One summer, when I was 14, I decided I wanted to fly to Vancouver, by myself, to visit family for two weeks. Then high school and University happened. Summers were spent working to support my higher education. I managed to travel to England and Tunisia in 1978. Not Bad. I learned about culture shock and how to embrace it. More about that later!
After graduation, there was employment, rent, marriage, mortgage and kids. Vacations became mostly cottage rentals and camping. Suddenly, I am over halfway through my life and I realize that something is missing.
Travel.
My light bulb moment of inspiration was influenced my children’s demand that we go camping. I had always loved living in tents in the forest, cooking on an open fire, and surviving violent thunder storms. My son and daughter had first experienced camping when they were 5 and 3 years old. It was disastrous! My daughter couldn’t walk on uneven ground without falling and my son refused to use the vault toilet. We stuck to rental cottages.
The renewed interest in camping occurred when my son was 11. I was suspicious as first and a little frustrated because I had just given away all my camping equipment. But, I love camping (I say this a lot) so I purchased a couple of tents and some tarps and off we went. The trips were loaded with fun, little adventures, and memories. I realized that travel was something I wanted and needed and that only I could make it happen. With the next update of the mortgage, my husband & I included a little extra for a slightly used pop-up trailer, which we called The BumTrinkett. (We borrowed the name from boat described in Gerald Durrell ‘s autobiography, My Family and Other Animals.) https://www.durrell.org
It was time to invest in my vacation. Travel became an everyday aspect of my life. I would dream, plan, save and . . . GO! Camping extended to well planned travel adventures to New Brunswick and Newfoundland. I went on Caribbean cruises with my mom and all-inclusive resorts with my husband. I started expanding to booking hotels and excursions on my own in pursuit of Mayan ruins in Mexico and Central America. The latest trips have been to the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico, Mayan ruins in Belize and Palenque, and we even stayed on an island called Caye Caulker. I have become more confident in planning vacations that encompass our interests but are also within our means. We may take an airplane here and then a bus there. We can hire our own guide and have a private tour for the same price as joining 30 people in a bus. AND I am going to share my method and experience with you, cautious traveller. I don’t like surprises or disappointment. Well, who does? This is where the caution comes into the formula. My blogs will start with the dream and work through the planning and budgeting process of organizing your own adventure.
Adventures of the Cautious Traveller 