vacations and cents
I just counted my money, and I can buy:
A. A small house;
B. 5 or so years of consecutive vacations;
C. 3-ish business ventures; or
D. A Ph.D
Being a grown-up is fun.
To expand on Option B, it appears that my superpower is to take long vacations on very little money. Back in college, 2 whole months of traipsing around China cost a grand total of $1200 (including flights). My part-time job that paid $7/hr somehow funded summers in DC, Morocco, and China. This isn't as awesome as my first-choice superpower, but it's still pretty cool.
Lately I've buggered off for 6 or more weeks every year and no one at work has given me a talking to yet. Last summer's 4.5 weeks in Italy and England cost $3000 (including flights) despite the horrific 2:1 exchange rate. 3 weeks of Christmas in England, Scotland, and Wales clocked in at a mere $1500 (including flights). This year's 3 weeks of Obama's inauguration and Greece cost, I dunno, about $3000.
A few things on my to-do list include:
1. Walk like a hobbit along the Pembrokeshire coast path. I could have a little backpack and a little friend and we could hide in the underbrush when the Nazgul chase us. The coast is lovely, the accomodations are perfectly spaced one day apart, and they even have periodic shuttle buses that will sweep you into town if you are tired or lost or really need to poop. Cost: Flight to London, $50 train, and $75 per day for hotels, pubs, and picnics --> one week for $1500 or $600 if you are already in England.
2. Walk like a hobbit in Patagonia, trekking between cute little geodesic dome tents. Adventure Life Travel, you had me at the eco-tents and feather comforters. Cost: 8-day package for $2000, plus an extra $1200 or so to fly in and out of Patagonia.
3. Camping with the Mayans--pyramids, jungles, beaches, and margaritas! Green Tortoise Tours has a big bus that converts between daytime lounge and nighttime sleeper configurations. Cost: 2 weeks for $900 + flight to Cancun + a tent. I have to try one of the shorter treks first, to Arches or Yosemite, to determine whether Green Tortoise is for clean hippies or dirty hippies.
4. Chase the ghosts of Byzantium. Ever since Ravenna, I have been in love with Byzantium. Now that I know what Byzantium looks like, I see its echoes all over Italy and Athens. Eventually I will circle in through Sofia, Belgrade (bonus: Tesla museum), and Budapest and finally make the boat crossing to Istanbul itself. Cost: Probably $3000 or so, due to my superpower.
5. Southern Hemisphere Christmas. I think this is going to happen this year. We just need someone who can drive an RV. There's a hop-on/hop-off backpacker bus to be investigated further. Cost: 2 weeks for $2000 if flying from Hong Kong to Australia or New Zealand.
6. Bardsey Island, a little Welsh island that is one of the contenders for the real Isle of Avalon. With no electrical grid and no cellphone coverage, it's now a quiet little place for naturalists (not the nude kind). The Bardsey Bird Observatory is a working science outpost that welcomes guests and lets you help out if you aren't stupid. Cost: One week at the observatory for $300 if you are already in the UK.
7. WWOOF, which is how my friend Albert learned to birth lambs. Basically, hippies with farms invite hippies without farms to do farmwork and eat good food. There are WWOOFers worldwide, but the UK is probably the most relaxing and beautiful. Cost: Flight plus work.
8. See some glaciers. Glaciers are on the list with the aurora borealis and eclipse. Possibilities include: Alaska with Green Tortoise, New Zealand during Southern Hemisphere Christmas, Patagonia with Adventure Life, a Galapagos sailboat cruise (~$5000 all told), or an Antarctic cruise for the motherlode (~$8-10K plus a ferociously rough sea crossing). I'm iffy on Antarctica because I can see myself being cold and nauseous while wondering why I didn't build a school for girls in Pakistan with that money.
A. A small house;
B. 5 or so years of consecutive vacations;
C. 3-ish business ventures; or
D. A Ph.D
Being a grown-up is fun.
To expand on Option B, it appears that my superpower is to take long vacations on very little money. Back in college, 2 whole months of traipsing around China cost a grand total of $1200 (including flights). My part-time job that paid $7/hr somehow funded summers in DC, Morocco, and China. This isn't as awesome as my first-choice superpower, but it's still pretty cool.
Lately I've buggered off for 6 or more weeks every year and no one at work has given me a talking to yet. Last summer's 4.5 weeks in Italy and England cost $3000 (including flights) despite the horrific 2:1 exchange rate. 3 weeks of Christmas in England, Scotland, and Wales clocked in at a mere $1500 (including flights). This year's 3 weeks of Obama's inauguration and Greece cost, I dunno, about $3000.
A few things on my to-do list include:
1. Walk like a hobbit along the Pembrokeshire coast path. I could have a little backpack and a little friend and we could hide in the underbrush when the Nazgul chase us. The coast is lovely, the accomodations are perfectly spaced one day apart, and they even have periodic shuttle buses that will sweep you into town if you are tired or lost or really need to poop. Cost: Flight to London, $50 train, and $75 per day for hotels, pubs, and picnics --> one week for $1500 or $600 if you are already in England.
2. Walk like a hobbit in Patagonia, trekking between cute little geodesic dome tents. Adventure Life Travel, you had me at the eco-tents and feather comforters. Cost: 8-day package for $2000, plus an extra $1200 or so to fly in and out of Patagonia.
3. Camping with the Mayans--pyramids, jungles, beaches, and margaritas! Green Tortoise Tours has a big bus that converts between daytime lounge and nighttime sleeper configurations. Cost: 2 weeks for $900 + flight to Cancun + a tent. I have to try one of the shorter treks first, to Arches or Yosemite, to determine whether Green Tortoise is for clean hippies or dirty hippies.
4. Chase the ghosts of Byzantium. Ever since Ravenna, I have been in love with Byzantium. Now that I know what Byzantium looks like, I see its echoes all over Italy and Athens. Eventually I will circle in through Sofia, Belgrade (bonus: Tesla museum), and Budapest and finally make the boat crossing to Istanbul itself. Cost: Probably $3000 or so, due to my superpower.
5. Southern Hemisphere Christmas. I think this is going to happen this year. We just need someone who can drive an RV. There's a hop-on/hop-off backpacker bus to be investigated further. Cost: 2 weeks for $2000 if flying from Hong Kong to Australia or New Zealand.
6. Bardsey Island, a little Welsh island that is one of the contenders for the real Isle of Avalon. With no electrical grid and no cellphone coverage, it's now a quiet little place for naturalists (not the nude kind). The Bardsey Bird Observatory is a working science outpost that welcomes guests and lets you help out if you aren't stupid. Cost: One week at the observatory for $300 if you are already in the UK.
7. WWOOF, which is how my friend Albert learned to birth lambs. Basically, hippies with farms invite hippies without farms to do farmwork and eat good food. There are WWOOFers worldwide, but the UK is probably the most relaxing and beautiful. Cost: Flight plus work.
8. See some glaciers. Glaciers are on the list with the aurora borealis and eclipse. Possibilities include: Alaska with Green Tortoise, New Zealand during Southern Hemisphere Christmas, Patagonia with Adventure Life, a Galapagos sailboat cruise (~$5000 all told), or an Antarctic cruise for the motherlode (~$8-10K plus a ferociously rough sea crossing). I'm iffy on Antarctica because I can see myself being cold and nauseous while wondering why I didn't build a school for girls in Pakistan with that money.