May 2018 - Notes on suitcases

Suitcases:  In the past, when we started traveling to Asia, we found a need for more space:  taking all the medicines and toiletries you might need for the trip and taking lots of toilet paper.  (Note on toilet paper:  you really need to carry your own in Asia.  But you can save a lot of space by getting TP marketed for camping/backpacking...they don't have the central core so they save a lot of space.)  Plus we now carried cell phones, upgraded to larger cameras and multiple lens, started bringing a laptop, external backup drives, and all the associated equipment, power blocks, and cords for these.  We also needed extra room to bring back presents - we actually bought a duffel bag on one trip.  

So, we now each bought a 25 inch suitcase to check and an 18 inch suitcase to carry on - and still they are full (nature abhors a vacuum syndrome).  And most of the electronics are carried in one backpack, since sometimes we have to check or gate-check the 18 inch suitcase.  

One goal is to get all the electronics into the carry-on suitcases, but still pack the backpack in case we need to transfer the electronics to it for carry-on.  So far, that has not happened.

Hints on luggage allowances:  Regional airlines in Asia are particularly stingy when it comes to carry on luggage allowances.  Before heading out you should check with your carriers to be sure that you will be able to take your carry on into the cabin.  

April 16, 2018 - Selling the house

April, Selling the house:  After a nervous moment when the first potential buyer showed up and they didn't even get out of the car - too much yard for them, we think - the house sold a week after it went on the market with multiple offers and for over the asking price.

January - March, 2018 - Downsizing

January - March, Downsizing:  We spent the first three months of 2018 getting the house ready to sell.

Our kids took some of our furniture, for a total of about 3 mostly bedrooms gone.   It turned out that neither our kids, consignment shops, nor antique shops wanted the master bedroom set nor any of our antiques (with two exceptions) or the rest of our furniture.  It was not the right style, and there was no market for it.  We did sell a few pieces to individuals and gave some furniture away.  And Goodwill got a lot of stuff.

We packed everything else, and had movers move our stuff to our son-in-law's warehouse near Las Vegas.  As the movers unpacked our stuff and piled it higher and higher, we were amazed at the amount of furniture and boxes we still had.  39 years in the same house saw us accumulate lots of stuff.

We then had repairs done to the house, the interior painted, new carpet laid, the house cleaned, and the house staged.

2012 - 2017 - Traveling and Downsizing

Traveling and Downsizing:  With all the traveling we have been doing, that led to a discussion in 2017 of downsizing and how many dollars a smaller house would save a year to be spent on travels.  Then a discussion of where to buy - near where we lived, near our daughter, or near our son.  Eventually Mary suggested we just downsize to suitcases - she would retire and we would sell the house (more money for travel) and not buy or rent another - basically traveling full time. 

We had a last holiday party at the house in early December, 2017.   And then a last Christmas at the house with both our kids and their families.

December 2017 - Travels and People

Traveling:  Paul retired in 2012, and with Mary being able to block out dates she will not take her consulting work, we traveled more.  In fact for 2014 - 2017 we traveled 5-6 months per year.  

People:  In all of our travels all over the world we have met only wonderful, friendly people...Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindu, Christians, non-believers, Jain, Jews, Muslims...you name it.  They all want exactly what we want...security and safety for their families.  Food on the table and a roof over their heads.  And a better future for their children.  It doesn't matter the language spoken or the color of their skin or their religion or any other superficial trait...we are all, under the skin, the same.

2001 - 2011 - Travels and Photos

2001 - 2011:  We did a lot of traveling, some just us, some with our grown or almost grown children or other relatives.  We tried to do one big trip a year for 4 weeks, and maybe some short ones.  Roughly 50 - 50 between international travel and US travel. 

Photos:  With digital cameras, the good news is one can take as many photos as you want, no cost of film (just the cards) and no processing cost (just our time).  The bad news is the same.  We started taking a lot more photos.  Early on in our traveling we would keep a lot of photos, then managed for a while to keep only 20 or so photos a day.  We now try to keep only 12 or so photos a place (but sometimes more), even though generally there are several places a day. So averaging 30 - 45 photos a day.

After 2001 - Suitcases and Hotels

Suitcases:
After 911, we managed to put everything into the 21 inch and backpack and still carry everything on.

Hotels:  At some point, as we get older, we decided to upgrade our hotels, to something like 3 stars - still wanting to save money on hotels to apply to days traveling.  And an occasional 4 or 5 star to splurge or when there was only high end or low end and nothing in between.  And an occasional no/low star when that was necessary, for example - jumping ahead in time - a couple of places in China, Tingri in Tibet, and near the Sundarbans in India.

Before 2001 - Travel and other notes

Travel:
Both international and domestic, before kids.  With the kids when younger, mostly our travel was US based with a lot to our parents and a couple of trips to Europe.  For the Europe trips, we generally would rent a car.

Hotels:  In Europe, we would stay at inexpensive hotels, pensions, and a couple of hostels.  Bathroom down the hall in many places.  We preferred to spend our money on more days traveling and sightseeing and less on fancy hotels, as long as the hotel was clean and safe.

Suitcases:
We would each (including kids) travel with a 21 inch roll a-board and a backpack, and Mary and Paul also had a fanny pack and cameras, all as carry on luggage.  

Photos:
We like to take photos.  Using film, we would try to limit our shots, as film and the subsequent processing was expensive.  Still, we would keep lots of photos.  Later, we tried to keep only 15 - 20 photos or so a day.  

Planning:
We plan our trips ourselves, and do all the bookings.  And we read up on the history and culture of the places we are going.  We prefer to travel independently, or on private tours if doing that makes sense.