01.03.21

Whether you are 25 or 65, many of you will agree that this past year of 2020 was probably the most challenging of our lives. Though we may have lived through recessions and wars, we have never had a health crisis like this; certainly not on a global scale. And it is not over yet… Will we have another pandemic when this is “over?” Unfortunately, that may be more likely than not…

With that the case, I believe this is a great time to take advantage of the freedom that may be opening up before us this year. Yes, travel is still a crap shoot, borders are still restricted, and flights will be uncertain throughout the year, but since so many of us have been sequestered and hidden away in closed rooms and dark corners, this year may be a good time to start exploring again, whether in your neighborhood, within your region, your home country, or throughout the world.

And before I raise the ire of those who cry, “stay at home,” “don’t travel” and such, my suggestions are to BEGIN preparing your journey(s), but use your own common sense and insight before you begin.

Travel prices are insanely low, though still highly volatile. Next month it will be 2 years since we left the United States on our worldwide travels and our efforts to stay at different locations for six weeks at a time. We also got chased by COVID last February and escaped to Mexico, which is where we have been ever since. Seriously, not a bad place to hunker down!

Puerto Morelos has terrific weather (aside from the two hurricanes!!), and wonderful people. There are many English speakers here in this small fishing village which is highly affordable, with beaches and water that cannot be beat,

BUT, we have both been getting itchy feet, and long to hit the road, especially back to Europe. Not because we don’t like it here, but because we like it there better. We both agree that the Mediterranean climate is much more comfortable than the tropics and resonates more with our personalities. And cold weather?? BZZZZZ, not an option!! The goal that we started with when we left in 2019 was finding that “50 degrees (or above) Sweet Spot,” and that has not changed.

We spent most of our time overseas in southern Europe; Spain, Italy, Croatia, Romania, plus hit some Eastern European countries for shorter periods of time. Aside from the two months that we spent in Thailand and such, most of our time was in that region.

So, we are starting  to look forward to making that happen again. The when is unknown, but sometimes the anticipation and planning of adventures is almost as fun as the adventure itself, right?? Until COVID, booking an airline ticket was a solid commitment, and getting refunds or making changes was a nuisance and costly. Most airlines now have lenient cancelation fees, and should most of this year. If you DO need to cancel (we have several times), you will probably get a CREDIT, though, and not cash back. Yes, it’s inconvenient, but allows you to tap into great prices. Case in point. We looked for prices from Cancun to Rome, and can catch a one-way ride for less than $300. Check out this crazy pricing graph:

I throw these ideas out there to get you to open your mind to WHAT IF and real possibilities. When we left California and the US—permanently—we knew that this was our ONE SHOT to do it before it was too late. Starting in your sixties is still time enough, and I knew that if I looked back in ten years after chickening out, it would be my biggest regret on my deathbed. If you are blessed with youth or are under 60, more power to you and I encourage you to GO FOR IT!

Since you follow my blog and may have read my first book, Traveling the World Six Weeks at a Time, Volume I,” I wanted to announce that the sequel, Part II, is now also on Amazon.

It starts with my first journey back to the US after being gone for nine months, then returning to Europe and finishing up with Sicily, Greece (and a few islands), Tunisia, and then our experiences in the Far East while COVID was on our tail. It finishes up here in Mexico until the end of 2020. You can get all versions here.

Wishing you great success and travel and everything else you seek in this New Year.