Not so much traveling, but we do get the heck out of Dodge in the winter and spend 3 mos. where it is warm. Obviously, saving that $ would help the bottom line, but....
Livin' the dream.
43 degrees in Dodge City today
Not so much traveling, but we do get the heck out of Dodge in the winter and spend 3 mos. where it is warm. Obviously, saving that $ would help the bottom line, but....
Livin' the dream.
Good decision. I'm late to the party, but some background: DH and I met in 1997. He was 59, I was 45. We discovered we had a common love of travel and got going almost immediately. Back when we could survive Coach flights (he was younger, I hadn't gotten spoiled by corporate travel on long-hauls) and lived close to Newark Airport, sometimes we went to Europe 3 times in one year.
One other factor if you wait too long to travel: it gets more expensive because you're less likely to want to "rough it". As DH's stamina decreased, I booked more car services to and from airports instead of trying to drag our stuff on and off public transportation. More hotels convenient to the city center and the subway stops. Hotel rooms big and comfortable enough for DH to stretch out and watch TV after a day of sightseeing while I went for a run. No more cheap redeyes in Coach for a 4-day weekend in Rio or Edinburgh.
DH died late last year. We had to cancel a planned trip to Iceland last August but we'd been there the year before and it was one of our best. I'm not done yet. I'm booked to take a cruise through the Panama Canal in April and, when I found a favorite Aunt had booked a tour of India and Kathmandu in March of 2018, I put down a deposit. DH knew some of his ashes were going into the Panama Canal- he didn't know they'd be going into the Ganges, too!
Definitely do it while you can.
Viewing your situation from the perspective of 11+ years of retirement, my vote would be to up the travel budget and spend the money now. At this point I'm growing far more concerned about running out of health than running out of money.
So yeah, if you are thinking of travel, do it while you can. We hope to get back to a bit more when DW's meds have her more stable.
We don't like group travel either except for cruises. I don't want to be told what time to get up, eat, how long I have somewhere, etc.
+1 to travel. After loosing close to 1M around 2000(was 36 and DW 30 then), we started traveling. We took 4 weeks of vacation somewhere each year and spent decent money - of course after saving enough for future and never regretted. As others said, travel while you are healthy and able.
I also vote for travel more now while you are able and still enjoy it . There will come a day when you either can not travel or have no interest in travel so enjoy it now .
The pleasure of a well-planned vacation lasts far longer than the vacation itself! It's been years since DH and I went on a 2 week cruise throughout Asia, but the memory of it always brings a smile to my face.
at the end of each trip make a coffee table book from the photos. Looking through one of them is like taking the trip again.
Now that is cool.
Dr. Roy - Love the travel books!
+++1. Preaching to the choir. I RE in 8 weeks, but DW and I have been upping the travel for the last 6 years with two 2+ week long trips a year to national parks, Europe, etc. For the rest of 2017 we have 13 weeks of travel. We do a lot of photography, and at the end of each trip make a coffee table book from the photos. Looking through one of them is like taking the trip again.
That is a great idea.
What I have done on a somewhat similar vein is take 1 photo of a trip and get a 16x20 print of it framed and hung on the wall.
Of course I have limited wall space, so your idea is better.
Dear Dad was not rich, but he could have afforded a trip to Italy with my step-mom. Dad was beyond-passionate about art, but never would spend the money for a trip to Europe. A few years back DW and I went to Italy. In Florence, I was literally in tears thinking how my Dad would have LOVED being there. Do the travel!