Decision time

via

I need to get a trip on the books. We've hit that dreary time of year where it's still dark and cold, and summer is still so, so far away. Especially up here in the PNW.

"Beach. Sun. Heat. Beach. Sun. Heat," says my brain. Over and over and over.

My short-list:

• Thailand - I'd have to wait until the end of the year until my vacation builds up and husband can join. Not sure I'll make it!
• Belize - beaches and jungles. 
• Costa Rica - surfing and yoga?
• Southwest US - possibly with a girlfriend, which could be fun. 

Husband just started a new job, so I may be looking at another solo trip. I've (sort-of) traveled solo before, and it's really nice to be able to have real "ME" time, whether it's sit on a beach for hours, explore a new town, or read by a pool. If I'm going to jet off by myself, I might spring for one of those rah rah girl-time yoga and surf camps in Central America. I've always wanted to be great at both, and what better way to learn than with (hopefully new!) friends some place new and beautiful. 

This weekend's goal is to have a place picked! Stay tuned!

Your stuff is stopping you

Balian Beach house

You can probably tell from my previous posts that I'm particularly wanderlusty at the moment. I've dreamed of spending time away for years, and have never managed to sneak in much longer than two weeks away from home.

I get tend to get dreamy about travel when major life elements are in a state of unknown, as they are right now with my husband between jobs. I'm not terribly worried about making the mortgage payment - we've prepared for this - so he has the ability to be a little more selective about his next job.

Lately he's gotten a couple leads from places that would allow him to work remotely. It would likely be less that he could be making in a traditional office setting, but nothing to shake a stick at.

And in someplace like Thailand, or Bali, we could be pretty comfortable on just his income.

For years and years, the thought of running away to explore has always been at the front of my mind, but nothing that we'd ever actually do. We have a lot of "stuff" keeping us here - house, stuff in house, dogs, cats, animals, family that we help support.. but lately we've both been talking more seriously about what we can do to release ourself for this stuff. If we didn't have these tying us down, we'd be gone yesterday.

That beach house in the picture above was from one of my favorite stops in Bali - that hammock was the living room, the bathroom was off to the side and constructed out of old green beer bottles, and I slept in the room up top that I couldn't quite stand up straight in while the couple that I was traveling with stayed in the main bedroom below. The house sat in the middle of a rice field, and the beach was just a small stroll away. The guy that we rented the house from did his best to teach us how to surf. When we were hungry we'd walk to an outdoor warung and have breakfast or lunch or dinner and say hello to the owner's pet monkey. I don't think we spent more than $10 a person per day on the house and food. We only spent a few days in Balian, and it was the most rustic stop along the way, but it's probably one of the first places I'd re-visit if we do make a break for it.