“If God wanted us to fly, He would have given us tickets.”
— Mel Brooks
Go-Day minus 16
Over Thanksgiving it seemed like our departure date was so far away. Months and months. But now that Ellen and I have both retired the days seem to be rushing by and there is still so much more to do before heading to Baltimore for our flight. Just the flight itself will be interesting: Baltimore – Reykjavik – London – Athens. What a whirlwind.
We’ve taken care of the loose ends and are crossing our fingers that a blizzard doesn’t dump 2 feet of snow on the area on our travel date. I figure Iceland will know how to handle winter flights so next stop London. Mike and Mary Frances are moving into our place as soon as we vacate, so its nice to know that the house won’t be sitting empty while we are on the road.
Here are the rules we’ve set:
- No cruises. Avoid cruise ship destinations, or at least visit when the fleet’s out.
- No long-term plans.
- One bag each
(carry-on). - One personal bag that can be stuffed under the seat. If you can’t carry it, you can’t take it.
- Go native and experience the local culture, foods and neighborhoods.
- No 4-star resorts.
- Don’t get sick. We’ve gotten our shots, so hopefully we won’t get Typhoid, Cholera, Polio or some such malady.
Travel for as long as we want.Return next October (new baby coming)- Count the number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- Encourage friends and family to meet us on the road.
- Minimize air travel. Trains and
boatscars will our go-to transit vehicles. - Eat local, try street foods.
Take a boat up the Nile. Maybe next time.- Meet and converse with people outside the U.S., learn other cultures and expose them to Americans, we are not talking politics.
- No shopping sprees.
- When clothes wear out, buy local fashions.
- See a Tour de France stage.
- Watch a women’s World Cup game in France.
Do ChristmasinVisit Turkey with Mike, Mary Frances and Arleigh.- Hike a lot (I plan on wearing out my hiking boots prior to 2020).
- Quit making lists.