The longest I've been away on vacation was 2 months, but not in one place. We owned a 36 ft motor home and left from Florida to tour the United States with our son, then 15 and daughter was 11. We toured 25 States from Florida to California taking the northern route there and the southern route back. It was exhausting and memorable all at the same time. I would never do a motor home again because it was like I never left home with all the work involved, laundry, meals and cleaning. When we came home they said that was too much together time with their parents, but now that they are much older, 40 and 44, they said it was the best vacation they ever had and they were sorry they did not appreciate it at the time.
Years later my husband and I took a cruise for a month. Started out in New Zealand to Australia and then flew to Tahiti and cruised the islands on a different cruise ship. That was the best and most memorable vacation for both of us. Not only the beautiful locations but that my laundry and meals and housekeeping was taken care of by someone else. And yes, if I had the opportunity to do it again I would in a heartbeat.
In August ‘82, my husband, daughter age 3, and I left Long Beach CA and travelled east for three years. When we returned in September ‘85, there were four of us. My second daughter was born in Wellington, NZ. My husband went back to his previous job. We visited family in North America, friends in Europe and Australia, not paying for accommodation. Bought air tickets in bucket shops carried a lot of travelers checks. So many highlights. My daughter was a real ice breaker. Locals saw us as parents. Nine months in India, interspersed with two months in Sri Lanka, two months in Nepal, trekking for 10 days. Got into China the first week they allowed independent travel. Spent ten weeks there. My husband was African American and my daughter a biracial pre schooler, attracting attention in some of the western areas.
Was it worth it. Yes, we were younger. I was approaching 40; my husband early 50s.
Tons of experiences, interludes and fun. Met the Dalai Lama at his home. The joy of seeing the world through the eyes of a child. The cost $18k for all of it.
It took us ten years to buy a condo. Ironically it was the same price that we would have spent on a house in ‘82. The housing market was down in ‘96. The navy had left Long Beach. The lesson. You regret what you don’t do, not what you do. The golden years may not lie ahead.
We are on permanent vacation since we left the States last September to become roaming expats. We did "sit downs" in Australia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and visited Oman. In two weeks, we are off to Azerbaijan, Malta, Norway, and back to Australia for a few months. Plans after that include Kathmandu, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and back to Middle East. The world is the most wonderful gift.
1 month - ish in Costa Rica. I have a condo there and it's amazingly beautiful. Technically, the longest vacation I took was a year in Europe - back in 1979! I had graduated from high school and was an exchange student to Germany, but I had already graduated, so I didn't have to go to school! Ended the year with a 3 month backpack and sleeping bag tour. Wonderful!
From May, 1968 through June, 1973, my then husband and I circled the world. From our California home we started in Japan, through most of Asia, India, the Middle East, Europe and Northern Africa. We purchased a camper in Europe and lived in it for 3+ years, driving through Europe,including the then USSR and all the other Iron Curtain countries and Northern Africa.
It was well worth it and pretty life changing. I've continued to travel as often as possible. At just over 160 countries and all continents several times, my health no longer allows me to travel. But my memories are always there and comforting. I always encourage younger folks I meet to travel as much as possible.
I spent 12 weeks on south East Asia when my son and daughter in law were married in Vietnam. I traveled to China, Thailand, Cambodia and Taiwan. I’ve been back to Vietnam multiple times now. What a beautiful country.
In the spring of 2005 my wife and I went to India for a month. We started in Kerala for a week which included three days on a small boat with three crew members who spoke no English. We got off the boat each morning and afternoon, photographing in the churches and markets. The colors and layers of the saris women wore amazed us on this trip and 7 subsequent trips to India. Then we meet up with a group in Delhi to begin two weeks in Rajasthan, including a few days at the Camel fair. We returned to Delhi at the end of the tour, but had made plans to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We weren’t going to go all the way to India without seeing it. Several months earlier I had seen in the NY Times a short article saying the monument would be open at night after being closed for decades due to terrorism. We sent our passport pages to the appropriate Indian security agencies and received our passes. That night, after passing two security checkpoints, we were able to enter the first gate to the monument. That was as far as we could go. I set my 35mm Hasselblad panoramic camera on the front step and took a several second photo of the Taj Mahal lighted up in the rear by lights on the river. I see that photo every time I go to my office. A wonderful end to our first trip to India.
Our longest vacation was about 6 months. We rode our motorcycles from Toronto area to Ushuaia. Being on two wheels gives a totally different perspective to travel. Many great sights along the way. We flew the bikes over the Darien Gap and continued on from Bogota. Central American borders were the most challenging with South American borders being much easier. Weather from warm to hot to cold. Some of the highlights were Manchu Pichu, the Nazca Lines, Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires. We reached Ushuaia late Dec. and caught a small ship cruise to the Antarctic. 10 days sailing around Antartica with many daily landings by Zodiac. Can you say penguin poo!
The longest I've been away on vacation was 2 months, but not in one place. We owned a 36 ft motor home and left from Florida to tour the United States with our son, then 15 and daughter was 11. We toured 25 States from Florida to California taking the northern route there and the southern route back. It was exhausting and memorable all at the same time. I would never do a motor home again because it was like I never left home with all the work involved, laundry, meals and cleaning. When we came home they said that was too much together time with their parents, but now that they are much older, 40 and 44, they said it was the best vacation they ever had and they were sorry they did not appreciate it at the time.
Years later my husband and I took a cruise for a month. Started out in New Zealand to Australia and then flew to Tahiti and cruised the islands on a different cruise ship. That was the best and most memorable vacation for both of us. Not only the beautiful locations but that my laundry and meals and housekeeping was taken care of by someone else. And yes, if I had the opportunity to do it again I would in a heartbeat.
In August ‘82, my husband, daughter age 3, and I left Long Beach CA and travelled east for three years. When we returned in September ‘85, there were four of us. My second daughter was born in Wellington, NZ. My husband went back to his previous job. We visited family in North America, friends in Europe and Australia, not paying for accommodation. Bought air tickets in bucket shops carried a lot of travelers checks. So many highlights. My daughter was a real ice breaker. Locals saw us as parents. Nine months in India, interspersed with two months in Sri Lanka, two months in Nepal, trekking for 10 days. Got into China the first week they allowed independent travel. Spent ten weeks there. My husband was African American and my daughter a biracial pre schooler, attracting attention in some of the western areas.
Was it worth it. Yes, we were younger. I was approaching 40; my husband early 50s.
Tons of experiences, interludes and fun. Met the Dalai Lama at his home. The joy of seeing the world through the eyes of a child. The cost $18k for all of it.
It took us ten years to buy a condo. Ironically it was the same price that we would have spent on a house in ‘82. The housing market was down in ‘96. The navy had left Long Beach. The lesson. You regret what you don’t do, not what you do. The golden years may not lie ahead.
We are on permanent vacation since we left the States last September to become roaming expats. We did "sit downs" in Australia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and visited Oman. In two weeks, we are off to Azerbaijan, Malta, Norway, and back to Australia for a few months. Plans after that include Kathmandu, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and back to Middle East. The world is the most wonderful gift.
1 month - ish in Costa Rica. I have a condo there and it's amazingly beautiful. Technically, the longest vacation I took was a year in Europe - back in 1979! I had graduated from high school and was an exchange student to Germany, but I had already graduated, so I didn't have to go to school! Ended the year with a 3 month backpack and sleeping bag tour. Wonderful!
From May, 1968 through June, 1973, my then husband and I circled the world. From our California home we started in Japan, through most of Asia, India, the Middle East, Europe and Northern Africa. We purchased a camper in Europe and lived in it for 3+ years, driving through Europe,including the then USSR and all the other Iron Curtain countries and Northern Africa.
It was well worth it and pretty life changing. I've continued to travel as often as possible. At just over 160 countries and all continents several times, my health no longer allows me to travel. But my memories are always there and comforting. I always encourage younger folks I meet to travel as much as possible.
I spent 12 weeks on south East Asia when my son and daughter in law were married in Vietnam. I traveled to China, Thailand, Cambodia and Taiwan. I’ve been back to Vietnam multiple times now. What a beautiful country.
Four weeks on safari in southern Africa - Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe - Heavenly!
In the spring of 2005 my wife and I went to India for a month. We started in Kerala for a week which included three days on a small boat with three crew members who spoke no English. We got off the boat each morning and afternoon, photographing in the churches and markets. The colors and layers of the saris women wore amazed us on this trip and 7 subsequent trips to India. Then we meet up with a group in Delhi to begin two weeks in Rajasthan, including a few days at the Camel fair. We returned to Delhi at the end of the tour, but had made plans to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We weren’t going to go all the way to India without seeing it. Several months earlier I had seen in the NY Times a short article saying the monument would be open at night after being closed for decades due to terrorism. We sent our passport pages to the appropriate Indian security agencies and received our passes. That night, after passing two security checkpoints, we were able to enter the first gate to the monument. That was as far as we could go. I set my 35mm Hasselblad panoramic camera on the front step and took a several second photo of the Taj Mahal lighted up in the rear by lights on the river. I see that photo every time I go to my office. A wonderful end to our first trip to India.
48 day cruise in 2013. LA to New York City on Carnival Celebrity. Saw most of Central and South America, along with a few of the Caribbean Islands.
Our longest vacation was about 6 months. We rode our motorcycles from Toronto area to Ushuaia. Being on two wheels gives a totally different perspective to travel. Many great sights along the way. We flew the bikes over the Darien Gap and continued on from Bogota. Central American borders were the most challenging with South American borders being much easier. Weather from warm to hot to cold. Some of the highlights were Manchu Pichu, the Nazca Lines, Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires. We reached Ushuaia late Dec. and caught a small ship cruise to the Antarctic. 10 days sailing around Antartica with many daily landings by Zodiac. Can you say penguin poo!
Was it worth it? Absolutely!