Travel With Betsy

This is my last post on the January mega trip. I meant to post earlier, but frankly, I didn’t want to think of the trip at an end. I had such a great time…. met all kinds of interesting and fun people, saw some extraordinary sites, and ate and drank my way from one side of North America to the other side of France! Why end this adventure?! But, as usual, things…even good ones…..come to an end. And, so it is with my trip. Thus, I waited a week until the dust settled and I was back in some kind of life swing….still trying to figure out what that will be….to write the final post for this trip.

As I mentioned in one of my posts, Mike and I have been traveling together for at least 15 years. The first time we went to Europe, my mother (who has now passed) was beside herself. She told me that everyone she knew who had ever traveled to Europe died there. She was sure that I would be abducted and killed. Could happen…less likely with two people traveling together, but OK. Thankfully, this didn’t deter me from continuing on with the trip. (In those days, I was much less bold than I am now.) But, I really wanted to make sense of her concerns and so thought about this at length. I came up with two things.

First, most of the people she knew who had traveled to Europe did so during World War II. So, I guess that many of the people she knew who had traveled to Europe did die, were possibly abducted or had been hurt in some way. OK. Reasonable, in an off-beat sort of way.

Second, there was an issue of communication. At the time of my first European adventure, there were very few means for quickly communicating with people to let them know you were alive and well. Basically, there were post cards, very expensive phone calls and, later on, phone cards, most of which required you to understand 10 languages in order to decipher the instructions for use. None of these options were cheap, easy or fast. They were definitely not two way. So, I think this was her other concern. How would either of us know if there was important information to share. OK. Reasonable…more so than the World War II theory.

Travel has changed very quickly over the time that I have been traveling. So much so, that it’s almost like someone can be sitting in his own living room and still be on the trip with you! This blog is a fine example. You got all of the low down….and then some…in real time. In some cases, probably more than you wanted to have. But, there it was….for your reading pleasure!

Then, there’s the cell phone and texting. I was able to call Mike (and selected others) whenever I felt like talking. Of course, everyone was waiting for my call with baited breath! HA! But, still, I could call. I also texted a few people from time to time. Not cheap, but with the European phone packages, not too bad.

I could also email, which I did frequently as well. I was able to keep up with my work schedule at the winery and let them know that no, I wasn’t coming back from France to work at the winery in mid-January. I could also keep up with what my friends were doing, the pet sitter, the house sitter. my flights, etc. Not only that, I could make reservations for the wine tour that I could’t decide on at the very last minute in the comfort of my own little hotel room. Amazing!

Then, there’s Facebook. I was posting where I was each day, what I was doing and pictures of the hot spots for all to see. And, people were sending me notes and thumbs up at the exciting things I was doing! What more could you want? Actually…not much.

This was the third solo adventure I have taken for fun! My first adventure was a trip to Italy after attending the wedding of one of Mike’s (and now my) friends in Spain. I was between jobs (seems like that happens to me a lot! YIKES!!). Everyone else had to go back to work….not me. I went on and spent a good 3 weeks in Italy and then came across on a ship from Lisbon to Miami before heading back home. The second adventure was to Norway where I attended a conference and then stayed on for about 2 weeks to view the fjords, which, by the way, are well worth it if you get a chance.

I had a great time all around. But, I have to say that the modern conveniences of communication made this one a lot easier, less stressful and, in some ways, more fun. They almost make foreign travel a “no-brainer”, even if you don’t have a travel companion. Honestly, at times, I thought you all were right there with me having the same experience.

But, with or without the improved means of communication, there is no doubt that travel opens one up to a world that can’t be experienced by sitting in one’s living room watching the antics of the Kardashians. (I’m still not sure who they are and what they have to offer!) So, I hope my tales have inspired you to at least think about doing some travel. If not, I hope you have enjoyed my stories. I had a lot fun writing them. And, honestly, you all kept me company on the journey. I thank you for that!

So, this last trip is at at end. Sad news….boo…… But, the good news is that this end will lead to the beginning of another fun trip! We’re planning one as I write this. After all, once it’s in your blood, the adventure must go on….right?!!

So, stay tuned. I’ll be in touch!

This entry was posted on February 10, 2013 at 8:28 pm and is filed under Europe, Group Travel, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.