Looking Back…Planning Ahead

A gray morning in Lisbon, Portugal

Looking Back…Planning Ahead

It is that time of year when one looks back over the past year and then begins to plan for the upcoming year. Looking back I would tell you is was a very good year.

My health is good and I continue to have the energy and desire to travel and see new parts of the world. I think I told you over a year ago that I wanted to slow down my travels…taking in less countries. As usual that did not happen…I was in 10 countries in 2015 with a mix of new and repeat destinations. My spring trip to Europe was great with new countries that included Portugal, Holland and Denmark.  I threw in some previously visited countries but with new destinations. In France i stopped in Pau, Bordeaux and Montpellier…In Belgium I stopped in Bruges.

A park in Montpellier, France

My favorite places this year were Copenhagen, Denmark and Amsterdam, Holland. I loved almost everything about them…the architecture, art, food, people…both places had a good vibe. I especially liked the light in Copenhagen..cool blue/grey…reflected in their paintings and the color of their buildings. So very different than Southern Europe with its warm golden sun and vibrant colors The one thing I did not enjoy was the high cost of living…it was brutal.

Copenhagen, Denmark

I arrive just as spring was breaking out in Northern Europe. The tulips were out in both cities and people were anxious to go out and capture the sun’s rays after a long winter. All the parks and public squares were filled with adults and children riding bikes, walking dogs playing soccer.  I loved the friendly exuberance exhibited by almost everyone.

The Rjksmuseum in Amsterdam, Holland

From Europe I headed back to the United States for a driving trip through the deep south…Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. It was a great trip filled with history and natural beauty. I was able to cross off some places on my wish list…Savannah, Williamsburg, Natchez, Beauford and the Natchez Trace. It was a special trip, as was the year before’s trip driving through the American West along the Lewis and Clark Trail.

French Quarter, New Orleans

After leaving the US I headed back to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for a few months to visit friends and give it another chance as a place to settle in. The definition of insanity is to keep repeating the same behavior over and over and expecting a different result. I was insane to go back to San Miguel thinking I could breath easier, walk the hills without being short of breath and find the old expat culture appealing…quite insane.

So here I am back in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the winter, Back where I started out in the beginning of 2015 after going once more around the world….my third circumnavigation of the globe.

Colonial Williamsburg, USA

This is a milestone moment for me! In a couple of weeks I will complete my fifth year of travel. When I started out I never imagined I would become a vagabond, a digital nomad if you will. It was my plan to find a spot and settle down and become a normal expat… “normal expat” an oxymoron if there ever was one . But after about six months in Cuenca, Ecuador I began to think why do I have to stay put in one place…why not travel the world stopping when and where the mood strikes me.

That has been my life for the past five years of travel…34 countries, three times around the world, a host of new friends and a vast array of new cultures and experiences.

Siesta in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

All that leads to looking forward…planning ahead if you will. I can hear your snickering now as I talk about about plans…Oh ye of little faith…YES, I have a plan. Now you may be correct in assuming that my plans often go awry, especially if you go back and look at my blog post that talk about where I plan to go and where I wind up. You will also remember I have told you about the heartbreak of TWADD (travelers with attention deficit) that often throws me off course. I think that is about to change.

Yes, I have a new plan for 2016 and I am changing up the game. I have been thinking for about a year of finding a “Home” and setting up a base camp that I can travel from. So in February I am going to Turkey and begin working to set up a base in Fethiye, Turkey.  A lovely little town on the Mediterranean Coast with warm winters and over 300 days of sunshine a year. I would be a good place to explore new areas of Central Asia, Eastern Europe and North Africa. Of course, this all is contingent on my being able to get a 1 year resident visa…However, I am optimistic about the chances.

So that is my story and I’m sticking to it. Will see you on the blog in 2016 or somewhere in the world.

Happy New Year!