Dollars Not Debt

Glacier Bay is beautiful. Try to see if you can get off the boat to check out the areas around the straits. You can actually hike up the mountains and look down on bald eagle nests.

Just be careful of bears. Make sure that you don’t carry food, toothpaste or anything smelly with you. Otherwise, carry a rifle.

I’ve noticed that most people’s ‘Bucket List’ involves seeing places and doing things, not owning things. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen “paying for a lease on a car I’ll never own” on any of them… Experiences are the things we will take with us for the rest of our lives, if they’re the right ones. I hope that this is that kind of experience for you.

I find what defines me most is living overseas for years, speaking another language (or two), seeing Bob Dylan in concert in Rome, etc. Experiences change the way you think, which is real change.

And get on that England trip. My wife and I hiked the Lakes District and the Bogs (outside of Dublin), and it was some really incredible scenery. Take in Stirling while you’re there, and the London Museum (we only heard how good it was after we’d left and were at the Louvre…).

Have a great time.

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@Simon- Then, after I die, my estate can be divvied up to whoever *I* deem needs it. After all, who decides what I need and what I don’t? I’m sure someone would say I don’t need seven sewing machines, and over 4000 books, or a motorcycle, or extra fabric, but I do enjoy it, and consider all those an integral part of my life.

Thanks for a nice post!

I look forward to your posts on your conversations with John. He sounds like an interesting guy.

And that will take every dime I’ll ever earn.

What about ‘anything you have left can be given away to those who need it more than you’.

I’m not against people being rich. I’m against people dying rich.

I’ve been following you for years, reading about your travel (and Mini) dreams, watching your financial progress and now you are – as Dave would say -living like no one else.

Have a wonderful time – you’ve worked hard for everything you’ve achieved.

Commenting to say, though, that “big expensive touristy vacations” are a crappy idea. A good one is the big inexpensive live-like-a-local vacation! If you haven’t done so already, I recommend picking up Rolf Potts’ book, Vagabonding, about how to travel well and have amazing adventures while spending very small amounts of cash.

You better be careful on your trip; it’s all too easy to fall in love with Alaska and never return home.

PS I used to live in Europe and my girlfriend and I spent a few days hiking on Hadrians Wall.(Near Steel Rigg.) It was beautiful but be prepared to get ‘four seasons in a day’ weather wise!