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Published: February 10th 2006
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Three weeks at home...wow!
I've gotten lots of questions.
Here are some answers.
Wow, I can't believe that I've been home for three weeks now. Lots has happened in that time...crafting away...eating...kickass two day craft fair...volunteering with Guides again...eating...trying to get organized...eating...doing buddy things with my nephew...eating...organizing snax club stuff...eating...sorting through 6000 photos...eating...sorting through all the souvenirs I sent home...eating...catching up with a few friends...eating...hearing 6 versions of the same story...eating. I seriously don't know where my time goes (I mean when I'm not eating!) haha
I thought that I'd write up this blog to answer some of the most frequently asked questions posed to me.
An interview with myself. LOL
Q: Where was your favourite Country that you visited and why?
A: That's a tough question for me to answer since it's like comparing apples and oranges. Every country that I visited on this trip was different from one another and they all seemed to have different things to offer. I can honestly say I've enjoyed every country that I've visited on this trip but as you can tell, I don't like to pick favourites!
Q: Do you miss home or get lonely?
A: Not
really. Sure I have missed my family and friends and some of the comforts of home at times but I think knowing all along that I have had an end point to my travels and will ultimately return home has made me try and take advantage of the time I have had away. The knowing that I'll be home soon enough helped to curb that "home sick" feeling. Plus, being connected with the net, email, text messaging and the phone, it's not hard to get a little piece of home while on the road. I also read an article recently about the difference between solitude and loneliness. Solitude is voluntarily being alone while loneliness is involuntarily being alone. How deep!
Q: What was the hardest thing you encountered on your travels?
A: When this question was first posed to me I thought it was a tough one. It's really made me think how fortunate I've been during my travels without too many difficulties...touch wood. Keeping my common sense has helped out tons!
Once I thought about the question more I came up with...saying goodbye. It's especially difficult saying goodbye to those people that have made an impression on
me and I feel blessed to have spent some time with them.
Q: How did you choose where to go?
A: I'm not sure how many times I wrote out and thought about all of the places I wanted to see. Then reality set in. I only have so much time and money and refocused my thinking and became a little bit more realistic in my planning. I eventually cut out South America because I didn't feel comfortable travelling there alone and not knowing a drop of Spanish other than hola and gracias. So I'll leave that for later on in life when I can organize a home stay and study Spanish somewhere in South America. Africa didn't really fit into my schedule. Neither did China or Japan. So basically once I had my rough plan of the countries that I wanted to visit, I headed to a travel agent and went from there. It's tough planning out a huge trip a year in advance but the good thing with my air ticket was that the dates for my flights could easily be changed without penalties or charges. This came in really handy when the offer to go cruising
in the Caribbean was put before me and I had to shorten my travels in Europe.
Q: How much has this trip cost you?
A: None of your beeswax. lol But I will say that it was worth every cent!
Q: Did you ever feel unsafe?
A: Nope. I feel fortunate and lucky that I have been able to keep a good sense of common sense about me. Also being confident and unafraid to use your head is key to staying safe.
Q: What do you do for a living?
A: Travel. 😊 I'll tell you when I figure it all out in 2006 since that's when I'll be coming out of retirement. I guess I took early retirement a little too literally in 2005. haha
Q: Why did you take such a long trip?
A: The last few years I started to think I needed a change in my life and I've always wanted to do a big around the world trip and somewhere along the line (I think in 2003) I changed from thinking about doing the big trip to actually going forward and making it happen. Everybody knows I love to travel, so
My parents in the elevator
I'm not sure why, but my mom wanted to take a picture in the elevator. lol is it such a big surprise? So instead of thinking "what if" and wondering what a trip like this would be like, I'm left wondering what would my life would have been like if I didn't take the time this year to see some of the World...I don't want to even begin going there. It is an amazing thing seeing one of your big dreams be realized before your eyes. Aim high and reach for the stars! Okay, I'll stop with the corny quotes now. LOL
Q: What do you like to do when you travel?
A:
- Touristy stuff like museums, shopping for souvenirs or the mega touristy stuff like visiting the Taj Mahal or Angkor Wat.
- Eat. Enough said.
- Meeting and talking with people. Exchanging stories and experiences.
- Explore an area just by walking around.
- Learning about an area or place that I'm visiting. Knowledge if King!
- Taking lots and lots of photos.
Q: Where will you travel to next?
A: Not too sure yet. Wait, I'll be going to Chicago tomorrow! lol My list of places that I would like to visit and see with my own eyes
in our World just keeps growing...
Q: Do you have any regrets about this trip?
A: Nope. The only thing that I wish I had more of (besides money) is time in some places or the time of year that I was in a place meant I missed out on something. But there aren't too many instances of that. Plus it just means more reason to go back some day!
Q: What are some things you just can't travel without? What are your travel essentials?
A: Besides the obvious toiletries, passport, money and digital camera with lots of memory, I'd have to say a good pair of walking shoes, comfortable clothes, pack-it cubes and a nice day pack. And when they say to travel light, I'd have to say that is some of the best advice ever!
Q: Would you do something like this again?
A: Yes! Definitely, in a heartbeat.
Q: How many countries did you visit?
A: Eighteen. Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, India, New Zealand, Australia, England, Wales, Scotland, France, Germany, USA, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Bahamas, St. Thomas and Canada (I managed to stop in seven provinces - Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, Quebec,
Jacqueline in her element
on the computer with MSN! Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta.)
Some things that I have learned along the way that I wanted to share with you...
- A smile goes a long way.
- Never say never.
- I believe in Traveller's Karma because what goes around comes around. Plus it makes for safe and happy travels. 😊
- Sometimes the truth hurts...
- It's never easy to say goodbye...'til we meet again!
- You can't like everyone you meet.
- Sometimes the rules are meant to be broken and they don't have to be followed 24/7...But do keep your common sense!
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Robyn
non-member comment
Thats great Bonnie. Im gonna miss reading your blog.... I keep thinking Im reading the last one. Will they ever end? I hope not! Lots of Love