It was a pleasant and easy flight from Paris to Newark, New Jersey. We never heard of the airline called French Bee, but we give them a thumbs up. Their one-way flight (from Paris) was $340, and considering that they are a discount international carrier, there was nothing lacking. We got to Newark, spent the night with my cousin and his bride, and the next day he was kind enough to take us to LaGuardia airport and onward we flew to Columbus, OH. One week for me, two weeks for Kathleen so she could spend time with her family .

There is no such thing as a direct flight, but both my flight and Kathleen’s flight were good and on time. A quick 3 days in Orange County for me and connecting with some of my dearest friends, then off to Phoenix for a business trip and back again to the OC. Kathleen met me at the airport when she arrived, and then onward to step three .

I have owned a timeshare in Maui for 25 plus years, but had not been there in 6 years. I kept telling Kat that I wanted to take her there, so we built our travel itinerary around our September 17th check in. Of course this was before the Lahaina fires devastated the island, killing too many, and causing billions of dollars of damage. It wasn’t until the week before that we were sure we could go. There was no damage to the property, but there was devastation everywhere and it was a solemn visit. The grocery stores was stocked, but many local stores were closed, probably because the people there had to get their lives back in order.

Our seven days in Maui went quickly, then it was off to the Big Island since we had 10 days before our final step: our repositioning cruise to Sydney, Australia. We did virtually NONE of the things that tourists do, except for Volcano National Park, which was terrific. There was an eruption just a few weeks ago, but it has passed and now just billows smoke. Other than that, one day snorkeling, and seeing endless fields of lava.

Kat and I have little cruising experience, so being on the water for 17 nights will be an adventure! It’s called a Repositioning Cruise and is designed to take cruise ships from Point A to Point B, which is typically their major departure point. Along the way we stop in Tahiti, Moorea, Raiates in French Polynesia, and two places in New Zealand, then Australia for 11 days. We had lots of options of what to do there, but will focus our attention on Sydney and Canberra.

She and I never had any visions of anything so bold and grandiose, but the timing, location, and pricing all came together. In early November it’s off to Bali for 30 days, and then we have nothing concrete planned.