I want to travel damn it...

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Mar 17, 2019 14:05:28 GMT -5 tskeeter said:

Mar 16, 2019 14:20:33 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

once a month? I suppose. I forget what the ratio was when I was travelling heavily, but there were stretches of time for European projects where it was 2w over, 2w back. because we always had people over there, we were able to keep our heavy construction gear like the steel toe boots, over there. so I could travel with a big carryon roller suitcase, and got so good at packing for those trips that I could be set for a 2w trip in that case, in about 5 minutes start to finish. there's something wrong with that... 

Me too.  Still annoys DW that I pack for a two week vacation in less than 15 minutes on the morning we leave. And that my stuff fits into a standard roll aboard.  With a small backpack for the stuff I can’t afford to lose and my iPad.

Both TD and I travel with a 22” carry on and a backpack, regardless of how long we are gone.  It doesn’t take me long to pack either.  I don’t get why people travel with their entire wardrobes packed.

[wvugurl26]

The different climates is what tends to get me on trips. And possibly planned activities. I'm not trying to do laundry on vacation either.

For my cruise, I was spending a day on either side in SC where it was 40s-50s. My group was wearing cocktail dresses to dinner. Then I had clothes to wear during the day. I did filter my cruise pile once before my flight and once before leaving my cousin's for the cruise port.

[Malarky]

Just make it happen.  

When I was a kid our house always needed work and somehow a family vacation where we camped all over the US took precedence.  I remember the rodeo in Colorado in 1976 far better than the fact that the window trim could have used some paint.  By the time I was 14 I had been to every state in the country in the US other than Alaska and Hawaii.

I've criss crossed the US by car seven times.  I've met amazing people everywhere.  I used to only take cheap camping vacations, now I can afford better.  Still haven't been to Alaska, but I've managed Hawaii, New Zealand, most of Canada, parts of Mexico and a few places in the Carribean.  

I did take some time off when the kids were young, but one has my wanderlust and is doing her best to "do" Europe in her teens and 20's on the cheap.  

Concentrate on the experience, not the amenities and it becomes so much more affordable.  

[plugginaway22]

Can't agree any more Malarky, some of our best trips were the ones we spent the least.  Create those memories for your children!

[jelloshots4all]

Very timely! I just returned from Jamaica tonight. It was only a long weekend trip- 3 nights. But it rejuvenated my soul, and was a wonderful break after this crappy winter. And the 4 of us lucked out and stayed at an all inclusive resort for free. They had botched our trip last year, so they comped us. Only had to pay airfare, and our transportation from the airport to the resort.

If anyone is looking to go to Jamaica, I highly recommend the Melia Braco. The staff was amazing and like family. Learned our names right away as it is more of a boutique resort. Food was wonderful. Feeling very relaxed!

[Deleted]

I'm kind of glad I don't have the travel itch.  I LIKE to travel occasionally, but I'm not bouncing off the walls or feeling like I'm missing out if I skip a year or two (or three), which is good, because that's about what I can afford. 

[Cookies Galore]

I want to travel and save too but it ain't happening this year. Well, when I think travel I think non-family trips and we have multiple planned this year. Ugh. Hubs only has two weeks of vacation to my nearly eight weeks so we have to plan his time carefully. I wanted to do a long weekend with hubs somewhere later this year (I was feeling Bermuda) but my September work schedule doesn't allow it and I will be in campaign mode in Sept/Oct/Nov anyway so I gave up on thinking about travel this year.

Definitely 2020!

Maybe we'll go crazy and buy a new mattress and bed frame this year instead.

[souldoubt]

What malarky said.  When I think about people who always plan to take trips later in life I think of my grandparents.  My grandfather worked for the same company for over 35 years, worked his way up by putting in 60 hour weeks and retired with a nice nest egg.  My grandparents planned to do a lot of traveling but unfortunately my grandfather started having health problems shortly after retiring that lasted until he passed 16 years later.  My grandparents maybe did a tenth of the traveling they had been talking about doing all those years before he retired.  

[tallguy]

My grandparents maybe did a tenth of the traveling they had been talking about doing all those years before he retired.

Not waiting for that to happen to me.  Retired at 58 and now with a GF who is world-traveled.  Several hours into our first date she asked how much I could spend on travelling each year?  I said, "Well, probably $10,000, maybe $15,000 on a good year."  Seemed to be a good answer.  Between mid-November and mid-June I will have been home for about eleven weeks and I haven't even started spending any real money yet.     

[souldoubt]

To be fair my grandfather retired two years after you did age wise.  He had time and money he just didn't have the health which was completely unexpected as he had it when he was still working.  I say take as many trips as you can and enjoy it but I tell his story more for anyone out there who is missing out on trips or anything else during their working years expecting they'll make up for it in retirement.  Hopefully they will but nothing is for sure.     

[tcu2003]

Travel bug here as well! Last summer we went to Toronto/Niagara Falls and Hawaii with the kids, and I’m just not as excited about this year’s trips. I have a conference in Orlando the first week in June, so we’re all going and will go to Disney World. I do think my kids will enjoy it, but I also know it’s going to be an exhausting trip.

We’re 90% sure we will go to Colorado for a week at the end of July or beginning of August. That trip will be inexpensive as we will drive and will stay with friends and family part of the trip.

I want to take the kids somewhere else before their passports expire, but my youngest is 2-1/2 and the time zone change to Hawaii with her last summer was rough, so I’m not super keen on Europe/long haul flights while she still naps. Maybe I can talk DH into someplace like Costa Rica. Neither of us at beach people, so he tends to veto any place that fits that category (or fits it in his mind).

[Value Buy]

Mar 16, 2019 15:08:41 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

I did get to travel a bunch, went on cruises, at least got to Paris and Ireland, that was good. I traveled some for work a few years.

Have been on cruises to Jamaica, S America, and other islands. drove the motorhome from Canada to California, to Texas to Florida multiple times so its not like I haven't been anywhere.  I just want to see a few more places, Yosemite and Yellowstone mainly.  But the way I'm feeling don't have the travel bug I did.  I just hate it we spent so much on the motorhome, thousands and thousands, believe me.  

If he does its fine, if not its ok.  I told him if I do I think I'm running out of time.  If some health issues don't change, and I don't see it the issues are multiplying I don't know how many more years I will be able to do things.  I'm hoping for 10 more good years.

Anyway hubs for 15 years flew out for 8 weeks and back home for 3.  Sometimes the flights took him days like the Indonesia ones did that went through Moscow, Japan, and other places, then a day riding a bus with potholes big enough to swallow it or in Africa taking 3 days or more to get there.  Over there they had charter jets with all business class so that was better.  But I don't see how he did it and he had to start work the minute he got in no matter how tired.

And I thought I traveled a fair amount of time over the years.....

For someone who claims to not travel, you sure did get around.
I am thinking you do not know the real meaning of "not traveling much"

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I'm not much of a travel fan, actually. I definitely prefer "staycations" or maybe a weekend at the coast (3.5 hours away.)

My wonderful DH has traveled extensively during his long military career and, at some point, he has discovered that he prefers being home and not traveling. Then again, people were trying to kill him at some of his travel destinations.

So, we're a good match for each other.

[weltschmerz]

Mar 19, 2019 10:50:00 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

Travel bug here as well! Last summer we went to Toronto/Niagara Falls and Hawaii with the kids, and I’m just not as excited about this year’s trips. I have a conference in Orlando the first week in June, so we’re all going and will go to Disney World. I do think my kids will enjoy it, but I also know it’s going to be an exhausting trip.

We’re 90% sure we will go to Colorado for a week at the end of July or beginning of August. That trip will be inexpensive as we will drive and will stay with friends and family part of the trip.

I want to take the kids somewhere else before their passports expire, but my youngest is 2-1/2 and the time zone change to Hawaii with her last summer was rough, so I’m not super keen on Europe/long haul flights while she still naps. Maybe I can talk DH into someplace like Costa Rica. Neither of us at beach people, so he tends to veto any place that fits that category (or fits it in his mind).

You could go to Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, which is officially France, just off the coast of Newfoundland.
It's France like Hawaii is the USA.

[Deleted]

I just discovered last night I have $460 in credit for Sun Country flights and I could add $250 to that by reopening their card.  The $460 expires in 10 months though, so now I'm trying to decide if I really want to go somewhere or just let it expire.  

[thyme4change]

We had an amazing trip to the land down under.  About half way through, I told the kids that I hoped they were having a good time, because they will have to work through college.  Mix emotions!!

[finnime]

I agree strongly with the go while you can group. My father retired/was forced out at 57 from his last job. He won an age discrimination suit and also found that they'd been frugal enough that he didn't need to work any more. So they traveled, to Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Hawaii and other places in the U.S. (We used to camp and travel a lot as kids, including to Canada at least 6 times.) My parents were going to celebrate their 40th anniversary with an Alaskan cruise when my dad died of a massive heart attack. He was just under 61. My mother ended up going on the cruise, with friends, any way, but it was sad. I'm glad they had those few years.

[Deleted]

Mar 18, 2019 16:27:28 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Retired at 58 and now with a GF who is world-traveled.  Several hours into our first date she asked how much I could spend on travelling each year?  I said, "Well, probably $10,000, maybe $15,000 on a good year." Seemed to be a good answer. Between mid-November and mid-June I will have been home for about eleven weeks and I haven't even started spending any real money yet.

Will you marry me?

I'm dating a really great guy who LOVES travel and has an avid interest in what's going on in the world but is on a modest budget. (Divorced at age 61, ex-wife can stay in the marital home as long as she wants so his equity is tied up). I appreciate the fact that he lives below his means and sticks to a budget but had REALLY hoped to find someone with a travel budget as crazy as mine. I don't want to start paying his way in Business Class on long-hauls (and I don't think he'd accept it), nor do I want him to go broke trying to keep up with me so I may travel alone on the big trips. He will be joining me at my favorite B&B in Hermann, MO this year and if I do my planned trip to Europe next year with 3 weeks at an Airbnb, probably in Munich, he'll join me for part of that. (He's still working.) Both of those allow him to join me without feeling like I'm paying his way since the accommodation doesn't cost more for 2 people.

I'm doing two major trips a year now; got back from an UnCruise in the Sea of Cortez Saturday night and loved it. I'm taking UnCruise between Kona and Molokai in November. In addition to Munich, I'm hoping to make it to the Galapagos and Macchu Picchu later in 2020.

I'm very grateful I can do this but it did take cutting back in other areas.  No fancy cars (I bought my last new, i.e. not used car in 1991).  DH and I managed with only one car for 10 years.  We bought way less house than we could afford when we moved to KS.  We ignored the latest fashions in clothing and home decor and cheerfully kept things till they were no longer usable.  I'm very glad we got in a lot of good trips before he died in 2016.  I just left bits of his ashes in the 9th country so far and I'm not done yet! 

[tallguy]

Mar 25, 2019 18:42:21 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Mar 18, 2019 16:27:28 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Retired at 58 and now with a GF who is world-traveled.  Several hours into our first date she asked how much I could spend on travelling each year?  I said, "Well, probably $10,000, maybe $15,000 on a good year." Seemed to be a good answer. Between mid-November and mid-June I will have been home for about eleven weeks and I haven't even started spending any real money yet.

Will you marry me?

I'm dating a really great guy who LOVES travel and has an avid interest in what's going on in the world but is on a modest budget. (Divorced at age 61, ex-wife can stay in the marital home as long as she wants so his equity is tied up). I appreciate the fact that he lives below his means and sticks to a budget but had REALLY hoped to find someone with a travel budget as crazy as mine. I don't want to start paying his way in Business Class on long-hauls (and I don't think he'd accept it), nor do I want him to go broke trying to keep up with me so I may travel alone on the big trips. He will be joining me at my favorite B&B in Hermann, MO this year and if I do my planned trip to Europe next year with 3 weeks at an Airbnb, probably in Munich, he'll join me for part of that. (He's still working.) Both of those allow him to join me without feeling like I'm paying his way since the accommodation doesn't cost more for 2 people.

I'm doing two major trips a year now; got back from an UnCruise in the Sea of Cortez Saturday night and loved it. I'm taking UnCruise between Kona and Molokai in November. In addition to Munich, I'm hoping to make it to the Galapagos and Macchu Picchu later in 2020.

I'm very grateful I can do this but it did take cutting back in other areas.  No fancy cars (I bought my last new, i.e. not used car in 1991).  DH and I managed with only one car for 10 years.  We bought way less house than we could afford when we moved to KS.  We ignored the latest fashions in clothing and home decor and cheerfully kept things till they were no longer usable.  I'm very glad we got in a lot of good trips before he died in 2016.  I just left bits of his ashes in the 9th country so far and I'm not done yet! 

Well, my GF is really not into sharing, and I kinda like her so....

[TheHaitian]

Mar 20, 2019 12:26:43 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

We had an amazing trip to the land down under.  About half way through, I told the kids that I hoped they were having a good time, because they will have to work through college.  Mix emotions!!

How long did you stay and how much did it cost for the 4 if you?

Hope to take a similar trip when DD is older...


Another friend left for Dubai today

[travelnut11]

Just booked Chicago to Stockholm direct for $400 in September. Never been to Scandinavia but have heard good things about Stockholm and plan to take a side trip to Tallin, Estonia as well.

[thyme4change]

Mar 25, 2019 20:20:58 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Mar 20, 2019 12:26:43 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

We had an amazing trip to the land down under.  About half way through, I told the kids that I hoped they were having a good time, because they will have to work through college.  Mix emotions!!

How long did you stay and how much did it cost for the 4 if you?

Hope to take a similar trip when DD is older...


Another friend left for Dubai today

We were gone 2 weeks (and a day). I don't know the exact amount, but it was somewhere in the buttload range. We went for Christmas and New Years - so plane tickets were 2x what they would be if you did not go for a holiday. Also, we stayed walking distance from the Opera House for New Years. We spent more on the hotel for that night than we have for a week elsewhere. It was the most baller vacation I have ever been on. I'm now officially a super douche. We will probably just camp for the next couple of years - and we don't camp...

[TheHaitian]

Mar 25, 2019 22:09:38 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Mar 25, 2019 20:20:58 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

How long did you stay and how much did it cost for the 4 if you?

Hope to take a similar trip when DD is older...


Another friend left for Dubai today

We were gone 2 weeks (and a day). I don't know the exact amount, but it was somewhere in the buttload range. We went for Christmas and New Years - so plane tickets were 2x what they would be if you did not go for a holiday. Also, we stayed walking distance from the Opera House for New Years. We spent more on the hotel for that night than we have for a week elsewhere. It was the most baller vacation I have ever been on. I'm now officially a super douche. We will probably just camp for the next couple of years - and we don't camp...

I am so jealous and so happy for you and your family! 🤩🤩🤩

You are my family vacation goal for when I grow up and motivate me to cut expenses elsewhere so the vacation budget keep the “baller” status!

[tcu2003]

Mar 25, 2019 21:07:04 GMT -5 travelnut11 said:

Just booked Chicago to Stockholm direct for $400 in September. Never been to Scandinavia but have heard good things about Stockholm and plan to take a side trip to Tallin, Estonia as well.

We went to Stockholm, Helsinki and Tallin right before I got pregnant with my oldest, and loved it! So easy to get around those cities, and people were very friendly. We also went in September and the weather was great - Cool in the evenings, but not freezing.

[Wisconsin Beth]

I need to think twice about coming into this thread in the future!  It's stirring up travel lust.  We're doing a waterpark for a couple of nights in April and then it's camping in Wisconsin the rest of the summer. 

[NastyWoman]

I had to pass on a trip to SE Asia this April (I travel with DSis2 and she was not available), but I will fly to the Netherlands in July where sis is planning a one week side trip to either Poland or Scotland → it is Europe so she is in charge. At Xmas time I have another trip to Munich planned but that is less "travelling" and more family visiting, so I don't know whether that counts

The SE Asia trip will happen a year from now and all I have to do for that is get my ticket DS1 is my travel agent over there. He was making Sri Lanka or Vietnam sounds. My reaction: surprise me, I loved it when you did that 1.5 year ago

So count me in the group of those who love to travel, but realize that I may be the laziest of that bunch

[TheHaitian]

My wife cousin just posted pictures of her celebrating her 40th Birthday in Costa Rica.... I want to go!!!

[Cookies Galore]

Mar 26, 2019 10:54:40 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

My wife cousin just posted pictures of her celebrating her 40th Birthday in Costa Rica.... I want to go!!!

Step away from social media.

I want to go to a lot of places, but I don't get jealous (much). I don't know how long they saved, or went into debt, for that trip. I don't know if they're maxing retirement or not. You do you, man.

[HoneyBBQ]

I have huge amounts of wanderlust.

Last year we did two trips abroad including Australia and Europe along with smaller US based trips.

This year, we have a few US trips but nothing abroad. WAHHH!

[thyme4change]

Mar 25, 2019 23:43:05 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Mar 25, 2019 22:09:38 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

We were gone 2 weeks (and a day). I don't know the exact amount, but it was somewhere in the buttload range. We went for Christmas and New Years - so plane tickets were 2x what they would be if you did not go for a holiday. Also, we stayed walking distance from the Opera House for New Years. We spent more on the hotel for that night than we have for a week elsewhere. It was the most baller vacation I have ever been on. I'm now officially a super douche. We will probably just camp for the next couple of years - and we don't camp...

I am so jealous and so happy for you and your family! 🤩🤩🤩

You are my family vacation goal for when I grow up and motivate me to cut expenses elsewhere so the vacation budget keep the “baller” status!

Our vacations are really special to me. I feel so close when it is just the 4 of us - the good and the bad. I could be making it up, but when we get back, I feel my teens are just a little more attached to us.

I love when we are watching TV and a place we have been comes up and we share memories of being there.