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For years, I told my real estate customers who came to Key West from various parts of the globe, "I’ll be over to visit you in [London, Spain, India, Thailand, Mexico]." But I never went anywhere. I meant to, but I was always too busy. Too much of a homebody. And, if the truth be known, too fearful. I couldn’t go anywhere. What if something bad happened?

We finally went to London in May of ’04. But that was only after being shamed into taking action. One of my customers said, "Oh, stop saying you’re going to come visit. You’ve been saying that for two years now. You’ll never come." Ouch. That was a wake-up moment. That said something not good about me. I hated being one of Those People. Within a week we had reservations to go to London.

It’s so funny: I couldn’t get myself on a plane to go visit a foreign country, but I could pack up and move to one without knowing much of anything about it or even knowing anyone there!!! That says something about me, too. Something adventuresome, slightly foolish. I can live with that.

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Because of the play, it’s been a few months now since we went anywhere new in Costa Rica. I’M READY TO ROLL. I have to do the play again in late April, then my mom moves here… but in May, I’m off. We still have to go to the Caribbean side. I want to go to Dominical. To Guanacaste. To the Osa Peninsula. To the north country. To hike up to Volcán Barva. To hike some of the other cool trails. To visit Quint and Gazelle, my buddies who own property where you have to camp (I must really want to go there – I’m not exactly the camping type) near San Isidro de General. To spend a week with the turtles. To spend a month at The Bridge. So much still to do in Costa Rica, so much still to see. And, as luck would have it, mucho tiempo [MOO-choe tee-M-poh, much time].

Now that I think of it, now that I’ve finally traveled, after years of not really wanting to go anywhere, suddenly, I want to go EVERYWHERE. All those places above and more. What about Indonesia? Buenos Aires and dinner at Casa Saltshaker – my life won’t be complete until that happens!!! What about Vietnam? Russia. Japan. Alaska. Nova Scotia to visit my friend June when she’s up there. Slovakia. Greece – oh yes, Greece. Italy. Paris. Australia. Why not?

Well, there’s money. But, I’ll deal with that tomorrow. I don’t want to be rich anymore. I’ve been rich. It’s fun and better than poor, but it’s not that satisfying in and of itself. You have to work so hard just to stay rich… I just want to travel. Remember that book Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow? One of those books I never had to read because it’s all in the title. Like Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway. Anyway, maybe I can make money traveling. Besides, I know people in most of those places. I hope they have room for four guests.

Here’s my new plan: I’m going to one new country every year. For a month at least because you can’t see anything in a week. I think it’s why I don’t like going places for a "vacation": you just get there, just get warmed up and unpacked and you have to leave. You can never get past the tip of the iceberg.Rita_in_china_2

For the time being, I must content myself with my friends’ travels. Like my Key West buddy, Rita Mae Brown’s (not the RMB, my RMB) trip to China last month. It’s Rita’s birthday tomorrow. She used to be older than me, but she’s not anymore. I’m going to have to ask her how she did that… In the meantime, she sent me a link to her travel pictures… WOW. I definitely want to go there. Don’t you?

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