A Decade of Memories

I was asked about the happenings of the past decade by hosts of an online travel group; this was my response:

The past ten years saw serious changes in my life - and
greatly increased traveling. While my husband and I
traveled several times a year - his last trips were to Tibet
and the UK - I increased both the amount of the traveling
and the scope of the trips after I became a single six years
ago. The mobile (a misnomer if I've ever met one) home was
sold, I moved into a triplex and have been on the road ever
since. I've now been in 70+ countries over five continents
and will make that seven continents by February.

I had always wanted to travel but marriage had taken me down
a different path until I convinced my husband to travel
some twenty-five years ago. He had figured that WW2 travel
with US Navy was enough for a lifetime. When faced with an
ultimatum, he decided to tag along. We did gentle travel at
first, nothing to scare the horses. But he ended up willing
to try Egypt, Morocco, India, China, Thailand and Japan
mixed in with an annual trip to the UK.

Since I've been on my own, I have traveled as far out of the
box as seems safe. The Middle East - I've missed out on
Saudi Arabia so far - fascinates me. North Africa? Libya
is still a problem to visit but it looks like I'll make it
to Algeria this year. Asia and Himalayan region are
another of my interests. And then there's Eastern Europe
and the Baltic states; been in some but not all. With luck,
I'll get to North Korea in Sept.

I have a friend who signs on to visit any country listed by
the State Department as a problem - I'm bad but not that
bad, thank you. I'll leave Somalia alone. But I have been
to Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Mali, Afghanistan (twice) and Pakistan
in recent years. And with no problems - just take
reasonable precautions so that I don't become part of the
problem. The plan? To continue checking out the World, so
long as health and money hold out.

So,keep traveling, all! And a Happy New Year!