The Journey Begins…

Well, I’m off. I made it as far as L.A. where I’m visiting my son and his family. 

Yes,  grandchildren are involved. Yippee!

Me and my fully-packed rental car!

We’re headed to Venture for some beach time and then tomorrow I’m off to Phoenix for a week before my daughter and I are flying out to the Philippines on September 9^th, with the long-awaited passport in hand.

Expect further dispatches before takeoff!

At Long Last - Goodbye Old Friends!

I’m on my way next week! I’ve managed to sell both my car and my RV I have been living in for six years and I’m ready! August 26^th is my final day at work and after visiting with my Mom for a couple of days, I’m off on August 29^th.

My beloved Bebe

The first of my travels will be simply to see my son and his family in Southern California and then visit with my daughter in Phoenix until we’re ready to take off for our first adventure in early September. We’ve tentatively chosen The Philippines but that could change when we sit down together and kibbutz a bit. This may be my girl’s one and only trip to Asia so we’ll choose carefully.

Yesterday, when a gentleman bought both car and RV, I had a very difficult time calming down.  As some of you know, I’ve been planning this lifestyle change since July of 2014. For an “instant gratification” girl, this has been one long haul. From about 10 am, until the late evening sometime, I felt light-headed and even a bit dizzy. As odd as it sounds, I believe my blood pressure was actually dropping. The sense of unreality and overwhelming freedom was too much for me to take in. I’m fine this morning. 

I’m about to go get a Starbucks then come back and actually pack up my stuff. It will require one last pass through my belongings, to whittle them down to what’s really necessary and desirable to keep and which of those things I’ll actually take with me. 

Good ole Wanda

I’m looking forward to sending you dispatches and photos from the road!

Vagabonding! A Real Thing

I’m in the midst of reading Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts. This may be the most relevant-to-my-life book I’ve ever read. 

I’m now to the portions of the book that are tips and information on the actual travel involved, but it began as a lengthy description of the art of vagabonding.I fell in love with the term and the idea, which I had already envisioned for myself. The real surprise for me was that - lo and behold - there was an actual thing and name for what I intend to begin in the next three weeks: traveling around the world on the cheap, staying in each place for an extended period until I feel saturated by the country, place and people. 

If you are at all entranced by the idea of travel like this but think you can't pull it off, please read this book. You will quickly decide that it IS possible.