Hey now! Hey now! Don’t dream it’s over.
The trip has ended.
Back to reality.
I need to get my life in order. Back on the path to being more organised and getting my house to be orderly and gorgeous and more stylish. And my finances, don’t mention my finances.
I had time to think while on the trip. Contemplate about things I want to stream line; things that need fixing; things I’ve learnt from the Italians. (Which I learnt from the French but didn’t put into practice: that is, have a life beyond work – socialise more.)
One thing we both realised is that we need to do more of what we love: go on adventures.
Mr S is manic for paying off the mortgage. But when we were talking about future travels, he realised it would be years before we visited his family in the US. And given that his cousin has visited us three times, we probably should return the favour.
So…
I bought tickets to go on Boxing Day.
Complete the sentence.
Two long haul flights in the same year are….
Our youngest, The Dreamer, thinks this is not what our family does: disappear on Boxing Day. He’ll cope. We wanted to maximise the time Mr S’s cousin had off from work between Christmas and New Year. (With a week to think about it, The Dreamer decided to join us!!!)
But to take this trip, and have our year off, and overpay the mortgage, and get the house and garden in order, means making some choices.
Firstly it means saying sorry to our neighbours. Sorry, we can’t afford to replace the fence which has fallen down and is rotten. No, can’t do it. We’re too busy jetsetting and paying for holidays.
Live for the frivolous. It’s never really been us. Solid. Hardworking. Paying bills on time.
But off we go.
lucinda sans 
I’m with you. Don’t wait for everything to be entirely paid off. If you’re up to date on payments and aren’t going into debt to travel, then why not go for it. Life’s too short. The fence can wait.
Thank you. One neighbour had chickens. I don’t mind if they peck over here. Next year we’ll get the fence done.
I lost my darling husband 18 months ago ,38 days after he was diagnosed with cancer.
We had done a couple of trips but were planning on doing more in retirement.
Sadly that won’t be happening 😢
Go and do all the things you want to do and don’t worry about the fence chooks are good at keeping spiders away.
Oh dear, Christine. So sorry for your loss. But it is a very true reason for seizing the day – who knows what awaits us.
And the chooks are fun and friendly when they visit.
How funny! Here’s me putting off travel to pay for a new fence (among other things!)
Well, yes, normally we’d do the same. But something bit us. The travel bug?
Lucinda, go for it. All around me, suddenly, I am seeing people having terrible health diagnoses. Wholeheartedly agree with you doing it while you are in sound health. As for finances…you can’t get time or experiences back but the house will always be an asset.
I’m still tormented by the environment issue but as they pointed out on the glacier in NZ…current climate change had been caused already by 150 years of industrialisation before we were even born. Flight offsets as a compromise for now?
Yes, strike while we can. As to asset, if Sydney prices sustain, we will be millionaires on paper.
More like “millionaires how many times over!” Sydney prices still leave me open-mouth shocked!
Glad you are home safe and sound but I will miss sharing all your experiences. Live frivolously whilst you can is what I say.
Some frivolity coming up.