk and Race at Denver’s Sloan Lake. After learning about the annual event, I asked our four sons (Josh, Adam, Aaron, and Jordan) and their wives (Rachael, Rachel, Candice, and Kayla) if they would be interested in supporting this fundraiser. Without exception, all agreed to take part. Less than a month ago, we joined the roster using the name Keep Moving; No Regrets.

We asked for T-shirt design suggestions. Our youngest son, Jordan, requested that the Hebrew letters— chet and yud be included. When these two letters are combined, they spell the word, chai. Chai is the numerical equivalent for the number 18 and is the Hebrew word for life. Ira and I decided to place these letters inside a hamsa, a popular Kabbalist amulet.

Our daughter-in-law Candice, took on the task of designing a T-shirts that included all of the pertinent information along with chai inside a hamsa.

Fundraising Results

As of yesterday’s tabulations, we had raised $17,863.81. The Bornstein family had the second highest amount of donations. With our help, the organization was able to surpass their goal of $140,000. Today’s total is $171,491.70. Read More

Reflecting on Glioblastoma (GBM) Awareness Day—July 20, 2022

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Ira Bornstein Hiking near Breckenridge Colorado July 2021
Ira Bornstein Hiking near Breckenridge Colorado July 2021

A year ago, when I wrote about Glioblastoma Awareness Day (#GBMDay), Ira and I were extremely grateful that we were reaching the one-year anniversary of Ira’s glioblastoma diagnosis without any recurrence of his right temporal lobe tumor. As we approach the two-year anniversary, we are thrilled that Ira’s quality of life has remained intact and that we have been able to spend time with our family members in Colorado and Illinois and enjoy the things that we love to do. By sharing our family and travel experiences, we hope to encourage other people facing a terminal illness to embrace life rather than cancer. Simultaneously, we hope to bring more awareness to the brain cancer community and the benefits of wearing Novocure’s Optune device. Read More

Recapping 2021: Living with Ira’s Glioblastoma and Thriving

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Hiking Along Vail's Gore Creek Trail in March 2021
Hiking Along Vail’s Gore Creek Trail, March 2021

Last year when I sat down in late December to write my recap story, I sincerely hoped that the pandemic restrictions and concerns would diminish over time. I was sorting out the best approaches to addressing Ira’s glioblastoma diagnosis and how we could adhere to COVID mandates without diminishing our quality of life. Toward the middle of the year, I launched a For Glio website page and started sharing some of my research.

Here is a relevant quote I found along the way.

Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought life would be like and learn to find joy in the story you are actually living.   Rachel Marie Martin

Instead of dwelling on the uncertainties associated with a terminal diagnosis, we continue to live our lives and not let the cancer control us. Family gatherings are possible when all members are healthy and available. Continuing to plan future events reinforces Ira’s positivity and enhances our gratitude for the memorable moments we share together. Ira remarkably was able to remain strong throughout the first half of the year while his body endured the remaining chemotherapy treatments. Read More