May 2021

May has turned into a the beginning of the next stage.  We’ve been fully vaccinated and the world is slowly starting to open back up.  I’ve put together the Costa Rica trip, which is now taking place in August, as the airfare is much cheaper.  I was able to get it through SW and use my point, yay!  I’ve booked lodging for 11 days - $300 for the first 10 days and $100 for the last day, lol.  I could have gone cheap on the last day, I have places that I use close to the airport, but the name brand hotels next to the airport are usually really expensive and I was able to get one for $100.  We’ll have a full hot breakfast (included in the room) and a ride to the airport.  Our flight is at 8am, so I figured being really close and having that breakfast available would be worth the extra cost.  Plus, a pool, a bar and air conditioning will be nice as we wind up to go home.

 

I’ve rented a room in Paris for the month of November.  That’s exciting.  I’ll have an entire month to check out Disneyland Paris, all the museums and eat all the street food.  I’ll also have plenty of time to chill and just wander.  I’m very excited.  Before I get to Paris, I’m walking the Camino de Santiago.  Its been back and forth with Covid whether it would even work out.  Then the question of how many of the lodgings would be able to open and what kind of crowd they were going to have this fall.  Millions of people postponed their trips because of Covid and 2021-2022 is a holy year, so it would be really busy even without people rescheduling their trips.  But I bought the airfare for September and I have 6 weeks to walk the Camino.  That should be plenty of time with an average of 4 weeks to walk and it will give me an extra 2 weeks to stop and smell the flowers along the way.  I don’t want to miss anything.

 

I’ve registered for another safari.  I’ve reviewd the safari options over and over and I finally made a decision.  This will be a very expensive trip, but that’s what the bitcoin money is for.  I’ll still have some bitcoin money left over too.  Its going to be around 5000 before any of the extra excursions except the Gorilla Trek.  I’m back and forth on the Zanzibar excursion as its 4 days on a beach, basically.  But they have an interesting history and there are tours of the old town and the spice industry and the National Park.  There is also a tour that goes to Prison island to see Aldabra Giant Tortoises, which would be amazing.  I could honestly do all the things I want to do in 1 or 2 days.  I’ll probably do it, as it is a unique experience and having 4 days in a private room might be a nice break from the tents.

 

I’m extended at work until the end of July.  The phones aren’t as bad as they were in the beginning but my tolerance for uneducated people is at an all time low.  My tolerance for the red tape on getting things fixed is also at an all time low.  The lack of communication and the screwed upnway things are run is embarrassing.  My plan was to always return to work after a few years of traveling, I’ll increase my Social Security & 401k contributions and get more funds in my savings account, which could fund more expensive travel.  Places like Antarctica is going to be super expensive.  And my ‘Year of Disney’ goal, where we stay in every hotel, ride every ride, get photos with every available character and eat in every restaurant…will be very expensive.  I’ll need a job to fund those adventures.  But I don't know if FIS is the answer.

 We used our last day at Disney with our Discovery pass.  We went to the Flower and Garden festival at Epcot.  It was good, as expected.  We ate a lot.  Gil gushed over all the plants.  It was a good time.