travel more

I just completed a ten day trip from New Jersey to Florida by bus and train.

I spent days in Virgina, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida!

It was beautiful and I had the most amazing time of my life!

More details to come….

I finally made it to Portland Maine!

I always wanted to go and finally I did it.

I didn’t take many photos there but I did take some from the plane.

This past weekend I took my first train trip to Washington DC/Virginia. I spent a night in a quiet country town and had a very good time and a restful sleep. I met a few people and enjoyed an excellent meal at a place called The Old Hickory Grill.

I really miss the country where people aren’t afraid to be courteous to one another. I love the Metro in Washington DC. It was confusing at first and I got lost but when I realize that technically it isn’t much different from a NYC MTA map I was able to get around like a resident.

I love the design of the Metro and the clean look and feel of it. There is limited advertising and no food allowed in the train stations and on trains. The seats were pretty comfortable too. The funny thing is that people actually stand back and allow people to exit the train when before entering.

Coming back to New York even after an overnight trip made me realize how impatient some people in the big city can be, including myself. I am so use to moving and doing 100 things while walking down the street. This didn’t work out there. Upon arrival I had to actually sit down for a few minutes to collect my thoughts. Doing this one thing made my trip and day run smoothly.

The more I get away the more I want to travel. I enjoyed watching the sunset from a hill top in the country. I enjoyed the colors of the sky you miss when there are buildings in the way. I miss the sounds of birds and crickets in the morning when you step out your door.

It felt good to be home even if it was just for a moment.

I went to Florida and visited my dad for the first time. I also rode on an airplane for the first time in my life.

Both experiences were wonderful and I plan on doing it again this year.

I can’t believe I waited so long to soar in the air.

I love the the sun set

Yesterday I went to Yardley, PA to do a wedding gig.

I rode the NJ Transit to Trenton, NJ. The ride was peaceful and I felt like I was traveling to a far away place. I was able to ride, read and eat in peace.

I watched towns like Edison, Elizabeth and Linden pass by.

This was a pleasant experience that I hope to have again soon.

I joined several hotel and airline frequent flyer/ stay clubs. I also joined Amtrak and updated my Greyhound card.

There are many ways for me to earn miles with my daily purchases and some even give you points for joining.

I set up an online account to build travel money this year. I have $25-$50 transfered to this account monthly.

I have three weeks of vacation to use this year plus personal and regular holidays.

My dad is having surgery in the next two weeks in Florida.

He doesn’t have anyone to be there for him. I am going to try and get a ticket to take care of him for a few days. I know it’s a one day type of surgery but I feel I need to be there.

This will be my first time on a plane. I am scared but I have to go. It’s a 3hr plane ride or a 10 hr bus trip.

I am a country girl at heart. I grew up in Virginia and this weekend went there to visit my grandpa for his birthday.

I had an excellent time and I was able to see parts of his town I hadn’t seen before. A lot has changed but the good parts still remained the same.

I realize that I really love to travel. During my bus ride I met a woman who told me about her travels west. She said every woman needs to take a journey alone just because she can. She needs to have courage to travel along, trust in her own instincts and faith in experiencing new things.

I did this trip by myself and I had a good time. I ate at my first Southern diner. Since I have lap band surgery I could only eat eggs, a spoon full of grits and a slice of tomato. It was the best breakfast I had in a while. The people were so friendly it made me never want to return to the city.

I realize how simple some people live their lives. How saying hello and good morning to a people along your path is not a crazy thing.

Sitting in my seat on the bus I had people from over the country in one 52 passenger bus. Different cultures, different languages, different stories all doing the same thing: moving forward to a new destination.

I use to be scared to travel places along but as I grow older I find freedom in it.