Papa and Nana On the Go   GRANDPARENT RAMBLINGS – AS FAR AS THE MONEY WILL TAKE US

Papa: As a kid I use to plan trips. To everywhere. I would buy books and maps about places all over the world. Mostly Europe. Spent a lot of money that way. I was a kid. Not many of those panned out later but some finally came true. It was so much fun imagining what a place would be like. Maybe had a few pictures in books but mostly it was ll in my head. My edition of World Book Encyclopedia (how much did my parents spent on that? But I thank them!) helped.
The danger to me today it that by the time you actually travel somewhere you now may have seen hundreds of pictures, videos, web sites with ratings, Google Earth, street views…I think you risk a sense of having deja vu when you actually get there. Maybe some of the fun is gone because of this. I think it is important not to over plan the time. Must leave some opportunities for serendipitous experiences. Sometimes put down the guides, electronic or otherwise, even the camera, and just be there.