About my travels
Retiring professional road warrior, transitioning to leisure travel (read more)
Hello!
I’ve been traveling internationally for over 40 years and have logged over 2 million flight miles and visited more than 80 countries. Most of my travel has been for work, taking me to major world cities, which is great, but the pace allows little time for exploration.
Thank goodness for frequent flyer miles and hotel points, as they have supported my vacations in Africa, Asia, Europe and North & South America.
My favorite personal travel experiences are those that include lots of walking, adventure, meeting local people, trying new foods, taking public transportation and learning about history, cultural traditions, national points of pride and troubleshooting travel snafus. I have mostly traveled with others, but have taken a few solo vacations. Convincing family and friends to join me in visiting places that were never on their wish list, and seeing how much they ended up loving their experiences, is a true joy.
I have stayed in accommodations ranging from the most lavish hotels to the most basic structures, including a few tents, and have learned that luxury is wonderful, but rarely offers the rich experiences of middle and lower end travel.
I am still trying to find the right balance between knowing the risks in various areas and proceeding with appropriate caution, while making sure not to close myself off the opportunities that come with trusting people. Some of my best travel memories, and a much smaller number of regrettable incidents, have happened when I went against the advice of guidebooks and put myself in the hands of someone I met along the way.
Travel has expanded my world literally and figuratively. It gives me conversation points with strangers and insight into current events that I would not otherwise understand.
As I’ve entered semi-retirement and am on the brink of full retirement, I now have the time to share my experiences. After decades of work-related hotel hopping, often with only one or two nights before moving on to the next city or country, I’m eager to slow down and connect more deeply with different cultures. As a recently retired colleague said “Being retired means you can spend weeks in one country!” I can’t wait.
