A Major Change in Plans
"Nothing endures but change" -- Heraclitus (535-475 BC)
A long time ago we got our first urge to think outside the box regarding citizenship. Were we not all citizens of the world? Alas, governments do not think this way. But that didn't stop us from dreaming of Belize. (follow that link for the sordid details) Now Belize is just one of many ports of call on our itinerary. Our plans have shifted back and forth over the years until we finally got sufficiently dissatisfied with our situation to get serious and do whatever it took to make our crazy plan work.
Initially (a few years ago) we wanted to head straight for Argentina. Our most recent plans started with a few years of RV travel right here in the good old U S of A. Now we have settled on a hybrid plan of sorts. We will still start with some travel here in the States but we've dropped the RV plans. We will have to sell the truck and the extra golf cart batteries, but at least we hadn't bought the trailer yet! We'll still sell my little Kia Rio5 hatchback and keep the good old Hyundai Sonata. Leather seats, after all. It should hold all of our clothes and camping gear and allow us quick set up and teardown at camp sites. We've car-camped for years so this won't be so new. No need to learn about propane systems and solar systems and water systems. No need to worry about refrigerator fires. Just throw up the tent and the cot and we're done!
As soon as we discussed this idea of not doing the RV thing I just felt this weight lift off of my shoulders! It felt right for many reasons. First, we had been struggling with the idea of leaving the country. So many places to see that are NOT America. We were beginning to worry we might never leave. The RV was an anchor in a sense, and now we've jettisoned it. Second, the truck and trailer were significant expenses, and not the kind that appreciate in value. The car we already own and it's been paid off for years now. It seemed a very frugal thing to do. Third, we've become quite concerned about health costs and insurance. I'll probably address this in more detail in a future post but we can't afford to get sick here. Strangely enough this problem all but vanishes in most other countries. This was a big motivation in accelerating our plans.
So we are going to do a bit of a whirlwind trip to start things off. Family in Iowa and Ohio, with stops along the way where the ancestors lie. More family in Michigan. Then a summer trip to Wyoming, hopefully Yellowstone if it isn't packed with tourists. Finally up to Washington to see friends near Seattle. After that plans are much less specific. We will probably meander south, check out some Redwood trees, maybe sights in Utah and Arizona (meteor crater). Anasazi ruins in New Mexico. And then probably back to Texas for a last visit and to sell the rest of our extra stuff, including the car.
By winter we hope to be in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Belize, Mexico or someplace in that general vicinity. Visas generally last only 90 days so we'll have to keep moving around for awhile. But that is how we have it planned for now. Serendipity has already provided a friend of a friend who lives in Costa Rica, and we know some people who know some people that do eco-tourism work there. So that's the most likely point of entry, for now.
Stay tuned!