Still Life in These Bags of Bones: Planning a Travel Adventure Kick Starts the Anticipation

I am the travel planner for my husband and me. Over the years, I have learned how to look for bargains, what we need in an Airbnb, and what the best days are to start and end a trip. I do all of the administrative work, and my husband pays for it, a great partnership. I have already reserved our flights and several Airbnbs for our annual trip to Portugal to see the grandchildren and their parents. This year, we will spend more than two months in one country as we search for a city to live in for the next three to five years.

We will be staying two to four weeks in strategic places to visit places within an hour or two of the family in Portugal. We want to be close, in case we need help, but far enough away that everyone feels independent of each other. We want to see them for the holidays and birthdays, something we have missed in the nearly four years they have lived in Portugal.

We will spend time in the four main cities, where there is great public transportation, not wanting to rent a car for such a long period, and to learn how to travel by train and bus. We want a place where we can walk to the stores, restaurants, and attractions. We need to be near the ocean, preferably with a long promenade, so we can complete our step goals of up to 10000 steps a day. We need a city or town with good healthcare, or where specialists are no more than an hour away or an Uber ride away. We want to find ex-pats who speak English, as we both find learning Portuguese daunting, but we will learn basic phrases like “Thank you,” “Please,” and greetings.

I am so excited now because the trip starts to feel real as soon as I make the plane reservations. My anticipation rises, and I start to count the weeks until we leave, and then the days, and lastly, the hours! This will be our longest trip to Europe, more than eight weeks. So, we plan days of rest and relaxation. We want to enjoy the museums and ruins at every place we go, and eat the wonderful Portuguese cuisine, but recognize that we are in our 70s and need to be careful and take it slowly. We hope to be accepted, as anti-tourist and anti-immigrant sentiments grow in some places in Europe and in our beloved United States.

So, here we come, Portugal! Two old adventurers who want to spend time getting to know you better. Here’s to living life to the fullest! There’s still a lot of life in these bags of bones. Thank God for blessing us.

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