Monday, January 4, 2016

What's on my Bucket List by Paty Jager

The main thing on my bucket list is travel. My husband and I had decided years ago that when we retired we would visit every one of the 50 states. I've been to more than my husband by traveling to writer and reader conferences but there are still plenty to see and lots of historic sites I want to wander through.

Traveling to RomCon in 2013
The states we've frequented the most other than our home state of Oregon are: Alaska, Washington, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and Texas.  Alaska and Texas because we have family living there.

We made several trips to Wyoming when our oldest daughter went to school in Torrington. We've driven through Montana, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. And drove twenty miles into Nebraska when we were in Wyoming just to say we'd been there.

I've traveled to New York for a writers conference then traveled to Washington D.C./ Maryland to visit my sister-in-law and her husband

Visited Pro Rodeo Museum
. They took me to some sites in Virginia close to D.C. I visited Georgia with my oldest daughter when our son and his first wife were having their first child.

I attended an RWA conference in Louisiana and a Reader conference in Ohio, that due to a traffic accident while traveling from the airport to the hotel, we drove through Indiana and Kentucky. ;)

So, While I've been to 23 states I have a little over that many to still see. And all the National monuments, parks, and historical sites. Whew!  We are going to be busy for a while.

We also want to take one  more trip to the Netherlands so my husband can visit with more of his relatives, then take a train to Spain to see my two nieces who married Spaniards and live there. Then because of the show Doc Martin on OPB, hubby wants to see the villages in England that sit on the rock ledges along the islands coasts. I want to see Ireland after reading Nora Roberts Born in IceBorn in Fire, Born in Shame trilogy that is set in Ireland.

Before we can do any of this, we have to finish building a hay barn and a shop. The house is complete now it is time to get the outbuildings all up.

Do you have traveling on your bucket list? If so, where do you want to travel to and why?


8 comments:

Liz Flaherty said...

Traveling is on mine, and I've done some already, but my husband prefers NOT to, so my dream of seeing all 50 states will probably go unrealized. Sigh. Have a great time!

Judith Ashley said...

One of the blessings my being a member of RWA and local chapters as well as The William Glasser Institute is the travel. Because of WGI I've been to Ireland, Scotland, England, Slovenia, Croatia and traveled through Italy, The Netherlands and Switzerland to get there. Spent two weeks in Australia and been to states I'd never otherwise travel to as well as Montreal and Vancouver in Canada.

While I'd love to go back to the UK and spend more time just being there, my current travel plans have me returning to AZ for a writers conference and going to the Oregon Coast for writer retreats and to just sit and watch the waves!

Paty Jager said...

Liz, My grandfather was like your husband and my grandmother wanted to travel. She'd hop in the car with us when my family was going somewhere and she went on trips with other seniors.

Judith, you are well traveled! What fun to belong to an organization that allows you to travel the world. I could use another writers retreat at the coast but I need to stick home for a while. I will be going to AZ in February for the Left Coast Crime conference.

Sarah Raplee said...

We do want to travel, but so far we don't have specific plans. We both love to explore new places. You are one busy couple, Paty!

Diana McCollum said...

What an awesome bucket list Paty. I haven't been to very many of our states except for driving through to get to specific places. I'd love to travel to Ireland, Scotland, Canada, American Somoa. Basically, anywhere I haven't been too. Kudos for you both for following your dream!!

Shannon said...

My great grandmother was a traveler and inspired a lot of us to get moving, too. Even in her 80's she was joining tour groups and jetting off to Japan, Thailand or Australia. She even went to Mexico to climb the pyramids. My grandparents had planned to travel after they retired, but health problems kept cropping up--as they sometimes do when you're older--so they had to restrict their travel to inside the US. Because of that, I made it a point to travel as much as possible before I got married and had kids. I've been to 27 countries, many of our states and still like to go out and explore new-to-me areas in my town.
Thank you to all who are posting your stories. They are so fun to read and be armchair travelers.

Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel said...

What a great bucket list idea! I prefer to cuddle with my herd of doggies each night rather than travel. However, I thoroughly enjoy traveling vicariously through the travels of others. So I'm looking forward to your travels along with the stories and photos you share. LOL!

Paty Jager said...

Sarah, We aren't happy unless we're busy. I hope you and your hubby get a chance to travel.

Hi Diana! Those are some great spots you'd like to see.

Shannon, We had a family friends, husband and wife, who went on the tours all over the world. They had great mementos and stories to go with them. I didn't get the chance to travel before marriage, kids, and life. That's why we're doing it now.

HI Genene! I know you like to snuggle with your doggies! And you can be assured when we get to traveling, I will blog about it. Thanks for stopping in!