Thanks to gift vouchers from
family and each other, Don and I ventured out of our routine a bit this winter
and spring. We began well within our comfort zones with weekend excursions to
Condon, Portland , and Lincoln
City , then timidly ventured into the unknown
of San Mateo
Although Don and I very
willingly put portions of our lives on hold over the last sixteen years, it was
difficult to also sacrifice visiting our kids in their own homes, some of which
we have never seen. In spite of that, they went over and above in their support
of us and their grandparents so we are now anxious to begin making that time up
to them before we do anything else. Eventually, we will be able to touch base
with the rest of our family, as well, and maybe even plan an adventure of our
own, but we are quickly finding out that we have to pace ourselves and our
budgets. We hope everyone will be patient with us as we play catch up.
Our trips thus far have been
good learning experiences, though, which have made us more confident with
airports, car rentals, and Google map navigation. I might even be able to
single-handedly purchase a plane ticket now without clutching the arm of one of
my kids lest they leave and I make a wrong decision. Also, once Don has
retired, it will be easier to work around my subbing schedule so that we have
fewer time constraints.
In
the meantime, we savor what we’ve done so far and continue to budget and to
plan. Our wings are a bit rusty, but they still seem to work so, look out! One
of these days, probably after you’ve given up on us, we might land in your
neighborhood to see what you’re up to.
