The end of an era in paradise…How to make Kauai work for a vacation or holiday…Two days and counting…Favorite Kauai photos…

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The view from our lanai.

For those living in more beautiful places than Kauai, do tell me where you are and we’ll hope to visit someday soon.  For those living in barren, desolate areas, we appreciate the beauty of those places too.

The beach at Hanalei Bay.

Our hearts skipped a beat over the barren desolation in three countries in Africa, finding an indescribable beauty that will linger in our hearts and minds forever, hoping to return to Africa sometime in the future.

An albatross parent looking happy.

It isn’t always about ocean and mountain views, lush greenery, and blooming tropical flowers. It can be sand blanketed desert or rocky tumbleweed covered plains and the unique beauty is evident. 

An Eyebrowed Thrush we spotted in the yard.

Wherever we may travel, we find ourselves in awe of Mother Nature’s bounty of terrain and vegetation appropriate to a climate and elevation. How magical is that fact in itself? 

Anini Beach on a cloudy day.

As for Kauai, its truly a paradise and if scenery provides the traveler with a much needed respite from the rigors of daily life, Kauai is the place to visit. Many assume that it’s hard to travel to Kauai when in fact there are direct flights from some major cities. 

The dry caves at Tunnels Beach.

In the worst case, a short layover in Honolulu will result in a short 30-minute flight heading this way every few hours. Car rentals are reasonable, especially if booked online at such sites as rentalcars.com. We were able to rent a car in Kauai for under US $700 a month, surprisingly reasonable. (For shorter rentals, the rates may be slightly higher on a per-week basis).

Birdie added a lot of fun to our stay in Kauai.

Accommodations are plentiful in Kauai whether one chooses to stay in Princeville, Hanalei, Kilauea, Kapaa, Poipu, Waimea, or any of the other resort areas. Prices vary from as little as $120 a night to $1000’s per night.  Overall, most average rates are around $265 a night for a well-equipped condo that may include an ocean view. 

African Tulips bloomed and not bloomed.

By staying for a week or more with a full kitchen one can keep the costs at a reasonable level by cooking some of the meals. Our average cost for groceries has been under $50 a day as opposed to approximately $200 or more (for two) who may choose to dine out twice a day. 

Beautiful, the name escapes

Many condos with full kitchens are equipped with basic spices and condiments. Being able to avoid purchasing paper products, cleaning supplies and condiments keeps the costs at bay. It may be worth asking if any of these items are included in the rent.

A newly hatched albatross chick, nestled under a parent.

With our long one to three months stays in mostly houses, we have no expectations of the owners providing us with paper products, laundry and bath soaps, shampoo and cleaning supplies. However, these items may all be included for the one to two-week stay in a vacation property.

A Princeville shore.

Dining out is sketchy at best in Kauai. It’s important to check the reviews on TripAdvisor for restaurants in Kauai to decide what will fit your budget and food preferences. For us, there were few good options, mainly due to my way of eating.

A waterfall on the treacherous path down to the Queen’s Bath.  We can’t believe we made that hike!

Will we ever return to Kauai? The answer would be “yes” if we didn’t have so much world yet to see. At this point, we’ve seen so little of the world and have many plans in mind for the future which doesn’t include returning to Hawaii.

During our visit to the southern shore of Kauai, this horse seemed happy to see us.

Would we ever live in Kauai, if and when health requires we settle down, which, let’s face it, most likely will occur at some point? If that occurs, most likely we’d prefer more convenient access to competent medical care.  Who knows?  Preferably, we’ll be able to stay fit and healthy and when our final days near we’ll be situated in a favorite location for a 90 day or longer stint.

The Spouting Horn in Poipu.

Kauai is not necessarily suitable for those with chronic health conditions who may need frequent access to treatment and facilities which, if needed can be found an hour’s drive from Princeville in Lihue or perhaps taking a flight to Oahu. 

Rainbow Eucalyptus tree. 

We’ve spoken to some locals that travel to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona for annual physicals and treatment and others who fly to Honolulu for care. That may be too cumbersome for long-term residents.

This Kauai sunset will remain a favorite.

If, as a traveler, walking is your preferred activity, Kauai offers the utmost in trails, designated sidewalks, beaches and tourist towns for some of the finest walking to be found anywhere. 

A clear pool of water at high tide.

If all one did when coming to Kauai was to walk, partaking in some of the many trails based on the level of fitness, and spent time gazing at the scenery, the sunrises, and sunsets, it would be an extraordinary and memorable experience. It isn’t necessary to spend much if any money on tours if one is on a budget and longs to visit Kauai.

This shot was taken on our hike down the steep path to Hideaways Beach.

We leave Kauai with happy hearts for an experience we’ll always cherish for its constant beauty and for the many friendships we’ve made and the memories we’ll always treasure.

                                                Photo from one year ago today, May 21, 2014:

We took this photo from a steep road on our way to Ribeira Brava in Madeira, Portugal. For more details from that date, please click here.

Counting down the days with a bit of trepidation…What do world travelers like us do without a primary care doctor?…This morning’s new photos….

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This Cattle Egret is sitting atop a tree in the backyard, a usual sight to see. Most often, they are on the ground near where there is landscaping, grading, and excavation in the process. They seem to know that such scenarios are excellent opportunities for foraging for bugs and worms.

After a fitful night of listening to science podcasts, at 6:00 am, I literally rolled off the edge of the bed, exhausted and wishing I could lay back down for a few more hours.

My mind was doing a number on me. I had to get up and try to call the doctor again with no response after yesterday’s call.  ER doctors don’t usually participate in any aftercare for patients they’ve seen on an emergency basis.

We no longer have a primary care doctor. It’s simply been too long since we last visited our former doctor in Minnesota, which was in September 2012, a month before we left. 

The egret couched down watching me open the door to take the photo.

I knew he wouldn’t participate in any health care questions at this late date when several months ago, I inquired to the Minnesota clinic with an online request for a relatively innocuous medication refill, never receiving a response. At that point, I knew he was no longer in our court. Too much time had passed. We get this. They have “rules.” 

Travelers maintaining a home base would have no difficulty contacting their primary care physician for advice.  Although in Hawaii, prescriptions can’t be “called in” from an out-of-state physician.

It’s a little late to establish a relationship with a doctor in a private office or medical clinic in Kauai. Besides, none of the testing equipment required for a diagnosis is readily available at any of the local clinics and a trip to the Wilcox Memorial Hospital in Lihue would be required. 

This morning’s view from our lanai while it rained off and on.

From what we’ve discovered most doctors refer patients to the hospital if their condition can’t readily be treated with meds. I suppose this is not unlike many clinics worldwide, let alone in the US.

Finally, this morning at 7:00 am I reached the ER doctor I’d seen on Friday asking for a different, perhaps more effective antibiotic. This is often necessary with a variety of infections, which don’t respond well to a particular drug which seems to be my case at the moment.

Ah, the perils of world traveling without a home base!  We knew this going in. We also knew that having only major medical insurance (which pays 100% of any hospital stays, doctors, tests, and medications rendered while in the hospital) would be a risk. 

I edited this photo to be dark in order to show the two rainbows that developed after the rain.

By purchasing the international policy, we chose the option of major medical only or paying outrageous fees to include doctor visits. However, if we had made a choice to include doctor/outpatient services, the policy still didn’t include any necessary medical care as long as we’re in the US, as we are now. 

Since Medicare doesn’t pay outside the US, we opted out of Medicare’s Plan B which pays doctor visits with a copay of as much as 20% for which most seniors purchase an additional policy. This would not be a sensible option for most senior travelers especially those who periodically return to a home base. They can easily purchase a specific travel policy for their trips, event by event.

This individual trip policy was also not available to us when our lives consist of one continuous “trip.” No such policy exists for us other than the 12-month international policy that we purchased almost three years ago and renew each year.

It was raining when we got this rainbow shot. If the hill and the trees hadn’t been in the way we’d have been able to see the end of the rainbow in the ocean.

When we consider the potential out of pocket costs for tests at a hospital, we cringe but fully accept that potential no matter where we may be. We’ve dodged a bullet to date but, we knew sooner or later the scenario could change on a dime.

In any case, the ER doctor refused to “call-in” a different prescription without my having additional tests. We understand her dilemma. As an alternative, I presented her a list of all of the antibiotics we currently have on hand and she suggested Cipro, the “big guns” for infections. 

She emphatically stated that if I’m not better 48 hours after taking Cipro which will be Thursday, we’ll be heading to the hospital for more tests. Both Tom and I agree that this is our only option. At that point, it will be only 10 days until we depart on the cruise. 

It’s hard not to appreciate the seeming magic of a rainbow.

What do ex-pats do in these cases? They either purchase insurance available in the country in which they live, purchase international insurance such as ours, or in some cases, pay for medical care out of their pocket when medical costs in some “retiree friendly” countries are surprisingly inexpensive. 

From what we’ve read online to date, a typical doctor’s office visit in Australia may be around US $50, as opposed to $100’s in the US. Once we arrive in Australia, we won’t hesitate to see a doctor if we deem it necessary at the time.

These berries on this plant remind me of Christmas.

If this illness had occurred a few months ago I would have followed the doctor’s instructions and not given it much of a thought. The current time constraint is weighing heavily on my mind at the moment.

My sister Julie worriedly reminded me of how many times we’ve been sick since we left the US, more often me than Tom. I must admit that at least twice a year I’ve picked up some type of infection, viral or bacterial.

With a history of inclement health for most of my life (mostly due to heredity and inflammation), my immune system continues to remain vulnerable regardless of how hard I’ve tried to offset it. It was equally precarious when we lived in Minnesota, still contacting some type of virus, sinus infection, or respiratory infection once or twice a year. 

Sunset from the front lanai.

Then again, how many of us don’t “catch” something once or twice a year? Tom would push through such conditions and continue to work as did many of the guys he worked with on the railroad, often infecting one another while working in close quarters on a train. 

Having a home base has what we now refer to as “luxuries” that come with it; easy access to medical care, cable TV, working cell phones, appliances such as a clothes dryer, quality Internet services, shopping centers, and grocery stores with familiar products and services.

We don’t share this personal story to elicit sympathy, although bless the hearts of many of our readers for sending their good wishes. We continue to tell our story for the purposes of sharing both the good and the bad of what it’s like to be traveling the world without a home base. 

And, we appreciate the beauty of flowers blooming in the treetops at a distance from the lanai.

The vulnerability we express here at times even surprises us when in our old lives, we only shared a degree of personal information with our close family members and friends.

How foolish we’d be to hide the realities of our daily lives only sharing the details of the most exciting of locations and adventures. With that, we’d only be a travel log, extolling the virtues of where we’ve been, and what we’ve seen, a place for a degree of braggadocio. The manner in which we share our lives is done so with a much bigger intent; truth and reality.  

We have no doubt that at times, some of our readers may become bored with our truth, reality and mindless drivel. Then again, daily life for most of us is mundane at times, isn’t it?

We’ve come to appreciate the simplest of life’s amenities, never taking for granted that which is available to us, including the potential of more medical care in Hawaii. If we must go, we will. If we luck out and I’m well again in a few days, it will be time to rejoice and start packing!

Have a superb day!

                                             Photo from one year ago today, May 12, 2014:

A year ago today, we were three days from leaving Morocco. We were definitely ready to be on the move. For details on that day, please click here.

Oh, oh!…First trip to a doctor in almost three years!…An expensive medical appointment…

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Tom waited with me in the exam room at the urgent care center in Kapaa. Photo taken with my phone.  Notice our Africa bag on the floor that we purchased for $2 in Kenya many moons ago.  Its holding up quite well.

Traveling the world for years without a home base to return to for doctor and dentist appointments, is challenging at times. Somehow, over these past two and a half years since leaving Minnesota, we’ve managed to figure out health concerns on our own.

Before my health was renewed almost four years ago, via an extremely low carb, grain, starch, and sugar-free diet, often referred to as a ketogenic diet, I’d often seen our local doctor once every month or so. (For the detailed documented science on ketosis, please click here. We are in no manner associated with the sale of this book).

I was a mess of pain and chronic illness, all precipitated by the hereditary inflammatory disease often becoming further ill with infections, viruses, and myriad symptoms.

Three months after embarking on this restrictive way of eating, never faltering by ingesting a grain of sugar or rice, I awoke to good health, pain-free, symptom-free, and feeling better than I’d felt in decades.

Since that day, I’ve felt wonderful almost every day, continuing to be pain-free and healthy. Occasionally, I fall prey to a virus or infection, most often when exposed to other people’s germs or bad food. In our travels, I’ve been ill twice a year, not unlike many of you. 

As for Tom, he’s been ill a few times, once in Morocco, once after a cruise but seems to recovery more quickly than I do. I suppose my immune system may take a little longer to recover from a lifetime of illness. I’m patient in the interim, knowing that without this miracle (for me) way of eating, we wouldn’t be traveling at all. Who’s to complain?

So, on Tuesday when I developed a horrible pain in my left groin that neither Tylenol nor Motrin would help, we became concerned. What would it be? Of course, I spent hours online looking for possible causes and came to the conclusion I either had a kidney stone on the move or a UTI (urinary tract infection).

In my research, I discovered that on a daily basis I consume an inordinate amount of oxalates especially drinking lots of brewed tea and spinach, both huge contributors to the formation of kidney stones. 

Just in case, I immediately stopped drinking tea switching to plain water, and tossed out my remaining container of organic baby spinach, knowing no matter what, I may have done so too late. The pain continued and worsened over the next few days and nights, resulting in little sleep.

Oh gosh, I was thinking to myself, trying not to worry Tom, we have to be on a cruise in a little over two weeks. What if I needed surgery? What if we couldn’t go on the cruise and lost our $6010, non-refundable at this late date? Where would we stay? What about our upcoming 89 day rental on June 11th in Australia for which we’ve already paid in full? 

Rather than do a number on myself worrying, I became proactive drinking tons of water, moving about as much as possible, and praying for a speedy resolution.

Yesterday morning, after three nights of this dreadful discomfort, it dawned on me that it could be a UTI. It felt like a UTI which I hadn’t had in many years. Looking online, I realized that if it was a UTI it was unlikely it would resolve on its own.I can’t drink cranberry juice with all of its sugar. By noon yesterday as the pain escalated, I told Tom who of course was very worried, we needed to do one of two things:

Option 1:  Drive to the hospital in Lihue (one hour drive) which would result in a urine test and a pricey CAT scan.
Option 2:  Drive to the urgent care center/tiny hospital in Kapaa (30-minute drive) and get a urine test. If it wasn’t a UTI, I’d wait for the kidney stone to pass at least for a few more days, and then if it didn’t, we’d have no choice but to go to the hospital in Lihue.

We waited for the test results and the doctor in this typical exam room.

The cost of option two would be considerably less than option one. We only have major medical insurance that only pays for hospital stays (80%), not urgent care or doctor visits. 

Yesterday afternoon at 1:15, we headed to the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital (more of an urgent care facility than a hospital) in Kapaa, easily finding it, by taking a right turn near the end of the Kauai Path which we visited a few days earlier before the pain developed.

The process was easy with prompt service, a kindly male nurse, and an amazing female doctor, Dr. Betty Dilley.  Within a half-hour of our arrival, as we sat in the exam room awaiting the test results, the doctor entered telling us I did in fact have a UTI and that one week on the antibiotic Keflex would take care of it.

We both smiled, relieved that it wasn’t more serious, We then had a laugh-fest with the doctor and in no time at all, we were on our way to the business office to pay our bill and then head back to Princeville to the pharmacy at Foodland. 

The receipts for the two prescriptions we purchased yesterday. Pricey.

Since neither of us had been to a doctor in almost three years, we asked the doctor to renew our Epipen prescription which had long ago expired. We’re both allergic to bees, wasps, and hornets. Australia is filled with these buggers (as Australians would say). At the end of our appointment, Dr. Dilley handed us a prescription for both the antibiotic and the Epipen.

On the way to the business office, we discussed the reality that this was going to be one pricey doctor visit.  Compared to the $1000’s it would have cost to go to the hospital, whatever it was, we would be fine. Let’s just pay and get out of here!

I suggested Tom wait for me in the car while I took care of the bill. I started up a lively conversation with friendly Brenda the billing clerk. We heartily laughed and commiserated while she figured out our bill. 

The moment I sat down at her window she warned me that the fee would be outrageous. She explained that today we’d pay the hospital charges and later we’d be billed (to our mailing service) for the doctor’s intervention which would most likely be under $300.

When she mentioned the total of $456 (excluding the doctor’s fee), I cringed. She looked at me and smiled, saying, “I like you so much I’m going to give you a discount.” However small it may be, I was appreciative.  After a 35% discount (more than I’d expected) the bill was down to $296.40! 

The bill from the urgent care facility in Kapaa, Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital. Notice the discount we received which was appreciated.

I was so grateful I offered her a  tip which she refused, warmly grabbing my hand and thanking me for our business and the friendly chatter. Wow! That’s Hawaii for you! These people are amazing! We’d never have received a discount at the urgent care in our old lives.

Back in the car, I shared the good news with Tom as we headed to Foodland to fill our two prescriptions. The antibiotic was a reasonable $32.41 and the EpiPen two-pack was $485! I almost fell on the floor when I heard that. There was no way we couldn’t buy it. It’s a matter of life and death.

Overall the costs for the day including hospital bill, estimated doctor bill at $300, and two prescriptions totaled $1113.81 plus, while at Foodland, although I wasn’t up to par I quickly purchased groceries spending another $232.34 for the day’s grand total of $1346.15. 

Now, we have groceries for the next week while I recover. Taking my third dose of the antibiotics upon awakening this morning, I can already tell that I’m on the mend. Thank goodness. 

Once again, “safari luck” prevailed and this relatively innocuous illness, easily remedied, will be long gone by the time we board the ship, two weeks from tomorrow. We’re leaving Kauai two weeks from today.

Laying low for the next few days, we’ll cover our previously mentioned story of sugar plantations in Kauai and before too long be back out and about for more photos.

May all the moms out there have a fabulous Mother’s Day!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, May 9, 2014:

We posted this photo last year that surely resonates with our lifestyle. For details on this post, please click here.

Part 2…Why would YOU want to visit Kauai?…Today, the flip side…Any reasons, “why not?”

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Overcast days at the beach still present a pleasant experience.

Whenever we make suggestions or recommendations we consider that many people may not be candidates for our suggestions for any number of reasons. Under certain circumstances, travel may not be an option due to health issues or concerns, personal finances, or merely a distaste for the nuances of travel of which there are many.

We also understand that a certain faction of our readers have no interest in travel itself but enjoy following our day to day activities. Our vast number of readers are somehow inspired to follow our day to day posts for which we are very grateful for their interest. 

These downed trees not only provide shade but also a habitat for insects and small critters of which there are few in Kauai.

As a result, we feel it is only fair for us to disclose our perceptions on the flip side of any suggestion we may make. What are the drawbacks? Within that framework, if only one reader decides against following our recommendations and chooses an alternative path, then we’ve done our job by showing both the good and not so good.

Isn’t all of it about perception anyway?  If someone had told us, “Kauai is mostly for serious hikers with many dangerous trails and tide pools from which many tourists are killed each year,” we may have stayed away.

There’s always a chicken on the beach.

Instead, we came to Kauai, safely experiencing a few of the more difficult trails realizing that tough trails aren’t for us. However, Kauai offers so much more than tough hiking trails and dangerous tide pools as shown in our past 2½ months of daily postings with hundreds of photos.

Please click these three links for disheartening news stories on injuries and deaths that incurred on the rough trails in Hawaii, not exclusively in Kauai:

News story #1
News story #2
News story #3

What are the drawbacks to visiting Kauai from our perspective which, please keep in mind, maybe very different from yours after staying here for this extended period of time? (However, we’ve yet to meet one person who doesn’t love Kauai).

These billowy white clouds are seen almost daily.  There’s rarely a time of solid blues skies in Kauai for longer than a few hours.

Let’s take each point, one by one:

1.  Price of vacation rentals: Renting a modest single-family house under $10,000 a month is difficult if not impossible to find.  However, if two couples shared in the cost of a multi-bedroom house for a few weeks it becomes more affordable, certainly no more costly than a hotel. For an average condo rental, small such as ours at 700 square feet, the rental rates vary from approximately $150 to $200 per night. Many offer special weekly and monthly rates.  In our case, due to our frequent mention of the condo here on our site, providing great exposure for the landlord in addition to our long-term stay enabled us to benefit from a significantly reduced rate which is often the case for our long-term rentals. You know…a bird in the hand. Having a condo with a full kitchen cuts down on the necessity of dining out for each meal.  More on that in a moment.
2.  Price of hotels: St. Regis in Princeville starts at about $550 per night, the Westin Princeville at $337 per night, and the Hanalei Bay Resort at $199 with numerous other options in between. Other areas such as Lihue, Kapaa, and Poipu Beach have prices beginning at $175  a night on up. Of course, staying in a hotel adds to the rate when including WiFi fees when not included, tips, taxes, resort fees, meals, and tempting purchases.

Zooming in on a tiny bud.


3.  Cost of meals in restaurants with tax and tips: Considering each time we’ve dined out, each at mid-range restaurants, we’ve spent an average of $72 per restaurant visit, keeping in mind I don’t drink alcohol and Tom never ordering more than one cocktail. Also, we don’t order appetizers or desserts.  That’s for one meal for two people. If one had two or three meals out per day at mid-range local restaurants the cost would be from $125 to $200 per day or more depending on alcohol, sides, and desserts. However, these costs may be typical for most resort type areas. Dining in the hotels is considerably more costly, as much at 100% higher.
4.  Cost of groceries for dining in: In reviewing our Excel spreadsheet with the cost of literally every expense for food including trips to Costco, farmer’s markets, health food stores, produce stands, and grocery stores, we’re currently averaging at $47 per day. Considering that I only eat one meal a day (intermittent fasting) and Tom has one main meal and two light low carb snacks/meals, the cost for three meals a day could reach the $80 per day range. The fact that we eat no processed or packaged foods, soda, fruits, or snacks also reduces costs.  In part, our costs may be slightly heightened by eating mostly organic locally grown foods which are approximately 10% higher than mass-produced foods. The grass-fed meat we’ve been purchasing at the gas station from Curly’s Princeville Ranch is no more expensive than the grain-fed meat at Foodland. These figures may not be considered high for some travelers but for many, they could be prohibitive.

These pods are less than one inch long.

5.  Cost of airfare: Let’s face it, Hawaii is not conveniently located. From most locations, it requires multiple layovers and high fares. The average cost for each of our 12 family members that visited at Christmas was $1300 per person, round trip. In the off-season, the fare is as much as 40% less. For senior travelers with medical concerns, multiple layovers and long flights may present a problem. Also, fees for checked baggage and overweight baggage is a factor to consider.6.  Recreational Activities: If we were to list the most popular tourist activities in Kauai, as much as 85% require some level of fitness, especially the treacherous and difficult hiking trails. Many resort areas throughout the world have museums, art galleries, historical buildings, and sites easy to navigate. Hawaii, especially Kauai, is mostly about nature, although there are a few small museums. Yes, there are many tours in vans and buses but, many of these include getting out of the vehicle to view the scenery. For some seniors, this may be an obstacle and result in frustration. Many of the boat tours include rough waters with considerable bouncing about which may be difficult for some.

It’s not unusual to see many downed trees still showing signs of life along the beaches.

7.  Medical care: Most residents of Kauai with whom we’ve spoken, young and old, fly to Oahu for medical care at a cost of around $150 or more, round trip per person, for a daytime flight. If one requires frequent doctor visits, this cost and inconvenience can add up. When adding the cost of taxis, tips, and meals when arriving in Oahu, for those on a fixed income, these only increase the expense. Of course, emergency medical care and medical clinics are available on the island but, from what we’ve determined one may be more inclined to head to Oahu, if possible. It isn’t unusual for a patient to be airlifted from Kauai to Oahu for medical care. This type of insurance is vital for average travelers. (Our insurance policy includes these fees).

These downed trees are perfect on sunny days for those seeking a respite from the bright sun.

8.  The weather: Kauai is the garden island. It rains a lot. We’ve seen our next-door neighbors arrive for a week’s vacation and never experience a sunny day. For us, this is fine. For those spending upwards of $3500 for a week’s vacation, this could be very frustrating. Many of our neighbors haven’t minded the rain and have still spent every day exploring the island. But, for serious hikers, which many are, the trails are slippery and dangerous when wet. A few of our neighbors have experienced minor, non-life-threatening injuries on the trails on rainy days. For us, rainy days as for many retirees is a good day to stay home unless we’re committed to attending a social event. We’ve also experienced several sunny days in a row. During our 75 days on the island, it’s been the rainy season. With spring in full bloom, we expect we’ll see more sunny days. But, even the summers in Kauai may be rainy. If one is looking to lounge in a lawn chair by a pool, drinking tropical cocktails, occasionally walking along the beach, and dining out in fabulous restaurants, Kauai may not be a perfect choice.  Maui and Oahu may be better choices during their prime seasons with less rain. Of course, it can rain in the morning on any of the islands and become sunny for an hour or more, which is more common than not. The trade winds result in drastic weather changes in a matter of minutes. Many days, we put on our swimsuits hoping for a visit to the pool, only to change out of them a short time later when a dark cloud cover has suddenly appeared. 

The rope of this tree is ideal for a swinging splash into the water.

9.  Long drive to Lihue from many locations for shopping: Princeville has a small shopping center. One may purchase a good pair of walking shoes for $195, a dress or men’s shirt for a special occasion for $175 or more, and a pair of costume jewelry earrings for $65. The shopping center in Princeville is not unlike shopping centers in other pricey resort towns. For a 35 minute drive, one can head to Kapaa where there’s a more well-stocked larger grocery store, Safeway, Long’s Drug, and a GNC, and more, none of which are located in Princeville. If one desires to make a trip to Costco, Walmart, or a regular mall with chain type stores, a trip to Lihue, a long hour’s drive in traffic, is necessary. We’ve been to Lihue on two separate occasions to go to visit Costco and to Kapaa three times. 

None of these “flip side” observations should prohibit most tourists from visiting this glorious island of Kauai. If only to drive around the islands as far as the roads go, only occasionally getting out of the car, one would see scenery the likes of which they’ve never seen before. 

A downed tree on Anina Beach.  Children were playing off to the right.

Even sitting on the quiet, easily accessible Anini Beach on an overcast day is a pleasing experience that Julie and I enjoyed when she was here. Add the friendly people everywhere, and there’s no place on earth that we’ve seen so far that compares to Kauai.

Oops, although I’m dressed for the day, the sun just peeked out. Should I change into a swimsuit? We’ll keep an eye on it and perhaps a trip to the pool and a walk later in the day may be on the agenda. If not, we’re still content.

After all, we’re in Kauai and the view from where I am sitting at the moment is unbelievable.  Check out these two photos below for that view.

This is the view with the screen door open from my seat on the sofa as I post each morning.
By standing up and walking a few feet we’re on the lanai for this view.  It’s obvious why we love Kauai.
 

Photo from one year ago today, April 1, 2014:

Tom’s eyes scanned the interesting décor in the restaurant. For more photos, please click here.

On high alert…Traveler’s warnings…What’s our plan?…In 30 days, off to Kenya…

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A kindly reader of our blog posted a comment that we received overnight, inquiring as to our concern over traveling to Kenya with the recent embassy and consulate closings in countries all over the weekend. For the full article, please click here.

Yes, we’re concerned. How could we not be? It’s this level of concern that prompts us to do all we can to ensure our safety to the best of our ability. There are always unknowns.

Looking up stats on various countries worldwide, we see that Belize had a higher homicide rate per capita than Kenya. After spending almost three months living in Belize, aware of the risks, we never let our guard down, never taking our safety for granted.

Such will be the case when living in Kenya for a few days short of three months from September 3, 2013, to November 30, 2013, when we depart for South Africa. We’ll be exercising extreme caution, none of which is a guaranty of our safety but reduces the risks.

Having registered for the Smart Traveler Program at the US Department of State we’ll be receiving any warnings via email that may require us to leave Kenya or later South Africa if the tension in our area escalates.

A few portions of our travel plans to Kenya give rise to added concern; our arrival at the Mombasa Airport in the middle of the night and, the subsequent over one hour ride to our vacation rental in the middle of the night.  Most crime occurs in the dark in these high-risk areas.  Yes, we’ll be nervous until firmly ensconced in our new location. 

Have we considered changing our plans?  Yes, we have. But we’ll continue to carefully watch the world news, reports from the State Department, online posts and comments. Should these next few weeks bring rise to added concerns in the areas we plan to travel with warnings from the State Department to cancel travel plans, we’ll do so. 

We realize that doing so will cost us around $6000 from loss of paid-in-advance rent and non-refundable airfare. This is a big loss to incur but our safety supersedes money, doesn’t it?

What plans do we have in place to ensure our safety, the reader inquired?  Here are what we have thus far:

1.  Destination contact:  We’ve established a plan with my sister that we will notify her by email when we depart any area and immediately when we arrive, having provided her with the address, contact person’s name, phone, and email plus travel arrangement information for our destination. If she doesn’t hear from us within 12 hours of our estimated arrival time, she is to begin the process of finding out what’s happened to us, contacting the embassy, state department, etc.  (if we have airport delays we will contact her as they occur).
2.  No rental car. We’ve been made well aware that driving in Kenya can be risky, even in the tourist area we’ll be living. Once arriving, we’ll make arrangements with a driver for weekly trips for shopping, daytime dining out and any touring.
3.  Deciding on safari trips based on safety in a specific area, airports, etc.  The property owner suggested we wait until we arrive to decide on safaris as he will assist us in making arrangements with people he knows and trusts.
4.  News updates: With no TV at the property (as we have here in Italy with a few English speaking news stations:  BBC, France 24, and CNBC, we’ll be watching news updates on our computers on a daily basis.
5.  No venturing out after dark. Period. 
6.  No wearing of jewelry, watches, any items that may attract attention. 
7.  Dressing “down” when out during the day, jeans, shorts, tee shirts, no clothing that attracts attention.
8.  Keeping money and documents secure at all times. We carry very little cash, mostly using credit cards.
9.  Staying together at all times when out and about.
10. Never, ever, loosening our guidelines for what appears to be “special circumstances.” Neither of us is naïve.  It is unlikely that we’d fall prey to some “scammer” attempting to divert our attention. Keep walking, don’t make eye contact, be guarded with confidence and astuteness.

There is nothing anyone can do to be exempt from danger. Where we lived in Minnesota it was only a 30-minute drive to an area where one wouldn’t dare get out of their car at night, let alone during the day.  Tom’s mother’s home in a less desirable area in North Minneapolis had bullet holes in it when it was finally taken by the city by eminent domain. 

Over the years, while she still lived in the house, he and the family worried that she could fall prey to drive-by shootings occurring all over the neighborhood. Luckily, she got out in time, living to be a healthy 98 years old. 

There are risks wherever one may be at any given moment; a movie theatre in Colorado, a train in France, or running a marathon in Boston, MA.  We can only hope and pray for safety, exercising caution to the best of our ability while allowing ourselves the privilege of reveling in every moment of our world travels

Perceptions of an easy life in retirement…Play Gin..

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Clouds rolling in this morning for yet another rainy day. Once the weather improves we’ll head down the mountain to explore a few more villages and grocery shops.

It is never our intent to imply that life as nomads is easy and that each day is comparable to a vacation day.  Nor is it our intent to portray retirement, in itself, as a means of a sense of total freedom. There’s no free lunch.

Another sitting area the vines will soon overtake.

How early we are presented with this lesson in life varies from individual to individual. How quickly we actually learn it, putting it to use, for many of us doesn’t come until the realities of life in retirement slap us in the face.

Those realities? That our life is moving fast into perhaps, our last 20 years on this earth as we know it. That’s the money we have access to could literally fade into oblivion in the precarious financial world in which we live. 

That our health, regardless of efforts, we have or haven’t made, hangs in the balance of a combination of factors, over which we may have little control.  That the person(s) we love with whom we spend each day may suddenly be snapped from us or may fall into a state of poor health, leaving our own last years as an exhausted caregiver. 

Our sloping yard as the clouds roll in.

Depressing? Yes. Immobilizing? Emphatically, not for some. Sadly, yes for others. And then, for those trapped in the uncertain middle, there are good days and bad.

For those that choose to be immobilized, we have little to offer other than our love, attention when possible, care as needed.  Inspiration is tough to render. It’s all a part of who we are, who we have become after a lifetime of shaping our psyche.

But, for those of us, who chose to “master” retirement, striving for happiness, fulfillment, purpose, and joy, it’s a daunting task, almost as if it was a job, the very state of being we abhorred in our last working years. 

Is there no escaping responsibility? Not really. Is there no escaping the planning of the very things we must task upon ourselves to ensure we stay busy, fulfilled, and happy? No.

Never much of a gardener, I think these are hydrangeas.

It all translates to “how” we do it?  Not so much as “what” we do. 

If it’s reading mindless novels languishing in a familiar comfy chair by the window, overlooking one’s less than perfectly manicured lawn while waiting for the grandchildren to arrive or, it’s jumping out of airplanes at 90 years old. Whatever it may be matters if we can find the peace, the acceptance, and the purpose to our remaining time as we feverishly grasp at the morsels of significance which ultimately give us joy.

Several of our readers have written to us, asking if we are lonely or bored, perched atop these hills, in a land of no English, no coconut oil, no movie theatres, no nearby restaurant in which to pop in for breakfast for a three-egg omelet, a side of bacon, and a slice of avocado. We’re not lonely. We’re not bored. 

The lovely spot where we occasionally sit enjoying nature. 

We spend each day doing the things that those of you have chosen to “master” retirement.  We laugh.  We eat.  We read books we love.  We watch shows on our computer.  We get up early to savor each moment of the day.  And most recently, we began playing the card game, Gin, another version of mindless drivel as we continue our “job” each day, simply, for being happy.

Nuances, annoyances and obstacles of living in a 300 year old house…5.2 eathquake hit today while writing at 12:33 PM!!

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The issues receiving the automatic email each day as mentioned yesterday have been resolved by our web designer.  No later than tomorrow, you will begin to receive the daily posts in your inbox. 

Also, we’d planned to discuss the upcoming flight to Kenya today.  However, as today’s post became so lengthy, we decided to hold off until tomorrow.

Halfway through writing our blog today, we experienced a 5.2 earthquake as we sat on the veranda. Having grown up in southern California, this was a familiar sensation for me although  it was Tom’s first experience. 

We reminded ourselves as we ran for cover, that we are in an over 300 year old stone house, most likely the safest place to be.  Wow! The adventures never cease to amaze us!

Last night as we crawled into bed at 9:30, early for both of us, we hauled our laptops into the bedroom to watch a few familiar news programs, some of which we’re able to access from afar.

No more than a moment after getting settled a giant flying thing buzzed my monitor causing me to scream and flail my arms wildly killing it.  Jumping out of bed to examine and remove it remains, Tom bolted out of bed to quickly shut the screen-less windows grumbling all the while about the lack of screens. 

As a cool breezy night, we’d hoped we could sleep with all the windows opened. Its like camping.  We don’t camp. In my automatic response to scream, a quick thought ran through my mind…soon, we’ll be in Africa. Talk about bugs!  (Those who know me, feel free to laugh).

A window in the long hallway that we keep open during the day allowing a variety of flying insects inside.  At night we have no choice but to close most of them to avoid bugs flying around our heads during the night.

Overall, I’ve overcome the sight of a flying or crawling creature having lived in a nature area in Minnesota for decades. But when they land on me or my stuff, I scream, involuntarily of course. 

Another screen-less window in the kitchen.  There was a huge geranium plant in the window box, constantly attracting bees some of which we’re both are allergic. Tom removed the flowers placing them outside enabling us to enjoy the view and the breeze while cooking and dining.

The single most annoying aspect to living in this 17th century stone villa is the lack of screens. You The remainder…we’ve adapted to quite well. 

 The window in my bathroom is kept open during the day.  We found a good spot for our the trusty travel scale which Tom is using often as he quickly loses the weight he gained on our past eight cruises.  (It converts to kilogram necessary for weighing our bags for flying).  Together we are enjoying our low carb, gluten free, grain free, sugar free and starch free diet since we arrived, dining on the freshest meats, cheeses and organic vegetables we purchased only a few days ago.
The third bedroom that sleep four, has a window we keep open during the days for the added breeze.  We’ve yet to be uncomfortable during the day although the daytime temperature raises well into the 80’s. After months of air conditioning, the clean, humid air is refreshing.

Yesterday, the owner’s mom delivered us a regular coffee pot as opposed to this one in the photo below that we’ve tried to use that only makes a one cup portion and is too hot to handle immediately to make another. Avoiding injury is of our utmost concern. We can tolerate the inconvenience.

Remember these old fashioned percolator?  Its must smaller than it looks here, making only one large cup at a time.  We tried to make it work to no avail. Kindly asking the owner for an alternative, within hours we had a regular plug in drip coffee pot that makes 12 cups at a time.  We’re couldn’t have appreciated it more, making our first batch this morning.  It required a little experimenting with the strong Italian coffee.
These are the smaller versions for tea and the smallest for espresso which most Italians seem to prefer over regular coffee.  When we grocery shopped earlier in the week we stopped in a café hoping for a plain cup of coffee and cream to discover they didn’t serve such a product, only espresso which neither of us care to drink.

The owners, living nearby, are a lovely young couple.  Her parents maintain the property by stopping by each few days to water and tend to the gardens and make any necessary repairs.  None of them speak English but with the help of Google Translate, we can easily communicate by email.

Surprisingly, we’re learning enough Italian to decipher most conversations by picking up on a few select words, Tom included. Since arriving here last Sunday, we’ve yet to share a sentence with an English speaking person.

I wish we’d had this when our little dogs had “poopie butts” in the cold Minnesota winters!
The sun shines in my bathroom from the open windows most of the day, highlighting this practical accoutrement, mostly ignored in the US.
Tom’s tiny en suite bathroom window stays open during the night seemingly attracting less bugs than other windows in our bedroom.
Another aspect of this house, is the extremely long hallway from the master bedroom to the kitchen with several inconsistent steps along the way, a real hazard for old timers.
Its difficult to tell the length of this hallway from this photo but we expect its no less than 45 feet based on measuring using Tom’s 3 foot stride.
Plus the angled ceilings are low requiring Tom, four inches taller than I, to duck.  He has hit his head on several occasions getting better each day. If I walk to close to the one side, I, too could hit my head, having had a few “brushes” so far.
Also, climbing on the larger patio is tricky, requiring one to pull themselves onto it from the stone stairwell. Subsequently, we use this patio less frequently but have found it ideal for hanging wet laundry to dry outdoors.  The barbeque is located on this patio which we may not use as much as we’d like due to the tricky access. 
The patio is through the doorway on the left in this photo.  Can you see how tricky entering here may be for us older folks?  We enter together carefully, me first while he hold up the rear down a few step and then with me offering him a firm helping hand as he climbs up.
This is Tom’s “closet” in the master bedroom, not everything he has, just what he’ll wear while here.  To the right is a large four drawer dresser he’s using.  It all works for us.

If we were 20 years old, it would be no issue. In the advertisements for this house the owners clearly stated, it was unsuitable for the “old or infirmed.” Cocky that we were, not considering ourselves neither “old or infirmed” we signed up.  Now that we’ve figured easy ways to maneuver these challenges, we’re more at ease.

Our assumptions that houses have closets and lots of hangers is often based on our past experiences. We’ve found, after months on ships, that we can easily adapt to limited closet space.  Maybe I’m not as tidy as I used to be, stuffing everything into the spaces available.  Wrinkle free clothing is not so important to us anymore. I threw away the clothes steamer in Dubai when trying to lighten our load. 
This is my closet in the second guest bedroom, a piece of furniture not a built in closet. Hey, folks, these are all the clothes I own in the world, except for our Africa clothing which we haven’t unpacked.  Not too bad, after years of four closets in four bedrooms, filled with decades of clothing. How I can possibly trim this down to further reduce our weight baffles me.
As much as a retired person may think that watches and clocks are a thing of the past, we find ourselves checking the time several times a day as a normal part of life.Tea time?  Happy hour? Its getting late, we should eat.  Of course, we have the medieval clock tower next door that  clangs close to the half hour and twice close to the hour, 24 hours a day. Strangely, as loud as it is, we sleep through the night.

The very old living room sofa, dating back to the early 1900’s is worn and covered with this cloth.  Unfortunately, it is rather uncomfortable. Plus, we prefer to sit outdoors on the veranda most of our time, day and evening until bed. Its hard to take our eyes off of the breathtaking views, sounds and smells.

Although this farm sink is great for washing large pots and pans, in our authentic Tuscan kitchen it is close to the end wall, making it impossible for two to do dishes together. As  result, Tom washes alone and for the first time in my life, I allow dishes to “air dry” removing them to use the day for new meals.  This makes Tom happy.  If his happiness is achieved this easily, I’ll comply.
This is the opposite end wall in the kitchen.  Note the radiator toward the bottom right. Luckily, no stones were damaged during the earthquake we experienced only minutes ago.
Living in Minnesota, I’d often seen these food covers to protect food from insects although I’d never used one.  Now, as we prepare meals in our kitchen without screens, this is the first item we grab. 
Tomorrow, we’ll share our Kenya flight details and the history of the village in which we are currently living which dates back to 700 AD.  Hopefully, we won’t have anymore earthquakes!

This tiny freezer with our stock of meats and two ice cube trays fits our needs.  In our old life we had a giant stand alone freezer plus more. We do adapt, don’t we?

Our tiny old fashioned refrigerator is stuffed with enough food to last for two weeks while we dine out twice a week.

For Jerry…we’ll be your eyes…

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Tom is the youngest of a family of eleven with eight surviving. The eldest, Jerry is a sharp 84, funny, loving, savvy in today’s world and totally blind. Tom will be 60 five days from today, December 23rd. They share a 24-year difference in age.

While in Henderson, Nevada on December 23rd (we’re leaving tomorrow), we’ll celebrate Tom’s milestone birthday with a gathering of the family, including three of Tom’s sisters, two brothers-in-law, several of my family members, and local Henderson friends with a wide array of homemade foods, special drinks and as we pleaded, no gifts! (There’s no room in our luggage).

Originally, the intent in writing this blog was to stay in touch with family and friends as we travel the world over the next 5-10 years. Initially, the plan was to post once a week with photos and updates.  As the preparations began, we realized that this information, so diligently researched, may be of benefit to other travelers both young and senior.  Much to our surprise, we’ve attracted readers from all over the world. 

It wasn’t long before Jerry and his lovely wife Lee, heard about our blog as did many other family members. Jerry began “reading it” on his computer utilizing a software program, Jaws, instituted for the blind many years ago.

A few months ago, upon updated the look of our blog, Jerry was no longer able to “read” the text due to formatting changes.  His frustration was evident when he asked if there was a way we could get it to him.  His problem was a dial-up connection in his home, not friendly to intense graphics.

Tom and I discussed the options and Tom suggested that he copy and paste each new post he receives in his email (he signed up to receive email notifications of each new post), text-only, and email it to Jerry.  This proved to be a perfect solution and Jerry has happily followed along with our updates. 

In addition, when Jerry receives each post, he prints a copy to share with Lee, and Tom’s sister Patty, who doesn’t have access to a computer.

A few days ago, I received this email from Jerry that touched our hearts.  Here it is exactly as it was received:

I SURE DID
TRY TO FIGURE HOW I COULD JOIN YOU GUYS FOR TOMS PARTY.
FIGURED IF I
MADE ALL THE PLANS ABOUT THEN MY OLD BODY WOULD GIVE OUT ON ME.

SO DECIDED TO
STAY HERE WITH MY FAVORITE NORWEGIAN. SO AS YOU
TRAVEL YOU TWO  WILL BE MY EYES.

JERRY AND LEE

It’s evident from this sweet message what a terrific guy Jerry is, as a brother, husband, and friend. It brings us great comfort to know he and Lee are “following along” with us in our travels. 
So, as we travel, documenting our experiences along the way, we will always keep Jerry in mind, knowing that he is hearing our adventures, hearing our dilemmas, hearing our joys, and hearing our photos which we’ll describe in a way enabling him to “see” what we are seeing, feel what we are feeling and share in the many treasures our world has to offer.
Thank you, Jerry.  The gift you give us, is your interest, your enthusiasm, and your love which we will carry with us, wherever we may be. 
Yes, Jerry, we’ll be your eyes.

Update on temporary bed…

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When we first arrived in Scottsdale Arizona 20 days ago, the temperature was in the 80’s.  We couldn’t turn on the air conditioning fast enough, sweating profusely as we unloaded our car of the eight orange Antler suitcases, flat screen TV (this won’t travel the world with us), and miscellaneous bags and boxes. 

In a matter of minutes the noisy air conditioning began to cool our condo as we eyeballed the inviting swimming pool outside our dining/living room floor length windows.  Ah, cool. Perhaps a swim was in order soon. 

Although winter hadn’t officially arrived in Minnesota when we left on Halloween, the chill was in the air, the leaves had turned to varying shades of rust and yellow, wearing a warm coat was in order and firing up the furnace for the season was a must.

In only a matter of days, we turned off the AC finding ourselves comfortable during the day in the 80 degree weather and more comfortable at night under two blankets while in the low 60’s.  How quickly we adapt.

Tom and I spent the last 10 years sleeping in a over-sized king Sleep Number bed divided into two sections, allowing for the mechanical raising and lowering of the head and foot by use of individual controls.  If one wanted to shake their legs, get in or out of bed during the night, toss and turn, the other wouldn’t feel any motion. 

The drawback of this particular bed was the difficulty of “cuddling” with the crack between the mattresses in the way.  As we planned our future travels, it was inevitable that we’d notice the type of bed in each property, most of which were standard double or queen beds without all the controls, the comfort, the special bedding and of course, the crack. 

We wondered if we’d have trouble sleeping together in a small bed.  As we’ve heard from time to time, some couples don’t sleep in the same bed, let alone the same bedroom.  With rampant sleep apnea, insomnia and snoring in the general population these days, it’s understandable that “special” sleeping arrangements must take precedence over night-after-night close quarters.

Recently, we’ve both sleep fairly well; Tom surprisingly finding that he’s catching up from years of poor sleep due to his work and me, falling into bed exhausted after an entire day of my little brain figuring out all this technology.   We don’t  snore nor do either of us suffer with sleep apnea.

The adjustment was purely comfort related.  Can we, after all these years, sleep in close quarters in a comparatively tiny bed?  Much to our amazement, we can.
Much to our amazement, we are both sleeping better than we have in years albeit with my wild nightly dreams of traveling.

I realize now, why I didn’t sleep well in the past, awakening first at midnight, later at 2:00 am and again at 4:00 am most nights, finally wide awake at 5:30 am, in time for Tom to get up for work.  I too, dragged myself out of bed, often tired but glad to be up, ending the battle to sleep.

Its different now.  For me, it wasn’t the body that couldn’t sleep.  It was the mind, never still, never willing to rest, often filled with useless drivel, meaningless to-do lists combined with worry over situations for which I had little or no control. 

I’ve always believed, right or wrong, that worry is only worthwhile if it motivates one to action that will ultimately solve the problem.  And yet, I worried, keeping me awake, night after night.

After the tumultuous end of life as we knew it in Minnesota, I made a conscious decision to let it all go.  Life is too short to waste a moment in a state of useless worry.  Nights are too long to spend tossing and turning, seeking the next morsel of concern to grab onto to further the fitful state of being.  Its over now. I’m free. Finally. I sleep.

Yes, I could worry about the wide array of scenarios that could go wrong as we travel the world for the next number of years, too many to list here. We all know what they are.  We’ve made every logical and sensible precaution possible. We continue to spend the bulk of each day in preparation.  This process will diminish soon, once we leave. 

The goal is clear.  We’ll have the planning under control when we leave the US on January 3, 2013, allowing us the freedom to live in the moment, observing and relishing in our surroundings, enjoying the people we meet, their culture and the sheer beauty and wonder of nature.

We’ll adapt to the weather, the time changes, the lack of air conditioning, the loss of our favorite TV shows, the poor Internet connection, the avoidance of ice in our drinks as necessary, the lack of availability of our favorite food, ingredients and beverages and, the not-so-comfy bed.

No matter where we may be or how primitive the environment, we’ll always be able to cuddle at night, hug during the day and sleep worry free at night… provided no wild animal is banging at the door.

Solutions as we wind down..

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Although now sick with the flu, I’ve had no time to rest in an effort to speed my recovery. Forcing myself to continue running around, making phone calls and completing tasks in preparation for leaving Minnesota in five days has been trying.  

Tom’s retirement party is tomorrow, Saturday at 5 PM. My voice sounds like Minnie Mouse and I’m weak, coughing and foggy headed.  Perhaps, this is Nature’s way of warning me to slow down.  Not a good time to teach me a lesson, Mother Nature! 

The mailing service, MailLink requires notarization of legal documents with literally no daytime hours for Tom to go to a notary.  After speaking with Eric at MailLink he reassured me that there was nothing to worry about.

He suggested we go ahead, sign up, pay the $156 annual fee for the largest mailbox via PayPal to get the documents notarized when we get situated in Scottsdale.  In the interim, they won’t be able (due to state laws) to forward our mail until they receive the forms.
Over the past several months I’ve reduced the amount of mail that we receive by contacting the various companies requesting they only send online notifications and statements.  Most were able to comply.

In the near future, it appears that snail mail will become a thing of the past as evidenced by the financial difficulties of the USPS. Today’s fast paced technological advances continue to have an enormous effect on the use of paper and mail in general. Perhaps, in time as we travel, we’ll no longer need the services of any form of a mailing service, receiving all communications by email

A portion of Tom’s income from his work will no longer be paid by direct deposit as his paycheck had been over the past many years. This in itself presents a dilemma. How do we get the paper check “mailed” to us into the bank? He requested direct deposit for these payments to no avail.

We considered asking one of our adult children to receive the payments by mail immediately depositing the checks. Realizing how annoying and inconvenient it would be for them with their full and busy lives to be watching for the checks and subsequently depositing them, we decided it was too much of an imposition.  We didn’t want that inconvenience ourselves!  Why would we impose this on our children?

In speaking with MailLink, they suggested we do what their other clients do in a similar situations:
  1. Use the provided MailLink  address as our mailing address
  2. Provide them with deposit slips and mailing envelopes made out to to our bank’s department that handles incoming snail mail deposits.  
  3. MailLink opens the envelope, scans a copy of the check to our email, signs the back of the check, “deposit only” and then mail in one of the envelopes provided.  No deposit slip is required per this service offered by our bank.
  4. Within 2-3 days the deposit it made into our bank at which point they email us a receipt for the deposit.
  5. Check online banking to verify the receipt of the deposit.
Cumbersome?  Yes?  Alternative?  Hire an accountant or certified money manager and pay $100’s in fees each year?  No, thank you.

Next task? Oh, yes, they continue.  Insuring our belongings.  With the documents signed on the sale of the house, we are ending our homeowners insurance on the day we leave, October 31st.  At that point insurance ends on our belongings as well.  Today, I will wrap up the details of our new “personal property” insurance.

The estate sale is in progress.  Yesterday, the first day, was a bit challenging.  It was snowing, the roads were slippery and the wind was whipping at the time the sale was to begin. 

At 7:00 am yesterday morning, sick and miserable, I showed up the house to meet with the estate sale people to finalize pricing and details.  The wind and sleet on the peninsula felt like a hurricane as I nearly was blown away finding my way from the driveway to the front door in the dark.  Somehow, the detector for the exterior lights were turned off. 

By 9:00 am, as the sale began, I was visiting with our friend and neighbor two doors down, peeking out the window to witness the caravan of cars driving down the narrow road to examine and hopefully buy “our stuff.” It was hard to watch.  I left an hour later for a delightful stress-reducing lunch with the neighbors at our favorite local restaurant, as opposed to the breakfast we had planned earlier.  Its so hard to say goodbye.  The worst is yet to come.

Once again cocooned in this comfy leather love seat as I write today, my voice is gone, my throat less sore and the cough is slightly better as I prepare for the tasks of yet another day in limbo:
  1. Finalize personal property insurance policy
  2. Go to bank to get extra deposit slips and arrange for the mailing service to send them the pension checks
  3. Pack a box of overflow to be shipped to Scottsdale and held by UPS until we arrive on November 4th.
  4. Check on final details for Tom’s party tomorrow.
  5. Grocery shop and prepare dinner as I have done each evening since moving here last Sunday. After all, a good house guest must earn their keep.

Yep. Five more days.