Travel Goals

Travel goals. Perhaps because my parents made regular vacation a priority, even when money was tight. . .perhaps because my husband loves travel as much as I do. . . Whatever the reason, a life goal of mine has been to travel the world.

Little by little, my husband and I have sought experiences that enrich us, that push us out of or comfort zones, that make us better people as we experience the fullness of humanity’s cultures. As lifelong public servants, we are not luxury travelers…in fact we have often traveled on a shoestring budget.

If I am honest, I actually prefer our method of travel. Finding an economical means of travel often means we live like a local. We avoid resorts. We by groceries at the neighborhood store. We use public transportation. We look for free entertainment.

We talk to people to find out where they go for fun. We attend local celebrations. We stay in residential neighborhoods and eat in local restaurants. Why travel halfway around the world to stay with people who look just like you and do the things you can easily do at home?

This is a long introduction, so I will get to the point. I have been in the habit of organizing my travel photos on social media in order to have a digital record of the trip. Over the years, I have received lots of question and comments about how we plan and adventure. Since I have more time in retirement, I have determined to document our experiences as we travel more frequently.

The Travel Goals (Real life adventures of ordinary people) blog posts will primarily be a personal outlet to reflect on our experiences. It will also (I hope) be informative for others who travel, who hope to travel, or who are just interested in new experiences. I hope it challenges all of us to encounter the unknown with humor, grace, and hope.