Future Trips

I've only been back in the US for 2 months, but I've already dreamed up several future trips that I hope, one day, to be able to take.

I admit I don't like her, but I also admit I watch her show sometimes - but the idea for the next trip I want to take is a trip through the Mayan Ruins in Mexico. And I got it from Rachael Ray's show "Tasty Travels." She took a trip from Cancun down the shore, including to Tulum. I started looking. Flights from LAX to Cancun are about $350, renting a car for a week is about $150, and nice hotels are under $100 a night. Took a Frommer's book out of the library about Mexico and they had a 2-week itinerary that could easily be split up into 2 trips or shortened to one week. So i think that's what I'll do next - it'd be affordable and doable in a week and somewhere new.

As for Europe, well, I want to see it all of course, but I've got 3 particular trips in mind.

1. Start in Paris for a few days, see the French Riviera for a few days, the Italian Riviera including Cinque Terre for a few days, and the hill towns of Tuscany for a few days. I figure I'd need 2-3 weeks to do it all justice.
   
2. 2-3 weeks exploring Portugal and Spain more in-depth, I'd like to go back to Lisbon and check out the Barrio Alto and Chiado neighborhoods a little better, and I'd like to see the Algarve and Faro areas
   
3. 2 or so weeks exploring Scandinavia more in-depth, particularly Sweden.

I'd also like to see Eastern Europe including Prague, Croatia, Krakow, and Slovenia (which I hear is a gorgeous undiscovered gem). That'd need about 3 weeks, I suppose.

The big question is of course, when would I ever have time to take more long trips, and of course I won't have the money for quite some time. But a girl can dream!

Money, etc.

With the dollar decreasing by the day, something I am facing when dreaming about the next trip I will be able to take is money. Traveling is expensive. I consider my Europe trip to have been a "budget" one, at least a semi-budget, but it was still expensive, nearly $2,000 a week eating cheap meals, staying in reasonably-priced hotels largely under $150, skipping a lot of sights, taking all public transportation, and not buying much.

So my first plan of attack is that I have opened a savings account at my bank, which is linked to my checking account. It will earn a little interest and keep money separate and ear-marked. I started with $300. When I get a job (currently looking), I can set aside a certain (albeit small) amount from each paycheck and transfer it to the savings account. Soon, I should have enough to take a trip. Not a 6-week grand once-in-a-lifetime trip, but somewhere. And during the off-season. That should help a lot!

Also, something I notice is that a lot of people want to travel overseas - to Australia and Europe and South America and Asia and even Africa. And all these places are GREAT. The world is GREAT. But what about the US? There are beautiful and amazing things right here. Sedona, Arizona is almost as magical as Venice. We have pretty lakes and mountains and old cities and quaint towns and great food and nice people all the same. And traveling in the US is a lot cheaper.

I sure as hell picked an expensive hobby!

Welcome!

Since I got back from a 6-week 10-city 7 country tour of Europe almost 2 months ago, I have been bitten by the travel bug. To keep track of my own plans, my favorite websites, random musings, pretty pictures, whatever, I've decided to create this blog. Enjoy and please leave any comments you might have!