YOLO-You Only Live Once

So last night while drinking red wine, hubby whispered to me that he had an idea for our summer vacation. Want my attention? Mention traveling. I immediately perked up.

A few months ago, we talked about going to Toronto for a week in July and camping in Great Falls with my parents, so I had no idea what else he was thinking.

Hubby: "Why don't we spend the summer traveling throughout the U.S.?"

Me: "Umm, what?!" *wide eyed*

Him: "I was talking to a client the other day who just came back from visiting family in Kansas City. I thought about how I've never been there and a lot of other places. I think we should do it. Life is just too short. I start working from home next week anyway, so I figured this would be the perfect time to do it."

I nodded...speechless, but tried not to get too excited. I thought maybe the wine was just talking.

 

 

What state will be start out at?

What about our mail?

What about packing?

Would the kids be able to handle being in the van that long?

Can we afford this?

 

I went online and searched KOA, state parks, etc, throughout the country to get an idea of lodging cost.

We have so much planning to do. I'm super excited and nervous.

YOLO

Bland Chinese Food & Three Hour Laundry



"In reality, long-term travel has nothing to do with demographics-age, ideology, income-and everything to do with personal outlook." Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts

My bucket list is simple. Well, no it can be considered quite complex.  The only objective I have on it is to visit every state and country in the world.  Sure, it's a very ambitious desire but one that I feel is achievable.  I find myself following vagabonding blogs and imagining myself in their shoes.  Breathing foreign air, eating delectable dishes, and learning more about the history, customs and daily life of people all over the world.



Yes, I have a strong wanderlust drive.  I dream, hope, want more than anything to pack a single bag and travel every inch of this majestic world with The Hubs.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've an appetite for world travel. I think it came from my dad telling me about his military travels, thumbing pages of National Geographic and seeing my parents pack up to see the world together. I've envisioned myself immersing into the food  and customs of other lands and even facing the intimidation of speaking foreign languages.

The Hubs is completely on board (Yippee!) for our future vagabond lives but casually asked, "How will you survive in developing countries when the idea of staying at the Ramada makes your skin itch?" Ouch!  He makes an excellent point!  I'm a little umm, ritzy when it comes to where I rest my head and what I eat. An example is the bland chinese food in the above picture.



Another case in point: the towels in the above picture.
I admit, I have a long way to go in letting down my guard and not crying over mundane first world problems. We stayed in a condo in FL that came equipped with a washer and dryer.  The washer was fine but it took me literally 3 hours to dry that load of towels.  I was very annoyed about the inconvenience and then thought about how could I possibly survive in developing countries if not having fresh towels made me nervous.

I have some work to do; especially with the trials and tribulation that come with planning and executing such a long scale journey.  I am up for challenge though.

I want to travel and experience how people from all over the world communicate, sleep, raise their families, and work.  Sure, I can get this "experience" from reading accounts from other people, but nothing will give me the true feeling of sipping tea at a Japanese ceremony or being fitted for a handmade dress in Morocco. I see and believe in this happening, and so it will.  :-)

Viva Vagabonding!

Disney Day #7

After having an exhausting day at the parks, we decided to relax and pack for our flight tomorrow.



Watched some mindless TV




We also played a few games to pass the time.



The Hubs suggested that we go on a date for our last night in Orlando.  Since he's a history buff, I wasn't surprised when he chose Medievel Times.  My first thought was the scene from Cable Guy.  LOL





I was relieved when I saw online that Medievel Times offered a vegetarian menu.  I actually think my meal was vegan-Yes!



Veggie skewer, hummus and pita chips, and a rice and bean blend with raisins



The show was pretty decent and I loved how they made sure the audience was involved throughout the performance.  We will definitely take the kids to the DC area location in the future.



We headed back over to Fun Spot after dinner to see the bungee jumpers and get on a few rides.

Disney Day #6



Day 6 was very busy because we decided to visit TWO parks.  The sun was shining brightly and I started sweating as soon as we boarded the tram to Epcot.  I have to say that Epcot was my FAVORITE park of them all.  The various "visits" to many countries, the authentic performances and ummm BEER. LOL





I've never been much of a beer drinker (I prefer a glass of Merlot, thank you) but the beer in "Germany" was crisp and smooth.



The Hubs feeling "at home" at the beer stand.  Our last name isn't KOCH for nothing :-)



Having a margarita in "Mexico"



My bestie wants us to visit Morocco to celebrate her 30th birthday! I had to get some shots for her.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYnuPB-JM-g

It just wouldn't be a fun day without Simon dancing.  We had a great time exploring the Japanese store and The Hubs picked up some cool chopsticks there.



After a few drinks, this scene was inevitable.



Hollywood Studios....





The Hubs and Alvin were in heaven with the Star Wars and Indiana Jones attractions.



Veggie burgers for dinner-I actually wish we ate at Epcot.  The Hubs lost his phone soon after this meal.  :-(









Hollywood Studios also had this awesome area with replicas of major American cities.

Overall, this park was my least favorite.  I couldn't understand why the park closed at 10 but most of the attractions were closed off at 6:30 or 7?  The kids wanted to see Toy Story but the wait was a whooping 90 MINUTES. Yikes!

Anyway, the kids seemed to enjoy themselves and that's truly all that matters.