Is It Time to Travel Yet?

I went to deliver my Mother's Day gift to my mom yesterday since we cannot sit in church together or go out to eat to celebrate. When I started to leave, she asked if I wanted to take some ice cream with me. You need to know that my mom rarely send anyone away from her house empty-handed. She always gives you something she has bought especially for you or she finds something she thinks you may like. My niece, Cricket drew a picture of her once for a school project with the little word bubble saying "here take this and go home", Anyway, the offering of the night was ice cream. She had purchased it at Publix and according to the hype, it is supposed to be the best ice cream anywhere. My mom shrugged and said she had never heard of the company but they make cheese too. I laughed. Tillamook? It's in Oregon. I have been there on a random excursion during a trip with students. I started to explain how you could tour the factory and sample all the different types of cheese they make. My mom just waved me away. Do you want the ice cream? No, Mom. I was just going to tell you about Oregon and how beautiful it is. The trees are so green and the air is amazing. You have an entire yard of huge trees behind your house, she said. Conversation over. My mom loves to be at home. She cleans house like there is a prize attached. Me? I want adventure. I want to see the things I have read about. I want to explore new places. I want to have stories to tell, even if it is about a random tour of a dairy factory. Oh my goodness, I love to travel.

I have had the good fortune to visit 45 states and the District of Columbia during my lifetime. I have visited historic landmarks, Presidential libraries, and completely random places. I have laughed so hard I could not breathe crossing the Mississippi River and sobbed big tears looking at the destruction of a daycare center in OKC. I have sang random songs and laughed as a friend made up new lyrics to Disney Classics. I have  traveled for work, for conferences, for mission trips, and to celebrate special occasions. I have traveled solo, with a friend, and with groups of friends or colleagues. Oh my goodness, I love to travel.

People like to ask where my favorite place to visit has been and I honestly never know how to answer that question. I flew to NYC with Taylor when he was 5 years old to visit the "real Santa" at Macy's. We ice skated in Rockefeller Center and at that moment, I thought it was the absolute best thing I had ever done. However, standing with Taylor at the site of the gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, AZ when he was an adult was also pretty amazing. He had goosebumps and it was obvious that he could see the details of the shootout. He was reliving history. I also thought that was the best thing I had ever done. Standing on the edge looking at the majesty of the Grand Canyon and thinking how it doesn't even look real... Yep... This is the best thing I have ever done. Driving through Montana and just being mesmerized at how absolutely beautiful it is. Same thought. Snorkeling in Hawaii at a Bay I wont even attempt to spell. Best thing I have ever done. I could literally keep going because the coast of Maine is breathtaking, the houses in Newport, RI are surreal, Texas... all of Texas... is amazing, Seeing Mount Rushmore appear from a fog bank and later seeing the fog roll in (FTR, fog rolls in.. like it literally rolls in)... Oh my goodness, I LOVE to travel.

Random adventures are my favorite memories though. Some friends and I explored Santa Claus, IN and wrote letters to Santa. He wrote back with personalized messages. G and I added twine to the world's largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, KS and then, laughed for hours as we drove through the Kansas plains trying to get back to civilization. (FTR, you have to email to be able to add twine - make arrangements). Another group of friends and I watched the bats emerge at twilight in Austin, TX. (This is actually much cooler than it sounds). Taylor and I met Aaron Kaufman when we stopped to visit Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas. He was getting coffee and told Taylor a story about how his dog had just gotten sprayed by a skunk. Tracee and I watched fortune cookies being made in San Francisco and had the coolest Uber drivers around. Brandi and I attempted to paint a house in Louisiana in 100+ weather where the paint dried as fast as we could do a swipe. We laughed as we tried to convince ourselves that it was not as hot as it felt. Oh my goodness, I love to travel.

School is winding down. Summer is almost here. My summer travels are looking iffy. My trip to Tampa for the AP Reading is cancelled. I will sit at my computer screen instead. My planned trip to NYC is doubtful. NYC is locked down tightly and even though I am adventurous, I am not sure about wandering around the epicenter of the pandemic. Other trips have been suggested and then, there's the pandemic. Can we travel? Will the country open? Is it safe? Is adventure worth our health? I have smiled at this entire blog post until the last part... I hate the unknowing of all of this. I am like the rest of the nation in this, I know. I want the pandemic behind us. I want life back to normal. And what I really want is an answer to my question... Is it time to travel yet????

What's On Your Dream Lottery List?

I have been spending money all day...... in my head. I bought a lottery ticket. The jackpot is 132 million dollars, and all I had to spend to have a chance to win it was $1.  I spent the money even though I felt guilty about gambling.  If I do not have a single number in the winning combination of digits, the money was well spent.  It helped me create a plan.

People who buy lottery tickets (and even those who don't) play a game where they spend the entire fortune in their heads.  We buy cars and houses and trips.  We donate thousands to charities.  We pay off the debts of our family members.  We settle our own finances, and we decide if we enjoy our jobs enough to keep working. Then, when we do not win, we go about our business.  If you are like me, this entire day of entertainment cost a dollar or absolutely nothing.  It's harmless fun. However, if you take the time to look at your dream list, you might have the same realization that I did today. I can do most of this without winning the lottery.

I want to go to Paris.  Since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of walking the streets of Paris, wandering in and out of the shops, sitting in a sidewalk cafe, standing in front of the Mona Lisa and Rodin's Thinker, and simply experiencing the culture.  This is my dream.  Why have I not been there yet?  Life.  Bills.  Work. If I won the lottery, I would immediately plan a trip there.  I realized today that I do not have to hit the jackpot to go. I need to save for it, to plan for it, to make my dream come true without a single stroke of luck.  I can do this for myself because when Taylor leaves for basics, I am responsible for only me.  I can make my dream come true.

That realization alone is powerful. It made me look closer at the other items on my list. I would buy a new car.  Start saving.  I would buy a beach house.  Renting one for a long weekend is more in my budget but I give myself permission to do this which makes me smile.  I should give more to charities based on my salary now. I should treat my parents to little things now to make their lives a little easier. I love my job and would do it even if I didn't need the money.  What a joy to know this. I do not need to win the lottery to make a difference.  I need to do the things on my list in moderation.

What would you do if you won the lottery? What is on your dream lottery list? How can you start moving toward those goals right now?  Get busy... I'm heading to Paris... as soon as I save the money.