I’ve felt inspired lately to write more posts than usual. My normal plan is two posts a week, also posting excerpts of my most recent book, and my next book. But expect more frequent posts right now.
I want to tell you a dream I have, for when I retire, if that will ever even be possible for most of us considering an approaching hyperinflation. Or in this dream I could be younger than retirement age but working as a digital nomad as we travel. The Bible says all our desires will be fulfilled in heaven, so this desire at least will one day be fulfilled in heaven on some level in a mystical way, if I save my soul, if not fulfilled this side of eternity.
It would be a two year odyssey, six months through the US, six months down through South America, then six months across Europe, and finally six months in Southeast Asia.
We would buy a truck and camper and travel the US in a clockwise direction, focusing on states with the most beautiful landscape, and cities of historical value. A few weeks in the mountains near Sante Fe. A few weeks at the Grand Canyon. A few weeks traveling the countryside of California, but avoiding the cities. Then to Montana and work our way down to Denver seeing the Rockies.
Next we’d have a tour of cities to the East: St. Louis, Chicago, and New York City. Drive down through the Appalachian mountains, and make our way through the South to Florida, then back to Oklahoma, completing the first six month segment.
Then six months touring Mexico, Central America, South America, traveling the safest route, spending the most time in those countries considered the most culturally Catholic, like Ecuador. Then sell the truck and camper and fly to Ireland.
Then fly to England and buy another truck and camper, tour the countryside of England, take the chunnel into France and spend a month in France, and most of that time near a convent where my wife spent a year discerning as a postulant. Then a month in Germany focusing on visiting where my German mother grew up and visiting distant relatives.
I’d spend just a couple weeks in Italy and Greece, and then several months of the second six month segment in Eastern Europe experiencing their more traditional village life.
Then sell the truck and camper and fly to Thailand. Rent a cheap apartment and travel cheap Southeast Asia for six months. Be based in Bangkok. Probably half of the time is living out of Bangkok with short excursions throughout Thailand, but longer week long trips into Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and China. My focus would be on the more traditional way of life in the villages and on their food culture. There you have it, my dream retirement travel odyssey.
It may never happen, or perhaps on a smaller scale. It would take a lot of planning and be risky, but what an adventure that would be.