Travel Goals

Way back in 2010(oh my! hard to believe it was that long ago), when I started this blog I had six goals and two of them had to do with travel.

One was to do five solo retreats. I had originally planned to go to different places for each retreat so that I could experience different areas of the country. Instead what happened was that my first retreat location was such a good fit – not too expensive, a beautiful place, a welcoming vibe, a good mix of group and individual activities, great food,  and close enough that the time to get there wasn’t too long. I ended up going there almost every year since my first time.

The second goal was to go to the Galapagos Islands. I put that on the back burner when our church sponsored a trip to Israel. I had a lovely time in Israel. It is a beautiful country. One of the highlights was floating in the Dead Sea. Learning some of the history and seeing sights that I’ve heard so much about in church was an experience that I will always treasure.

Once that trip was over I started thinking again about the Galapagos and perhaps adding Machu Picchu to the itinerary. However lately I’ve been reading about how those areas are suffering from the effects of tourism and I wonder if I should go? Part of me would still really like to go but another part of me thinks I could use the money I’ve saved to explore other areas of the world and/or the United States.

In terms of the world some goals would be walking along the Great Wall of China, seeing the Northern Lights in Finland, seeing the salt flat in Bolivia, going back to Great Britain, Greece,  and visiting my brother-in-law in Saudi Arabia before he returns to the states.

There are a lot of things I’d like to see and areas I would like to explore within the US. One thing about traveling in the US is that the hubby would go with me. He has no desire to travel outside of the US but would love to see all the National Parks in the US. We could probably find some areas that we would both enjoy.

Also, I’ve been thinking about relocating once the boy graduates. The cold winters and my arthritis aren’t a good match and I’m considering a warmer climate for my retirement years. Traveling in the US would allow me to see if I would like living somewhere else.

What are your thoughts about travel? Are you a fan of international travel or do you prefer to stay close to home? Have you been to any of the places I mentioned above? I’d love to hear from you – please leave a comment

TIdbit Tuesday

Just another installment of the random thoughts rolling around in my head…

This is one of those times when I hate having a large property – I’ve shoveled the walks three times in the last twenty-four hours and my arms are sore.  I won’t miss this while I’m gone.

There is still so much to do before I leave on Sunday and I don’t know how I will get it all done. Well, I suppose if I got off the computer it might make it easier to get some stuff done.

I’m just about done with the food preparation although I do need to write up all the instructions for thawing and preparing. Might have been easier to just have them eat out while I’m gone.

I’ve started to pack some stuff but I’m not sure if I’m taking enough or too much. Temperatures will be fluctuating from the 40’s to the 60/70’s throughout the day so layering is the name of the game.

Trying to figure out what to do about calling home is driving me nuts. First there is the time difference and trying to figure out when the boy will be home and awake in order to talk to me. Then there is the whole thing about a calling plan – which one would be the most cost effective, will any of them actually work on my dinosaur flip phone??

Trying to write up everything that needs to get done each day makes me realize that I do actually get things done, maybe not as much as I should or as much as I would like but there is a lot getting done here on a daily basis. Also makes me realize that I should be delegating some of this stuff or at least teaching the kiddos how to do it so they’ll know what to do when the need arises.

Okay, I’ve goofed off long enough – time to get back to work. Hope you are having a great day wherever you are.

 

 

MUMday

Monthly Update Monday  – today’s topic – A trip to the Galapagos Islands

I want to add a side trip to go to Machu Picchu when I go to the Galapagos Islands.  I’ve been researching some options and I have $6000 in my travel fund. I’d like to have at least $10,000 by the time I’m ready to go. I’m on track to do that as long as I continue to put $40 monthly  into the fund. It is already set up to happen automatically so it shouldn’t be a problem.