Our new look…request to our readers…

Posted by worldwide-admin on November 7, 2012 with 0 Comment

Hello, Readers,

We hope everyone finds our new look easier to read and follow. As I mentioned yesterday, we still have some work to do to get it where we want it to be, to ensure it’s easier for our followers all over the world.

To complete our optimization in Google and other search engines, the more “followers” we have the easier it will be to find us when we leave the US in 57 days.

In addition, we’d like some of the companies who’s products we’ve mentioned to be easily available to you, if and only if, you want more information. We will continue to share bargains, coupons, budgeting and financial tips with you as we encounter them. Some of these will be time sensitive.

In order to accomplish this, we need to show the scope of our already 1000’s of readers on the right side of the page via “JOIN THIS SITE” by our readers entering their email addresses. It won’t take more than two minutes to complete.

What does this mean to you? This prevents you from having to check each day to see if there is a new post. Instead you will receive an email in your INBOX with the day’s post (s).

Since we’ll be writing more frequently, perhaps twice in one day, everyday or… in some cases, less when we are unable to get online in remote areas, this prevents our readers from having to look for new posts.

Our readers email will not be used for any other purpose other than to notify you of posts on this blog.

We are so pleased and surprised that we have readers from all over the world. Here’s an example of our readers over the past week directly from our stats section in Blogger:


United States	668
Russia	42
France	15
Poland	6
Canada	5
United Kingdom	5
Germany	4
Slovakia	4
Finland	3
China	2

We look forward to growing our site, providing what we hope will prove to be interesting and useful information to both seniors like ourselves and of course, the younger generation.

Please take a moment to enter your email in “JOIN THIS SITE” on the right side of the page to ensure we are always able to share our journey with you.

Thanks so much,
Jess & Tom

All my sorrows…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 30, 2012 with 0 Comment

“Yesterday, all my sorrows seemed so far away.” The words of the Beatles song echoed in my head as I drove away from our house which may prove to be the last time I’ll ever see it.

Walking into the door yesterday morning with my dear son Greg to finally witness what was left after the fourth and final day of the estate sale was heartbreaking.

My comfy chair, the chair from which I wrote every word of this blog (except for the past 10 days), the chair where I laughed, the chair where I cried, the chair where I lived, and the chair where I sat, and on occasion suffered Life’s challenges and sorrows. The chair. It sat in the dumpster.

No one bought my perfect condition, mauve colored velvet, definitely outdated, Flexsteel recliner chair, surely overpriced at my insistence of $100, more appropriately priced at $24. And now, it sits in a dumpster.

Goodwill, the Vets, and the thrift store, all turned it down. I offered it to son Greg. Not interested. No room. I offered it to dear friend and neighbor Jamie. Not interested. No room.

Goodbye chair. Goodbye chair. And the chair represented it all, letting go of that life, of that time, of that house.

The estate sale people’s cars were scattered about the lawn as they carried lifted and hauled the remnants of our lives outside to go into one of two trucks and then the dreaded dumpster. They worked so hard.

A number of items didn’t sell including our 1902 Baker Rhodes player piano and all the music roles that go with. Not an offer. Anyone want it? Pay to have it removed by tomorrow afternoon ($250) and its yours. The Italian leather down filled sectional. I had an offer that I refused for $350. Maybe I should have taken it.

The 10′ long hand made table crafted from wood in our yard in 1923 by a craftsman from Dayton’s, all made with wooden screws with six chairs will be picked up today to go to a consignment store. Thanks to friend Jamie, who lovingly coordinated it all for us. Thank you Jamie.

The money? Not one-sixth of what we had hoped for, a mere pittance for our lives, the quality we demanded, the unique design we sought, now all lost to the whims of a terrible economy, conservative buyers in tough economic times. We never counted on any return from the sale into our travel budget. Good thing.

The five estate sale people worked so hard. They cleaned, they scrubbed, they vacuumed, they washed everything in site. It looks nice for the new people. When I returned in the afternoon to pick up the cable boxes, they were still there, almost done. It looked great. Thank you, Jason, Nadine, Jessica, and all. You worked so hard.

Tom quit smoking yesterday. I took his car to have it detailed, free from smoke residue, making the drive to Scottsdale more pleasant for me beginning tomorrow, Halloween, the final day in the month’s long countdown. Between son Greg and dear friend Chere, I had transportation during the four hour period the carwash had Tom’s car.

Chere and I spent three hours together yesterday, working out, having lunch, running errands and commiserating over the years we have known each other while wishing that Life would have allowed us more time together. What is more important than love and friendship? Sitting in the newly cleaned car, I cried when we said goodbye.

Finally, back in Tom’s car, now alone, I returned the cable boxes only to discover that I was two boxes short. I found one in Greg and daughter-in-law Camille’s SUV (which Tom drove to work yesterday). Today I have to go back to the house one more time to look for the missing cable box. Ouch!

Besides, I need to walk around the yard and say goodbye to our three pups buried in the yard. How did I forget? Bart, run over by the mailman at five, BenBenBen, died from Cushing’s Disease at 12. And them my WorldWideWillie who passed away 18 months ago from cancer.

I wrote a blog for Willie during the last 17 days of his life, from his perspective, a real tear jerker that helped me heal. We had over 500 followers. How did they find it? They came from all over the world. They cried with me. We named this blog in part for Willie…worldwide…

More goodbyes today, the road tomorrow. I’ll write along the way relieved that this sad part is behind us, finally allowing ourselves to experience the joy of the adventure that lay ahead and… “all my sorrows seemed so far away.” Hello, world. One more day.

Thank you, family and friends!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 28, 2012 with 0 Comment

We’ll be getting our new camera soon, Watch our photos greatly improve!
Tom and Jess last night at Tom’s 42 year retirement party.

No words I can possibly write can express the gratitude we feel for the warmth and love we experienced last night at Tom’s 42 year retirement party.

With over 150 guests in attendance we both made every effort to talk to everyone. If we missed you, we apologize. Of course, with me having lost my voice a few days ago, I was unable to hostess in my usual chatty manner. Perhaps, it was nature’s way of telling me to shut up and listen. Which I did.

The thoughtful and generous gifts, the hilarious and heartwarming cards, the hysterical photos of Tom over the years and of course, the appearance of Alfred E. Newman in disguise made Tom feel so appreciated and loved. Thank you everyone! Thank you so much! We are so grateful.

Tom’s 42 years on the railroad warranted a special cake. This fully edible cake is held together by the gifted hands of the fine baker and the stiff fondant.

My amazing co-hostess, daughter-in-law Camille, interminably hard working throughout the busy evening, made time to enjoy the festivities as well. Thank you, my dear, for being there for us during this important event finding myself sick and slightly exhausted from the overwhelming recent preparations.

Tom’s co-workers, many known for over 40 years, many now also retired came in droves to celebrate Tom and one another for a near lifetime of great stories and memories. The wives, partners and girlfriends I’ve come to adore over the years filled the room with well wishes and great memories of our own. We will miss you all.

Tom’s family, the ultra large pack of fun and friendly individuals came from all over, some having come a long way. They told endless stories resulting in non-stop laughter and the usual teasing of one another. Thank you family. We love and appreciate you all.

The cake made by Raven, baker extraordinaire at Cub Foods in Shorewood, Minnesota spent days preparing this fully edible cake. Her passion and enthusiasm were only surpassed by her attention to detail. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the cake. Thanks, Raven!

It appeared everyone had a great time enjoying the food and beverages and most of all, the conversation and warmth from one unbelievable group of people.

In three more days, we’ll pack Tom’s car and head down the road on the first leg of our world wide adventure…two months in Scottsdale doing paperwork, finalizing medical appointments, obtaining visas and second passports and purchasing and setting up all of our digital equipment. They’ll be a few side trips to Nevada to visit family including a rental house in Henderson over Christmas.

Although this portion of our trip will be less exciting than that which transpires at the end of the two month period when we officially leave the US, we will keep you informed along the way.

We’ll share details of the necessary processes of the paperwork and logistics portion of the tasks required to leave the US for years to come, the security measures we employ for our health, wellbeing and safety, the people we meet along the way and the trepidation and joy we experience in the process.

Thank you for reading and for joining us two traditional, stay-at-home “creatures of habit” as we venture out into this unknown territory leaving everything and everyone we love behind us, in an effort to fulfill what may prove to be the experience of a lifetime.

Moving out on Sunday…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 19, 2012 with 0 Comment

Its hard to believe that this is finally happening. We’re moving out in 48 hours. There’s no space for us here.

The counter tops, the stove top, every single surface is covered with price tagged items from our lives. There’s no room for us to maneuver, tending to the daily rituals we have fashioned into our survival, our comfort, our solace. Its gone. We must go.

I’d move out today if we could but Tom has to work. We could leave on Saturday but, it will take a day to finish gathering up the last of our belongings, empty and clean the food cabinets, the cold storage room, the three refrigerators and one upright freezer.

The estate sale people will clean up the house after the sale but we’ll come back to do the fine tuning, leaving it as spotless as possible. I don’t like this part. I’ve moved twice in the past 40 years. How do I even remember that I don’t like it?

The sale begins a week from today, Friday October 26th, ending on Sunday the 28th, a total of three full days to unload a lifetime of stuff. Last night, as we roamed from room to room noting the prices on the little pieces of blue tape on each item, we felt we had made peace with our own form of “sticker shock,” with prices too low, not too high.

A Waterford bowl I had purchased to complete a set, over 30 years ago for $275, still in perfect condition with no signs of wear, is now offered at a mere $18. I could go on and on with such examples. I won’t. Its the nature of the beast. We must accept it and move on.

Its funny how we all value our belongings much higher than the true market value…that which a buyer is willing to pay. Its that simple. Any item is only worth that which a buyer will pay. That’s it. No fluff. No variables. Question: What will they pay? Answer: The value!

We hear someone say, “Oh, that’s worth so much more than I paid.” I am as guilty as the next person claiming to have made a great deal. From time to time, an item is a great deal, usually when extenuating circumstances preclude a seller to “unload” the product(s) in a short time frame. That’s us, right now…sell everything we own in three short days.

Thus, a time frame and a seller’s motivation determine a price, coupled with a buyer’s perception of their “need” of the product (a sense of urgency) and, their willingness to buy now at the right price. Then, and only then, do we have a sale.

Optimistically, we anticipate that everything will sell. What doesn’t sell, we’ll donate to various charities. With the professional appraisals we’ll have on hand, we’ll be able to write off more than the usual $500. The estate sale people will take care of everything, giving us the appraisals and the receipts. That’s comforting.

Today, I will scour every nook and cranny in this house to ensure no items were missed, leaving them on a table the estate sale people designated for pricing next week. I’ll vacuum everything. I know. That’s sounds silly. I always vacuum before visitors arrive.

Tomorrow when Tom is home, we’ll finish the above, pack his car for the move on Sunday morning, spend valuable time with son Greg, daughter-in-law Camille (who continues to be helpful) and three of the precious little grandchildren. Oh. That part is coming. The goodbye part. We leave in 12 days.

Next time I write in this blog in two days, late in the day on Sunday, I will no longer be sitting in this comfy chair. We’ll be at dear friend Karen’s lovely home. I’ll pick an appropriate spot and I will write again knowing that so much is behind us and finally…so much is yet to come.

Car sold!…Seamless transaction…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 7, 2012 with 0 Comment

In a 24 hour period from Thursday to Friday, I drove over 150 miles around town, meeting prospective buyers to finally sell my car. Slightly nervous about meeting strangers, I chose public parking lots, close to busy roads.

Tom suggested I turn over the keys to any prospective buyers to test drive it on their own rather than join them, better to have a stolen car than to be kidnapped! I agreed.

Listed on Craigslist for free, CarSoup for $9.95 for one month and Auto Trader for $20 for one month, I was delighted to notice an increase in activity when I placed the last online ad on Auto Trader, resulting in a sale only a day later. Had I known Auto Trader reached such a wide audience, I would have listed it there in the first place. Who knew?

The last car I’d sold several years ago was the result of an ad in CarSoup. This time, I didn’t have much time to be overly creative or frugal. With our high level of motivation I was determined to get the car sold as quickly as possible, leaving one more crucial task out of the way.

Oddly, it sold to a dealer, Patrick O’Conner/owner/dealer of a finance company, First Source Financial. Patrick had a potential customer on hand. My instincts told me that his buyer may have required “special financing” allowing him to resell it at a higher price than he paid me, a price with which I was satisfied. Win, win for everyone.

Treated with kid gloves, not only did I feel at ease throughout the transaction working with Patrick but also with his delightful assistant Jennifer, who was kind enough to drive me the long way home after I’d dropped off the car at his dealership on Friday.

It was an odd sensation when Jennifer left me at home. Looking out the window, I realized that for the first time in my adult life, I didn’t have a car of my own. For a moment I felt trapped, even lost. Tom’s long work days left me at home certainly with plenty to occupy my time over the next 17 days when we move to our friend’s home as the estate sale begins.

Suddenly, everything is moving quickly. While grocery shopping early in the morning before turning over the car, I carefully calculated each item that I purchased to ensure that it was “just the right amount” to last through our remaining days. I started saying goodbye to the staff of many years at our local grocery store, knowing that I may only be back one or two more times. How odd.

I’ve lived in this general area of the western suburbs of Minneapolis for the past 40 years, seemingly far away yet only 30 minutes to downtown. For years we used the same bank, the same library, the same State Farm office, the same drugstore, the same Target store, and the same post office.

On Tuesday, I sadly said goodbye to the staff at the post office while dropping off a package. Over the years I’ve come to know and appreciate each one of them for their kindness, their great service and for remembering me each time I entered their door.

We won’t be able to say goodbye to everyone. The time is flying by so quickly that I am now left wondering how everything will get done in time, let alone having time to see everyone to say goodbye. Now, with no car, I am dependent upon friends and loved ones coming here to say goodbye. Some will come, others will not. I accept this.

That which seems so huge and meaningful to each one of us is often, but a blip to others, as we all get caught up the whirlwind of our daily lives seeking a sense of achievement, of fulfillment and of responsibility.

I have no expectations other than to embark upon this adventure with an open heart and eager mind, to learn, to grow, to experience and of course, to share.

Not only will we share this life changing experience with one another, but with all of our readers who may in some small way find their own sense of discovery in the never-ending details, the not so professional looking photos, from the heartfelt perspective of two determined retirees as they travel about the world.

Last visit with Nurse Marsha…Ouch!

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 3, 2012 with 0 Comment

Never in my entire life have I walked into a medical clinic and felt so welcomed. Only minutes after I checked in, Nurse Marsha, head travel clinic nurse at Park Nicollet Travel Clinic, warmly greeted me, telling me how enthused she was to see me on her schedule for my last round of injections.

She knew how anxious I had been about possible side effects through this entire process, having had a few frightening immunizations in the long ago past. My fears were worsened after many hours of relentless online research looking for all the reasons why one should not be subject to such an obvious health risk.

My greatest fear was the yellow fever vaccine, well known for disastrous outcomes in a small fraction of the recipients. Alas, we survived. Tom was a little queasy and flu-like for one day and for me, I lapsed into bed midday for four hours of uncomfortable thrashing about, to fully recover in time to cook a lovely dinner. The worst was over.

Nurse Marsha was delightful, bubbly, and concerned for us, for our safety and for our joy. Lively and animated banter ensued between us as my heart grew full with her charm and interest. For the first time in this process, I freed myself from the monumental tasks at hand, allowing a wave of excitement to wash over me, which I had held at bay all this time, fearful of losing focus.

Upon leaving I handed her our card for this blog, which she enthusiastically accepted, promising to follow along with us. Perhaps, knowing the vital role she played in our health as we travel the world over the next several years. Thank you, dear Nurse Marsha. Thank you for easing us along the way.

Yesterday’s injections: the final booster of three Twinrix injections, for Hepatitis A and B, (ow, ow, ow! Painful!), the latest flu vaccine (nothing to it) and the take home Typhoid Live Vaccine. (Apparently, there is now a shortage of the Typhoid vaccine, which wasn’t the case only a few weeks ago when Tom received it).

Over a period of eight days, I must swallow one of four live Typhoid vaccine tablets (now safely residing in our refrigerator) every other night at bedtime with a full glass of lukewarm water. Nurse Marsha explained the importance of taking this pill at night on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of stomach distress as opposed to the morning when one’s stomach would be more empty after a night’s sleep.

Of course, I complied. At 10 pm last night I poured myself a huge glass of tepid water and chugged the pill. Nothing happened. Good. I went to bed anticipating awakening during the night for a trip to the loo. Well, lately I’ve been waking up at 3:00 am anyway, after a run of convoluted dreams of hotels and other people’s homes, my mind racing with the upcoming tasks of the day.

Oddly, I slept through the night to awaken at my usual 5:30 am, ready to tackle the day, happy to feel well, happy to have slept through the night.

My vaccines are almost over, with three more Typhoid pills to take over the next six nights. Tom must have his final Twinrix booster after his final waiting period ends November 22, 2012. Son, Richard gave us the name of his doctor in Henderson, Nevada. We’ll arrange the appointment soon for one of the few times we’ll be in Nevada in November and December.

After about 15 injections, my share of needless worry, multiple trips to see Nurse Marsha with only a few hours of discomfort, we’re appreciative of the manner in which she eased the way, by that which she taught us about food and water safety when traveling abroad and most of all, enriched by simply knowing her.

Today will be another busy day; off to the office supply store for an ink cartridge for the printer (ran out of ink with documents to print before we go) and to buy a portable keyboard for my laptop. (We’re buying new lightweight laptops while in Scottsdale after Window 8 releases). In the past few days, the case broke and now the keyboard requires Herculean effort to press a key. Not surprising, huh?

Clothes, clothes and then more clothes…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 1, 2012 with 0 Comment

Tom never wore this jacket. It’s the wrong size for any of our sons. It will be sold at the sale. Bye, bye jacket.

We aren’t pack rats. We don’t have clothes hanging in our closets with price tags still attached, with the exception of this Columbia jacket I purchased for Tom last Christmas. He liked this jacket, deciding to save it to wear it this upcoming winter in order to get one more year’s wear out of an older jacket. This upcoming winter we’ll be Belize. He won’t be wearing it.

We’re not shopaholics. As a good laundress, as mentioned in an earlier post, our clothing usually lasts for years. A few times a year, I’d bargain shop for clothes for both of us, usually at the Outlet Mall, printing off their online coupons before shopping and using an additional coupon booklet for deeper discounts.

I’d usually come home with three or four bags of 40 or more items spending an average of $5.00 to $7.00 per item. The remainder of our clothing shopping occurred online. I’d usually purchased my jeans online at Gap or Old Navy, and occasionally purchase new and unused jeans on eBay.

Wearing an odd size, a small with an extra long inseam of 35,” it’s been necessary for me to order jeans online at these two web sites that magically can accommodate my needs. Knowing the fit of their jeans enables me to buy online, seldom requiring a return.

Over the past 8 years, I have accumulated 12 pairs of jeans, most of which are in near perfect condition, none of which will travel the world with us. In 2004, I lost 50 pounds. My friends and family complained I was too thin (ah, love those words!)

Over the years, I purposely gained back 8 pounds in an effort to stop their whining, now holding steady for the past 3 years. Most of those jeans are a little tight, although I’ve continued to wear them. They won’t go with us. Tom and I both decided that not one uncomfortable item will go into our suitcases. Not one. The 12 pairs of jeans are going into the “to be sold” pile.

Sunday morning, before the Vikings football game (way to go Vikings!), Tom and I tackled (no pun intended) his dresser drawers and walk-in closet. Our goal was to complete the packing of his following:

Clothes to wear on the four day road trip to Scottsdale
Clothes to wear in Scottsdale, Arizona in November and part of December, during their cool but not cold season
Clothes to wear for our eight day trip to Henderson, Nevada over Christmas for the very cool winter weather, as low as 35 degrees any morning.
Clothes to be packed, all of which is already purchased for our first three years traveling the world.

It didn’t go quite as planned. Once we started emptying the drawers and going through his closet, for a few moments I felt a pang of being overwhelmed. Having gradually worked on my clothes over several months it was relatively stress free. Tackling this job in one day was quite the task. Stay calm, I reminded myself. I stayed calm. So did Tom.

We got in a groove, only interrupted by the football game, to have completed most of the above items. By 4:30, we called it a day. All we have left to do in regard to Tom’s clothing is to pack everything in the three large orange Antler suitcases, next weekend for sure.

Suffering with an old shoulder injury severely stressed recently from all this packing and lifting, I was relieved to be lazy, to spend the remainder of the evening with an ice pack on my shoulder. In a few weeks, I’ll get my last Cortisone injection to begin the healing process having finished all of this packing for at least the next few months.

We flopped into our comfy chairs following a delightful dinner of grass fed jumbo meatballs, stuffed with buffalo mozzarella cheese, topped with homemade marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese, a side of fresh green beans and a Cobb salad, all of which was low carb, gluten free, grain free, starch free and sugar free.

We’ll be done in 23 days when we move out of our home to stay with a friend until the 31st, Tom’s last day, the day we leave, the day we say goodbye and the day our new life begins.

Letting go, not so simple…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 19, 2012 with 2 Comments

Here are our two comfy chairs and fluffy blankets. I had the lamp on the table made for Tom for Christmas in 2007 along with three bowls and another lamp from downed trees in our yard. A storm the prior August felled 20 trees in our yard. Everything you see in this picture will be sold at our upcoming estate sale October 25-28th.

In January, when our plans to travel the world were mulling around our heads, we gradually began the process of rummaging through every cupboard, drawer, and closet, contemplating mementos worthy of saving, that which to toss, ultimately what to sell.

Practically speaking, it was a necessary process. Emotionally, it was filled with laughter recalling the stories attached to the photos, the trinkets, the handmade crafts from our children when young and now from our grandchildren.

With tear filled eyes we have accepted the price we must pay to let go of one dream in order to build another, saying goodbye, first to those we love, second, to the peninsula home and all that it has contained, that which we have treasured and enjoyed.

How do we say goodbye to these two comfy chairs, our fluffy blankets neatly folded during each day to be tossed onto our laps each night, winter and summer, when the air conditioning, the bowl of ice cream and sheer exhaustion rendered us chilled and sleepy?

The conversations we shared in these chairs, the giggles we couldn’t control while sitting here either together or while watching the grandchildren play with the big tote of toys we continued to fill over the years with newly found treasures.

Yes, we are grateful as we venture out into this unknown new territory of our lives, away from the familiar, the predictable, the routine that we have never found to be mundane or, to be boring.

We loved the routine; Tom, rushing out the door to chase the pesky geese off of the lawn in summer or blowing the copious amounts of snow blocking the narrow road here on the peninsula in the winter, often too high for him to accomplish requiring that we call the guy with the bobcat.

Whether marching up and down the stairs to the basement each day in a futile effort to finally finish the laundry or enthusiastically preparing our lofty health-promoting nightly dinners, the routine, two years after my retirement was still comforting and peaceful. So simple.

And neverm and I mean never, did he walk in the door after a long day’s work, did I not greet him at the door with a kiss so heartfelt and yet, so routine that moments later, we’d often kiss hello again, uncertain if we’d already kissed. This simple routine will be changed when seldom leaving each other’s side, beginning six weeks from today.

Whether it was the dinner parties for friends laden with adventurous dishes and printed menus, the ambitious meals for the family working around special diets and food allergies, the ear splitting noise of the kids playing rambunctiously amid our patient observation, we loved it all.

And now, six weeks to go. We’ll walk out the door for the last time. We’ll have already kissed all of them all goodbye with tear filled eyes, holding back the sobs with the hope of appearing strong. The house will be empty, the belongings sold and taken away, the bed, staying until the last night of anticipated fitful sleep.

It will be Halloween that day. Tom’s SUV will be loaded up with the orange luggage. For the first time in our adult lives, we won’t anxiously wait by the door to hand out a special treat to the well-dressed young visitors.

Saying goodbye. Not so simple.

First aid in the world…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 17, 2012 with 0 Comment

Soon it will be too late to order any further supplies for our journey. Many items (always new, unopened and unused) come from all over the world often requiring four to six weeks delivery time.

As of this coming upcoming Wednesday, we’ll leave Minnesota on Halloween, in exactly six weeks. We won’t be able to conveniently receive packages after we leave. (More on receiving mail next month).

As a result of these time constraints, my thoughts went into full gear, reviewing every item we are packing in addition to our completed wardrobes, to analyze if there are any items we may need.

A month ago while cleaning cupboards and drawers, I started gathering first aid items, creating a homemade “kit” placing everything in a sturdy plastic bag: Band-aids, sterile pads and gauze, antibiotic cream, hydrogen peroxide, liquid bandage, ace bandage, knee supporter, shoulder sling, temporary ice packs and a heating pad.

Let’s face it, those of us folks over 60 may have aches and pains from time to time. Adding some Aleve, Tylenol, and Motrin to our kit made it feel complete.

The first aid kit securely packed in an orange Antler bag, (we paid $111 each a few months ago. Note price increase), I felt confident that any additional items we may need most likely could be purchased at any nearby grocery store or pharmacy.

Why bring all of these items when we could purchase them in any country? Simply for economic reasons. While living in the 17th century renovated farmhouse in Tuscany all next summer we’ll be renting a car from time to time.
Daily, we’ll walk to the open market for items for dinner, a bouquet of flowers or a bottle of wine. Perhaps once a week, we’ll rent a car for a day or two to drive the five miles to a grocery store, take a drive to explore the area and dine at a recommended restaurant.

Upon returning the rental car, we’ll travel on foot until the next week, perhaps going on a local daily four mile walking tour of historical homes and buildings.

Cooking dinner with the farm fresh ingredients, let’s say I cut my finger, not requiring stitches, a common occurrence in our kitchen. The first aid kit prevents the cost of a cab, the inflated price at the pharmacy for supplies and, peace of mind.

The achy knee, the pinched shoulder, so familiar in our day-to-day lives, are easily treated at home with our own supplies and over-the-counter products.

With one third of our time on cruises during the first five months, these items may come in handy. Have you ever seen a final bill on a cruise after a trip to the medical clinic for a minor injury? A cut finger, antibiotic cream and a bandage from a visit with the nurse or doctor, may result in a $300 bill. That’s one expensive Band-aid!

Over the past month additional thoughts for preparedness of the kit kept popping into my mind eventually driving me back to Amazon.com.

Here are the items we added to the kit. (Amazon prevents easy “copy and paste” features of their items. Please excuse the formatting).

Imagine the benefit of having this product on hand
when cut is deep but not requiring stitches.

3M Steri Strip Skin Closures 1/4” X 3” – 10 Packages of 3 By STERI
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews) | Like
(23)

Price: $6.75

Certainly, most doctors or dentists would cringe at our planned self-treatment. We understand the risks. Our goal will always be to put safety first, never taking outrageous risks with our lives of limbs.

Part of the magic of our adventure is to go where we want to go, that is safe for travelers; when we want to go, within the confines of our rental agreements and transportation schedules; continue on as long as we mutually desire, and for as long as our health allows.

Freedom…with certain reasonable constraints. Nonetheless…freedom.

Abundant trade offs…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 9, 2012 with 0 Comment

As a logical, numbers crunching individual, I learned a long time ago, “there is no such thing as a free lunch.”

The literal translation of this phrase may be construed as:

When enjoying lunch with a friend, who enthusiastically states, “I’m buying,” most often a thought ran through my mind of “Wow, free lunch! One less meal I have to buy.” Nope, it’s not free.

The trade off? Next time, I’ll buy lunch or, next time when the friend calls at 10 PM for emotional support, I’ll listen. Or next time the friend needs a ride when their car breaks down, I’m all over it. No, there’s no free lunch.

Remove any resentment or sense of obligation from the mix and we have a cooperative sharing relationship, friendship, a human condition entrenched in trade-offs. No doubt, we relish in the opportunity to be a part of this magical experience, not only in friendship but in all relationships.

Within our hearts, the “unconditional love” we profess, for our children and grandchildren, we seek pleasure, pride, laughter and return of love. No, we don’t abandon them when unfulfilled, but we grievously hunger for reciprocation continually trying to inch closer.

No free lunch, this life. No free lunch, traveling the world. Sacrifices? Yes, many. Beside the obvious of leaving those we love, leaving the familiarity of the home we have treasured for 26 years and leaving the security blanket of predictable, but not mundane life as we’ve known it, we leave behind our most valued “creature comforts.”

What are they? Will we find alternatives to replace them or will our interest in them entirely dissipate over time? They include:

Our bed: A California King Sleep Number with split top mattresses with dual controls, with the ability to raise and lower the head and the foot for maximum comfort. After many years of suffering with advanced degenerative disk disease, this bed has been a life saver not only for me but also for Tom.

My pillow: A Tempur-Pedic neck pillow that has been highly instrumental in improving my sleep. Unable to imagine life without this pillow, Tom and I used a SpaceBag and our cute little vacuum with the hope and expectation that we could shrink the pillow sufficiently enough to pack it to travel around the world with us. It’s much smaller after sucking out the air, although heavy as a rock. Maybe, maybe not.

My Tempur-Pedic neck pillow before deflation

My Tempur-Pedic neck pillow after deflation

Our two comfy chairs: Whether a sofa, a love seat or a chair, we all have a favorite place to park our butts at the end of a task filled day. With our two comfy Flexsteel chairs, positioned perfectly in front of the big screen TV, we have spent endless hours together entertaining ourselves by laughing, talking, watching our favorite shows (many ridiculous) and lounging. We never sleep in these chairs. We each have the habit of awakening one another if we spot the other’s eyes begin to close. Why we do this? I don’t know.

Our TVs: Whether cooking or eating in the kitchen, the TV is on in the background, although we’re seldom fully engaged in a show. In the evenings after dinner, we head to the family room to the above mentioned chairs, laptops whirring on our laps as we begin our nightly ritual of talking, laughing, commenting, sharing a funny email and simply having a great time.

Our dessert: Ah, a year ago, when we both decided to go gluten-free, grain-free, starch-free, sugar-free and low carb, I quit baking the elaborate desserts we used to enjoy each night after dinner. Tom got fatter and I exercised harder. Here are a few of our former desserts, now replaced with healthier low carb, gluten free, sugar free items:

Elaborate dessert: Homemade Ice Cream Cake, perfect for a hot summer night. Bye, bye, cake!

Elaborate dessert: Homemade Puff Pastry Napolean! No more!

Elaborate dessert: Homemade Butterscotch Meringue Pie (I used 12 eggs whites)! Never again!

New dessert: Unsweetened Greek Yogurt topped with GF, SF, low carb chocolate sauce, unsweetened organic shredded coconut and bits of low carb chocolate coconut protein bar. Not bad at all! (Tom won’t try this).

Our ice machine: Eight years ago when we renovated our kitchen we added a SubZero ice machine. It was easy to adopt the habit of first loading our insulated, handled mugs with ice to the brim and then pouring in our favorite iced tea, Crystal Light (using two packets to 1/2 gallon of purified water, as opposed to one packet). Our four little ice cube trays, now filled with jewelry, yet to be packed, will make enough ice to last most of a day.

Creature comforts will now be replaced with creatures, big and small. Comfortable beds, comfy furniture and my pillow traded for lumpy discomfort? Maybe. TV replaced with reading downloaded books, playing games, sitting outside at night staring at the stars, listening to the sound of the ocean, the roar of a lion, the laughter in the streets. Desserts may impossible to make with limited availability of ingredients and icy drinks may be a thing of the past.

Trade-offs? Yes, many. As Tom always says after we’ve rearranged the furniture, “Give me some time. I’ll get used to it.”

Tag: world travel