Meet Patti & Richard
Sharing our Experiences
This Blog is all about sharing our travel experiences with you. Concise, easy to read articles with useful links to give you helpful information and the ability to search for additional sources. Each post is from our personal travels and experiences.
We have finally decided to retire from the business world. I retired in 2020 after 54 years of gainful employment. Patti, being considerably younger, retired in 2024.
Even before retirement Patti and I tried to traveled as much as possible. Each year we used every bit of vacation time. Half the fun of traveling is researching the best resorts, the best cruises and the best each country and city has to offer. Even though many were well beyond our budgets we tried to visit one “best” each year even if it was for a shortened stay.
The World is Waiting for You to Discover!
In The Beginning
We loved to read stories of castles, kings and queens in far away countries throughout our early education years because they transported us to a land of make believe. Our English and History classes introduced images in our minds and began the process of opening our frontiers.
As children we traveled locally with our parents for our annual summer vacation. By local, I mean no more than 6 hours in the family sedan. We traveled to places we had been before. Relatives usually traveled with us. We stayed in the same cottages or hotels. We ate the same meals. Those trips were usually to an area adjacent to an ocean beach. Those trips were fun times. Life was good, however. we kept hearing the phrase, The World is waiting for you to discover.
Leader
Patti turned out to be the intrepid traveler when she went to the University of Hawaii in Oahu. Patti, a Georgia girl, traveled almost 4,500 miles from home for her college years. Subsequently she became employed by a technology company that introduced her to international business travel. She was hooked. Travel became one of the prominent reasons to work.
Follower
I did not begin to travel until much later in life, well into my late 50’s. Work was always my excuse. In retrospect, it was probably my fear of the unknown. The food, the cultures, the languages were daunting obstacles.
Compromise
Vacationing on large cruise ships seemed to offer a safe compromise. The cruises would be with others of similar backgrounds, tastes and language. It was perfect. Unknown at the time, big boat cruises offered opportunities for opening our frontiers even further with their on-shore excursions. They introduced a way to gradually feel comfortable in foreign environments. Our first cruises included visits to London, Paris, the Baltic Countries and the Mediterranean. They each warranted return trips, independent of cruises. We have returned countless times to Italy. In particular, Rome, Venice, Florence and Milan are our favorite Italian cities. The process of opening our frontiers was rapidly expanding.
Ventures
Our travel destinations over the past seven years have included trips to Africa, the Middle East and southeast Asia. These destinations would not have been considered previously. We are still very cautious travelers. Our pre travel inquiries and planning is carried out with extreme due diligence. Only reputable travel and hospitality companies are considered.
Our comfort levels have improved to the point where we are frequently renting apartments in central cities to experience the local bars, restaurants and entertainment. In Europe especially, being near transportation hubs is important. Trains can get you to other cities quickly and inexpensively avoiding the need for a car rental.
The opening of our frontiers has allowed us to experience our dreams from childhood and our aspirations of adulthood.
