Day 9 - Jay and I have always been lucky in that we've had ample time for travel. We have been travelling and seeing bits of the world since the mid-1980s. Our situation always allowed for months off at a time. Having been a teacher offered me many blessings but the yearly extended blocks of free time counted as one of the most important. Geography was important during those initial years too because working in the Middle East meant that Europe, Africa, and Asia were all within relatively easy reach.
Our work schedules in Canada were luckily flexible. However, simultaneous retirements in 2014 have proved perfect as we began to completely own every minute of our time. That's why we did it early. I find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that later in 2023 will mark our ninth year of complete freedom!
Our methods for travel have evolved. Of course, we used to try to squeeze a lot of ground into each trip. I can remember flights from Canada when we tried to 'do' a half dozen European countries in three weeks. Likewise, we visited a few countries in much less time than was actually required. Indonesia comes to mind, as each of its islands is like a different country with a unique culture. Now, we can make ample time. We actually choose a place to really live each winter. With three or four months under our belts, we can approach travel with little stress and it becomes more of a learning experience.
Even this small trip of one month is perfect for learning about smaller areas such as the French Riviera. We can take our time and soak up how the locals do things. We have time to fill the cupboards and fridge with food from the supermarket, just as locals do. Many tourists rely on eating out exclusively. That stems from the fact most tourists do not have the necessary time nor the required facilities to eat locally. Fortunately, we always ensure we do.
