Pinxtos,

Write a novel or a screenplay or even just draw cartoons. Set it in your dream destination.

Now, I dream of Europe because there are not AS MANY guns there. I am capitalizing to avoid angry vitriol about presence of guns in Europe. I am in shock over what happened today in Seattle, at a school. Yet another school shooting. Horrifying.

I hear you.

A dear friend just died. Her only wish was to go to Ireland - never did. Kept putting money into a house that was her husband's dream. Then she had a five year battle with cancer, got an all clear and two weeks later died of a stroke.

Another dear friend took one, one week trip a year. Venice was to be the big one this fall for him and his wife. This Spring, he became terribly ill and there will be no trip now, perhaps never.

Another friend is going on a crazy pilgrimage to all the places his wife wanted to go, but he can't make up for the loss.

After retirement, I had a stroke followed by kidney disease. There were two places I most wanted to go. I finally said to DH, " When I die and you stand by my grave, you will wish you had gone to Turkey and Provence with me, and be very, very sorry that saving money was more important than those trips." That did it. We booked and went, and both were incredible.

So, if you sincerely want to travel, look for ways and reasons to do it. Life won't wait for you.

Seattle, no vitriol from Europe, no idea what all the guns are for in the US.

Seems to us you trust your fellow citizens to have guns but the reason you need the guns is you don't trust your fellow citizens.

Now, for a great country, this intellectual dichotomy ought to be solvable.

Pintxos, I hope you find a way. If you can squeeze out a 10 day trip, you will really feel like you have been away and will have plenty of opportunity to enjoy yourself.

My husband and I took a few trips to Europe before we had children and then European travel went on hold for quite a while. We finally went again when the youngest was 9 and he had a great time and remembers much of the trip. We would have liked to have gone even earlier with the kids but had we some financial challenges along the way.

Good luck!

"Now, I dream of Europe because there are not AS MANY guns there."

I simply can't understand this.

There aren't, as far as the overwhelming majority of us are concerned, ANY guns in Britain. And that's because we don't want them. We know criminals can get them - but we also know that most gun deaths in America are from people being shot by people they know. So we'll happily run the trivial risk of being shot by a criminal to avoid the far greater risk of being shot by an angry neighbour, or a trigger-happy cop who's had a bad day.

Now we're possibly no brighter than Americans. And there's no obvious reason we should be more democratic (actually there is: it's that damnfool Constitution you're all brainwashed into fetishising - but even that is theoretically capable of being amended), so where's the problem?

It seems to me YOU'RE the problem. Scarcely a day goes by without an American bleating here about why it's the NRA, or Walmart, or Big Pharma, who's standing between a civilised America and some horror you're currently lumbered with.

Yet almost none of you vote. Most of you spend your lives whining about politicians. Your answer? fly to Europe.

How about stopping whining, stopping dreaming and doing something about the things you're so worried about? Your country does purport to be a democracy.

What a pity almost none of you seem remotely interested in doing anything about it. Moaning about how tough it is to go to Europe gets no-one anywhere. Standing for your local council is the first step to Americans taking responsibility for the state of their country.

Flanneruk, I wouldn't exactly say "almost none of you vote." In presidential elections, about 50-55% of eligible adults vote, in mid terms about 35-40% vote. Not high, but not that extremely low either.

I would guess that Pintxos votes in every election and may well have got involved in politics in other ways. It's certainly not his fault that so many Americans are hoodwinked into thinking that conservative politics is in their best interests. I lived in the US most of my life, and I voted in every election since I reached the legal age. I volunteered in election campaigns, even when I had small children and little time. However, I lived in an "blue" area, where my "side" won almost every election, and it still had very little effect on issues like gun control and the death penalty, about which I felt strongly. The only thing I could have done to change anything would have been to move to a "swing" state, along with thousands of other people who thought like me.

By the way, two-thirds of the states have to ratify any constitutional amendment, in a country where 50% of the population lives in the most populous 11 states. That amendment isn't going to get changed in the foreseeable future, no matter how many people run for their local council.

bvlenci, I do vote in every election. It is very perceptive of you to guess so.

I am not even going to touch the vile pile of crap in flanneruk's post.

On a separate note, my husband has Irish citizenship and we are seriously considering relocating there. I may start a new post, but for the time-being it is just a thought.

Spend a few months in Ireland before making the decision.

FLANNER,

" It seems to me YOU'RE [Americans]the problem. Scarcely a day goes by without an American bleating here about why it's the NRA, or Walmart, or Big Pharma, who's standing between a civilised America and some horror you're currently lumbered with."

Your acrimony against America has reached new heights today, not that you don't take every opportunity to rank on us. Just wondering - have you ever been to the US? Not that it would change your mind.

In so many of your posts, you show resentment for Americans traveling to Europe, especially to the UK. I have been fortunate to have traveled there about ten time, and you rancor will not prevent me from returnin.

I live in the Northeast and no one in my circle owns a gun or supports the gun lobby.

Flanner, it's unfortunate because you have contributed so much to this forum. You're frequently indulged as being a "curmudgeon." But basically you have a mean streak and it's showing today.

Sorry for the typos

"I have been fortunate to have traveled there about ten times, and your rancor will not prevent me from returning."

Guess I am losing my cool. :)

I am for gun control except when I read what people like Flanny write. I am also against capital punishment, but if we start with street mimes, I might consider it otherwise.

We were fortunate, when we were in our 40's we realized that we better start going to places that require stamina and agility. They can always throw us in the back of the bus and see Brussels. (We saw Brussels this year, standing erect.)

We scaled the temples in Tikal, twice,and we retired early and my wife walked the 500 mile Camino. We also went to the cloud forest in Costa Rica, and went as high as they would allow on Mt. Etna.

Do not think in terms of Europe but what you can do now. And as far as time is concerned, for the most part I had positions of responsibility but I always sort balance and was at ease with the fact, that I was replaceable. The idea I was so relaxed about this but did my job well scared the crap out of my insecure bosses and the gained the confidence of those who were adults.

I often think, the way you travel, reflects how you approach the rest of your life. There are some who want to see as many places as they can in an hour because achievement is more important than what you are seeing. There are those who report every detail of every moment as if they are going to tested or must account for their actions. And then there seems to the hardest group to be part, enjoy the hell of a vacation and not a give a flying what is happening at work or what other people think.

"There aren't, as far as the overwhelming majority of us are concerned, ANY guns in Britain"

That's applicable for Flanner's little world.

Over a million people regularly use a gun in Britain. I have owned guns and many of the population in our area have done so.

The difference being that most of those users are involved in sport or game shooting. We don't have guns as a form of defence or a form of offense against other. We see them as a form of sport. There's the cultural difference but problems arise when those with mental health issues have access to those guns. As has happened very infrequently in the UK.

Flanner, please don't generalize. You don't know me or know that I do vote (have never missed an election.) I have had gunshot victims' blood trailing down me as I've tried to resuscitate them and I support anti-gun groups and legislation.

Yes, some of us are envious you don't have these concerns. There is no need to rub it in.

25,000 Americans die each year of gunshot wounds, how many Brits die of Marmite each year?

I watch those British mysteries and Oxford has to be the murder capitol of the world. I am surprised there is anyone left in that town.

Crab Apple Cove was so denuded of people that she had to move to NY to carry on the killing spree.

Have you noticed how many people die in those big white buildings in large towns, they should be closed down.

etc

I had a dear American friend who had dreamed of visiting England. She had read widely and saved up until she was in her 70s. I was terrified that she would be disillusioned, but I think she got the England of her dreams. She probably just ignored the grotty bits.
Everyone seemed to make a great fuss of her, from motherly chambermaids to the "dear holy dusters" of Salisbury Cathedral.
I've always wanted to visit Petra and Samarkand. At 75 those will have to stay as dreams

Samarkand? I am originally from that neighborhood but I have not been to Samarkand. I have been to Europe. Just can't go now. I will have to look up Petra, MissPrism.