Liam

OK. I admit it. I have been reading this board a lot lately and feel like I did when I missed that whole "dot com" thing - pressing my nose against the window, jealously looking at the party going on inside. <BR> <BR>Am I the only person on this board who feels such vacation envy/inferiority? Maybe it's my age (early 30's) and family situation (stay-at-home wife and 2 kids under age 3) that keep me from having more fascinating travel stories under my belt, but how often do you get to Europe, honestly? <BR> <BR>Granted, I am currently planning my 2002 trip to Paris, but that is an exception to my otherwise cloistered existence. I am looking for feedback from ordinary American leisure travelers, not feedback from someone who goes to Europe five times a year because she's a designer for Calvin Klein.

Katherine

Liam, <BR> <BR>I understand completely! For many years I was a single mom, watching everybody else go and saving my personal time off days for sick kid days, school holidays, and the like. Our big vacation was a week in Yosemite (which coincided with every other kid's time off). But there is a light at the end of the tunnel! The kids grow up. (after, admittedly they got to do the Europe thing before me!) and now I take 3 trips a year. I have to be creative to stretch my 17 days of PTO with holidays and the Christmas shutdown but it manages to be 3 very nice trips.

ilisa

Liam, don't feel bad. We are in the same boat. Last time we were in Europe was in 1998. A trip to Iceland in 2000 fell through. I don't expect we will get back until 2002 or 2003 (2003 is our 10th anniversary - I'm angling for a trip to Greece). Life happens. That's all. I also have a small daughter with one on the way, and will become a stay at home mom next week. I suspect when it comes to amount of travel, the people on this board are the exception, not the rule. I wouldn't call your existence cloistered at all. Be thankful for what you have.

famous anonymus

hei Liam...IŽm one of those lucky bastards that can travel abroad 2 or 3 times a year, but recently, I saw some posts here about the city I live in, and they...made the bell ring. Why not ?? why not travel in my town, there are so many things here that we pass by everyday without even notice !!! <BR>The result was fantastic, did some great fotos, went to the zoo ( last time had been...10 years...15 years...), I had a great time. <BR>So...why donŽt you ask here for things about your city...youŽll be surprised !

Thyra

Liam, don't feel badly, I know many friends who never travel. Honestly the only reason my husband and I can afford it is because we made a very deliberate decision NOT to have any children, (not against kids, we just know we prefer travel) shallow? Perhaps, but we'd make terrible parents as my husband is a musician and would like to quit his day job at some point. Further we lived in a trailer park for the first 7 years we were together... kind of an anomaly... two decent professionals, travelling to Europe once a year then returning to the dumpy trailer.. but it was a sacrafice we were willing to make to see the world. <BR>Trust me, if you dream it hard enough, you will reach a point in your lives when you can prioritize travel. My inlaws had never been out of state, let alone out of the country, until their children had all left home, last year we all went to Greece for the first time, and now the have 3 trips lined up..it's never too late to start. Also, you might want to look into house swapping, which is a great alternative to hotels, volunteer tourism, (if you are more mature, Elderhostel) package deals, accumulating frequent flyer miles etc. <BR>It is possible to take long vacations on to Europe with very little money, it's important to keep the flame alive in your heart and when the time is right you will have the best adventures possible.

Thyra

PS. My in-laws joined us on a trip to Greece that I and my husband arranged and set up...so you see, the sacrifices they made all those years of staying at home taking care of my husband paid off.. when we were able to introduce them to travel, and share some spectacular adventures along the way.

elaine

Liam <BR>This message board gives a skewed view of us participants in some ways. <BR>Mostly all we talk about here is travel, so it seems sometimes (at least to me) that everyone must be doing it all the time. I've been traveling for about 20 years, I was well into my adulthood before I started. Since then, sometimes I take a trip large or small for several years in a row, then sometimes a few years goes by before I can do it again. That's a lot more than some people get to do, and a lot less than others. <BR>My friends with kids do it very seldom if at all. There's not having enough time, not having enough money, especially if it means transporting 3 or 4 or 5 people rather than just one or two. Other people have kids, but have options for free babysitting for a week or two. Still others, as mentioned, travel for business, and manage to tack on a few days for pleasure. <BR>Personally, I am jealous everytime I hear about someone else's trip, even if I just got back myself. <BR>Enjoy the planning for your 2002 trip--for me, planning starts the travel pleasure well in advance, and when I return I start planning the next one, even if it might be years away. <BR>But don't make too many assumptions aobut how often "everyone" else gets to travel--some yes, but many, no.

elvira

Europe at least twice a year, the fall trip is for a minimum three weeks. I've worked at the same generous company for almost 10 years, so I get vacation time above and beyond the standard two weeks, plus a 4 week sabbatical for every 5 years I work (due for one 2002), and a very good salary. I don't own a car or a home, I have no dependents (except my sister, but that's a whole 'nother smoke) and my lifestyle (oh yeah like THAT's what I have) is pretty simple (a pitcher of beer at the Monastery with 5 buddies is about as flamboyant as I get). Even with a couple of trips a year to visit family, I still have lots of vacation time for overseas travel - I am VERY fortunate! <BR> <BR>Of course, when they announce on Saturday the numbers on my winning Powerball ticket, a lot of that will change....

Beth

Liam, I just returned from Paris, but it had been 40 years since I had been there. A friend and I had visited several countries in the early 1960s, both recovering from broken hearts! In between, I moved with a military husband, raised three kids, returned to work, and after the divorce, started traveling again with an artist group. With them, I have been to England three times (different areas, about 3 years apart). This Paris trip was not planned - an apartment rental fell into our laps for a price we couldn't pass - so four artists, my daughter and daughter in law spent 8 days there. Part of the joy of the trip was to see my "kids" first ever trip outside the U.S. Keep dreaming, it all comes in time. Save your money; make your kids pay their own college tution; and fly away in your mid years!

janice

Oh, you're gonna hate me.... <BR>I get 3 weeks vacation, 5 long weekends a year, and my office is closed for at least a week over Christmas and New Years. So I go to New Hampshire to visit family 12-15 times a year, New York to visit friends 4 times a year, a week in North Carolina in the summer, a week in Paris every spring, a fall trip somewhere or other ever year (last year Ireland, this year Loire Valley) and a 2 week multi-country trip every holiday season. (last year Paris/Venice, this year Vienna/Munich) <BR>But I live alone - in an apartment about the size of my office. And I have no husband, no children, no house, no car, no dishwasher, no cable tv, no cell phone, no pager, no home computer etc. And when I'm in my office I work like a demon. It all balances out - there are sure days when I'd trade with you and give you my trips in exchange for your family. <BR>But be patient, if travel is what you want, you will eventually get to - life changes and your circumstances will be very different more quickly than you can imagine...

Jean

<BR>Liam, I feel this way sometimes too. My husband and I both work outside the home and have 3 children (ages 8, 13, 17). As you well know, it can be expensive raising kids! <BR> <BR>We have been to Europe twice -- once to England in 1999, and once to Italy (this year). My nephew was getting married to an English girl in 1999 and we decided to make it a family vacation and go over. Well, that certainly whetted our appetite for travel! <BR> <BR>This summer we, along with two of my sisters and their husbands (and one niece) went to Italy for 12 days and we LOVED it!! We're just finishing paying off that trip, but we were able to get good airfare, and one of my brothers-in-law generously paid for a villa rental for a week for us all (they don't have children). <BR> <BR>We're hoping to visit France and/or Switzerland next summer with our same group, but I don't know . . . next year we'll have one going off to college, which will make our expenses for him now pale in comparison!

Art

Liam, I was very fortunate to have lived in Europe for 7 years a long time ago. I visited all of the countries in western Europe except Spain and Portugal. Then I got married, bought a house and had a son. This didn't stop us from traveling though, we just confined ourselves to the US, Canada and Mexico. We did something every year although a lot of it was camping. We drove around the country twice, have visited 47 states. There is so much beauty in our country as well as Canada and Mexico. The travel toned down while I was putting my son through college, but when he graduated with a full scolership to UCLS for graduate studies, I started going to Europe again. That was 4 years ago and have gone every year since. I am fortunate that I am able to teach computer classes weekends and that income goes directly into my travel fund. As has been mentioned so many times it has a great deal to do with your priorities. I enjoy owning my own home and oc course in So Cal you have to have a car. <BR>I also make my lunches (saves about $5 or $6 per day. For a year thats about $1000/year. <BR>I also am envious when I read of other peoples travels which I think is normal. But I also get to vicariously travel with them when they post their travel logs. <BR>Regards <BR>

dan woodlief

I never take more than one international trip per year (with the exception of one year when I traveled to Europe then Canada for a week for business/pleasure). Regardless of money, I just don't have time for it, especially with a 2 1/2 year old. For a few years I was taking a 2-3 week trip every year - Europe, Mexico, Asia (longer when in grad school than after). This October's Italy trip will be my first trip to Europe in four years. I was getting a little rusty. My last international trip was three years ago to Mexico. I have been spending more time than ever taking domestic trips since my daughter was born, and it has given me a chance to see places in the U.S. I had long wanted to see. Here is the way I make sure I travel as often as possible. I told myself a few years ago that I would take a big trip somewhere at least once per year every year (I save at least half my vacation for this and use the rest for vacations with my daughter). Since then, I have only not done that one year (1996 - the year I moved back from Wisconsin to North Carolina). I also take 2-3 shorter trips per year (2-4 days) to places in Virginia, D.C., and other nearby spots. I have spent a lot more time seeing my own backyard too. Lots of visits to museums and other popular spots in N.C. to which for some reason I had never been. If I stopped moving, I would die (my head spins when I think how many places I have seen in the past eight years compared to before). I do have visions of taking 3-5 big trips per year when I retire, but I hope to do a heck of a lot before then too. Before long I will start taking the little one along (those of you who are less fond of children, look out!).

Donna

Hi, I'm a 54 year old who now travels oversees once a year usually for three weeks. My children are grown and out on their own and I have worked since I was a teen for the same company and have lots of vacation and enough spendable income. But it hasn't always been that way! I was 39 when I took my first plane ride and that was to Rome. I loved travel and started saving my money so I could go again. It would take me about three years to save enough money to take a nice trip and it has always been worth it. Once the kids graduated from college I have been able to take a trip every year. Next week we will be going to Germany, Prague, Austria and Northern Italy. Travel is a priority and I would rather spend money on it than almost anything else.

Jane

Once every year and a half if I'm lucky. Every two years for sure. It takes a while to save up the money again!

Sheila

Message: Liam I too am amazed at some of the travel on this site but I enjoy reading about everyone's adventures. I began late (age 42) for my first trip to Europe. In 97 France, 99 Italy and this past June England. I am trying to plan a trip to a different part of Europe every two years. It takes me that long to save the money to go but I enjoy planning almost as much as the trip. As my children get older (one in college and one a senior in high school) I am hoping for more money to go more often. Enjoy your trip to Paris and enjoy the planning. We have enjoyed a lot of car trips while our children were growing up. Maybe you do that while your children are small.

Sjoerd

This is just to make all of you jealous. <BR> <BR>Vacation schedule 2001 <BR> <BR>February: Thailand, Laos and Hong Kong (2 weeks) <BR>April: London (long weekend) <BR>May: Colombia (2 weeks) <BR>June: Thailand (4 days, add-on to a business trip) <BR>September: Venice (4 days) <BR>October: Canada (10 days) <BR>November: Egypt (2 weeks)

Lexma90

As you can tell by the responses, mostly those who travel a lot have few ties at home (dependent-wise). I'm in my late 30s, with 2 young kids. Before the kids, we saved up our money and went on a 1-2 week trip to Europe each year, plus a domestic U.S. long weekend vacation here and there. In the 6 years since we've had kids, we've managed 2 trips to Europe (we have 2 sets of grandparents who are all too happy to see us go so they can take care of the kids), with a 3rd coming up. A handful a long weekend trips (usually in connection with somebody's business trip) with the kids, plus a 1-week trip with the kids for each of the past two years. It's been a treat to show them different parts of the U.S. I'm looking forward to taking the kids (planning to try to take the 6-year-old to Europe next year). We travel relatively a lot, but that's where our money goes; like other posters, we don't have the nicest house or car, or the newest clothes or other material possessions. <BR> <BR>It comes down to a matter of priorities (time and money); right now, your priorities are pretty much forced to be elsewhere (kids, family). But soon, depending on the needs and desires of you and your family, there could be more trips in your life. That's what has happened to us.

nancy

Liam, <BR>We took our first abroad trip this summer ! Almost 3 weeks, italy , with our children. <BR>Husband and I are both in late 40's, I was a stay -at-home mom til now (but that is another story) <BR>and we have 2 children , turning 14 and 11. <BR>There are more of us out there than you realize !

Capo

Hi Liam. <BR> <BR>Life is full of choices we make and priorities we have. I suspect that most people who choose to have children, for example, have to put traveling plans on hold for a while. One of my best friends loves Europe and used to go every year; a year ago he & his wife had a beautiful baby girl and he just accepts the fact that it will be some years before he returns to Europe, as a tradeoff that he's more than willing to make. <BR> <BR>Like Thyra, I've chosen not to have any children (my brothers & sisters have made up for me, since I have ten nieces and nephews :~), so I have the time (limited by available vacation time from work, of course) and disposable income to travel. <BR> <BR>I do NOT mean to start a children vs. no-children "war" here, but I'm always amused, puzzled, and dismayed by those people who see the choice to not have children as "selfish." To people with children who would say that -- and NOT to other people who have children -- I would respond that while <I>raising</I> children is perhaps one of the most <I>unselfish</I> things a person can do in life, wanting to have one's own biological offspring -- instead of adopting children who are already born -- could be considered a <I>selfish</I> thing. <BR> <BR>Again, please let me stress, I'm NOT criticizing people with children who DON'T criticize people without children. (As I noted above, my sisters & brothers have ten children between them, all biological.) My remarks above are -- or would be -- <I>only</I> to those people with children who <I>criticize</I> those people without children as "selfish."