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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,722 posts, read 58,067,115 times
Reputation: 46190
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We're gone most of the time. (while still able)
Lived in Thailand 3 yrs,
Did a RTW for a yr, (good idea to be gone every 4th yr in USA (election yrs))
100+ free (companion) flights last yr (in USA) + 6 international trips
Have a nice place with nice view to call home. Someday we will spend more time at home (when necessary).
Everyone is different in perspective / need / desires.
It is fine to stay home too!
I like to stay extended times in one spot to get to know the people and culture... and stay with farmers and ranchers and help out with projects (Not many consider that 'retirement or vacation', but I enjoy it). Also volunteer at orphanages and camps internationally to create a sense of place. / stability.
Seldom travel as a tourist (only seeing popular sites)
We're gone most of the time. (while still able)
Lived in Thailand 3 yrs,
Did a RTW for a yr, (good idea to be gone every 4th yr in USA (election yrs))
100+ free (companion) flights last yr (in USA) + 6 international trips
Have a nice place with nice view to call home. Someday we will spend more time at home (when necessary).
Everyone is different in perspective / need / desires.
It is fine to stay home too!
I like to stay extended times in one spot to get to know the people and culture... and stay with farmers and ranchers and help out with projects (Not many consider that 'retirement or vacation', but I enjoy it). Also volunteer at orphanages and camps internationally to create a sense of place. / stability.
Seldom travel as a tourist (only seeing popular sites)
Ditto. Good to stay in a place and get to know the people and culture.
We volunteered right after retirement for 2 years - Uganda. Great experience.
And we feel very much at home in Thailand in winter. We are welcomed with hugs by the staff where we rent our home, and also at our favourite restaurants when we return for the season.
My work schedule is extremely flexible as well as portable so my still working doesn't impact the amount of time we can travel. Now that my spouse is retired, we've started month to month and a half long vacations. It takes us about a month to recover from the vacations if we stay away much longer, but we don't have any winter down times so getting the yard back in shape is a huge endeavor if it gets too far gone.
Two years ago, it was a couple days on Oahu visiting friends, a bit of time in San Diego, then a cruise through the Panama canal. Then ended the cruise in Florida and stayed there for a couple weeks, then flew back home to Hawaii from there. Overall time was around five weeks.
Last year it was to Oakland, overnight and then a direct flight to Rome. We should have stayed there much longer, we didn't have enough time to see as much as we wanted. Then to the ship and a trans-Atlantic trip to Florida. Followed by a cruise to the Caribbean and then another couple of weeks in Florida. We have family in Florida so that's why it shows up in our vacations a lot. Overall time was around six weeks.
After about a month to five weeks, I'm ready to go home. Home is really nice so spending time there is a good thing.
We're looking at a transPacific cruise perhaps next year. Depends on how long it takes to get the next big house project finished.
We always talked about going to Ireland and Scotland. Since downsizing we no longer really care to go. My husband is content being home and I really dislike Hotels so our plans changed. No regrets, we're happy.
I was legally blind when retired, and had quit traveling. But when I started using a white cane 20 years later, felt newly liberated and tried traveling, by myself and independently. Since then I went to 30 countries (20 new) on six continents.
Longest trip was 5 weeks, longest in one place about ten days
You can do whatever you want to do, provided you have a realistic view of your limitations. At 75, I started taking taxis, instead of hoofing it several km with my pack.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,722 posts, read 58,067,115 times
Reputation: 46190
Quote:
Originally Posted by HighlandGranny
Ditto. Good to stay in a place and get to know the people and culture.
...
And we feel very much at home in Thailand in winter. We are welcomed with hugs by the staff where we rent our home, and also at our favourite restaurants when we return for the season.
And a big welcome from the scooter rental place!!! Last trip they bought a brand new one and saved it for me. In my favorite (safe) color too! Can't imagine they will every pay that off at $40 / month rental rate. (Scooters are not cheap to buy in Thailand)
Yes, isn't it great! The staff always makes a special 'welcome' decoration with flowers / towels / plantings... Even when we go away for a long weekend we return to a grand welcome!
$4 thai massage (full hour), on the beach... Sometimes I do 2 per day !
Good:
Food,
Terrain!
Safety
Sights
Shopping
Entertainment
Medical care
Proximity to other nice places to travel...
And a big welcome from the scooter rental place!!! Last trip they bought a brand new one and saved it for me. In my favorite (safe) color too! Can't imagine they will every pay that off at $40 / month rental rate. (Scooters are not cheap to buy in Thailand)
Yes, isn't it great! The staff always makes a special 'welcome' decoration with flowers / towels / plantings... Even when we go away for a long weekend we return to a grand welcome!
$4 thai massage (full hour), on the beach... Sometimes I do 2 per day !
Good:
Food,
Terrain!
Safety
Sights
Shopping
Entertainment
Medical care
Proximity to other nice places to travel...
What area do you stay in? We won't rent the scooters (or rather, I won't let hubby). We rent a car from the manager/owner of the smallish community we stay in. And being long timers (this winter will be our 6th year), the rates for house and car stay the same. They even store our 6 big crates of stuff and 2 bicycles for free. And free airport pickup.
Love the food! We never cook except for nuking our porridge for breakfast. And the massages. Love that the pool and the sea are the same temp as the air. And the snorkeling. I love the temples!
I was legally blind when retired, and had quit traveling. But when I started using a white cane 20 years later, felt newly liberated and tried traveling, by myself and independently. Since then I went to 30 countries (20 new) on six continents.
Longest trip was 5 weeks, longest in one place about ten days
You can do whatever you want to do, provided you have a realistic view of your limitations. At 75, I started taking taxis, instead of hoofing it several km with my pack.
Thank you for your uplifting post. It can happen to anyone overnight your life is different. Life's events are all about your response. I do hope you've documented your journey, as it is inspiring and will help others.
in the first 12 months after I retied we did a long driving trip across the western part of North America. Something like 11k miles in 6 weeks. We had done shorter trips to various parts of the itinerary of this trip while working but always had to do just part of it due to time needed to do more. So in 2008 we headed west with no reservations at a hotel along the way. We stayed as long as we wanted in various spots to do them right. This trip is when it sunk in that my life style had changed. It was a wonderful trip and so glad I did it so early in vacation when my energy level was greater.
Since this trip we have done one 3 week plus trip on our 40th anniversary. Fly to Athens and did a 2 week cruise of the eastern med ending Rome where we spent almost a week seeing and exploring. We do shorter trips now, just fits out desire to be home more at this age.
The luxury of time was one of the best features of being retired. I could do with my time as I wanted without being driven by work schedules
We stay in Thailand a lot. I once lived in Bangkok for two years, our most recent stay was in Chiang Mai for six months ending in spring of this year. Our longest stays since retiring have been in Mexico, Thailand, Colombia, and Guatemala. We recently wrapped up seven weeks in Portugal, and will bum around Europe until gets too cold in September. We're planning to spend four months next summer in France, but that's a long way off we'll see.
Travel is fun, especially if you like eating.
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Last trip they bought a brand new one and saved it for me. In my favorite (safe) color too! Can't imagine they will every pay that off at $40 / month rental rate. (Scooters are not cheap to buy in Thailand)
