An Energized but Anxious Traveler

Pat

While working full time for the last thirteen years, I would dream about taking a 3 week trip to hike the Italian Dolomites or rent an RV with a friend to see our US National Parks for a month. NEVER did it cross my mind to take 6 months off and travel to 15 countries around the world!!!

During our trip preparation in the fall of '07, Mike and I both had time to reflect on our past travel experiences oversees. Most recently, in 1992, I traveled to Paris for a short visit. When Jim and I were married, we spent 3 weeks in Portugal and Spain. When I graduated college, I had the opportunity to travel with a roommate to Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France for 3 weeks. It was fun to reminisce about those past travel experiences and visualize ourselves traveling for 6 months.

Will Mike and I have similar experiences? Will this be the trip of our lifetime? Overall, I believe it will be. However, traveling will be tough at our age and we know we will not always be on our best behavior. I can imagine Mike and I being tired, hot and sweaty from a 10 hour flight from Bangkok to New Delhi arriving in 105 degree heat, dust and noise in a city where we can’t communicate or know where to go or how to get there! There may be some cursing, grumbling, and angry word calling at each other until we are fed and arrived at our air conditioned hotel but we believe our sunny, positive dispositions will kick in when needed.

What an awesome opportunity we will have to visit several of the 7 Wonders of the World, experience the different cultures of 15 countries, sample their food and wines and nightlife and develop relationships with so many people over our 6 months of traveling!!! I can’t wait to go and hope we can share with you a few great stories and photos and a little of what we will experience emotionally.

Enjoy our website but write often to tell us about what you are doing. We will be back in June after traveling approximately 39,000 miles!

Pat