Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by circularlogic on August 15, 2009 at 9:12am

DO IT!!!! You'll never regret it.

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Permalink Reply by Virtuous*e* on August 15, 2009 at 10:05am

go for it girl!!!

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Permalink Reply by Tangled Macrame on August 15, 2009 at 1:05pm

You make a very convincing argument, Monsieur, considering your Devil's advocate sounds so much like one of my pragmatic inner voices. Your comment about your own world-tour being "was a wonderful experience, but my life would have been fine without it," really hit home, because that's kind of how I feel about this. I really want to go...who wouldn't...but I'm content with what I have going on here too. As far as "finding myself" I'm too much of an introvert to ever escape myself. I'm honestly more concerned about my ability to forget about the tour groups long enough to enjoy myself at Stonehenge, than my ability to evoke the whirling spirits of the past. Either way, thank you for your honest perspective.

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Permalink Reply by SaFire* on August 15, 2009 at 10:25am

Say YES to opportunity!

Traveling is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself. It can open up your mind and give you more perspective about the world.

Take TONS of pictures and keep a journal. I wish so many times now that I would have kept a journal when I travelled to Europe. Or take video and make vlogs to remember the trip by.

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Permalink Reply by Tangled Macrame on August 15, 2009 at 1:06pm

Once my husband and moved past the "you'll be leaving for HOW long" stage the 1st thing he suggested was buying a new camera.

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Permalink Reply by Stellar Sunshine* on August 15, 2009 at 12:32pm

Agree with every post here. Like Monsieur and yourself have pointed out, it IS a very big investment, If you and uyour husband have thought this out carefully and know that it may mean losing out on wants (led hoop) and not needs (rent, groceries, bills) then I say go for it! I know you'll miss your family terribly, especially the little ones, it could also be a great bonding experience for their dad and them. My mom stayed at home for most of my childhood, so I have very distinct memories of particular weekends where she went away and it was just my father and us girls. I know they will miss you too, but again, it will be a great way for them to make memories with their dad.

Also, traveling is something no one can take away from you. You buy a new led hoop... it can get broken. But no one can take away your memories in a foreign country.

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Permalink Reply by Lulu Hoop* of Spiraling Within* on August 15, 2009 at 5:45pm

DOOOOOOOOOO ITTTTTTTT !!!! :-D

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Permalink Reply by Mike {squid} on August 15, 2009 at 10:14pm

If you do go, you should be able to get out on solitary day trips ok. I mean, its England and Scotland. The accents may have you asking some to "say that again", but its still English after all. Two weeks goes pretty fast when you are running around all the time to see everything. Just watch out, because things are going to cost you a lot more over there, once you work out the conversion. I typed it in just now and $1 US = .60 GBP (British Pound). So, like if a beer costs you 5 GBP it ends up being around $8.26 US. You really need to calculate that in for your expense needs. (not necessarily beer, but at least food).

For myself, unlike Monsieur, I found that getting outside my bubble and seeing other countries had a MAJOR impact on who I am now and I can't imagine what my life would have been without it. Of course, my wife and I lived in Guatemala for 3 years and we got way beyond just the "tourist mode". It brought a lot of stuff in perspective, both in my personal attitude about other places and in how I relate to other State-siders now that I've been back for a few more years.

Two weeks might not really get you beyond just the tiniest taste of that kind of experience, but it doesn't mean its not worthwhile, but I don't know if its balanced out by the amount it costs to get there. You could always try countries closer to the Western Hemisphere, which you can get for a fraction of a UK/Scot trip.

Do me a favor: check out www.travelzoo.com and click on their vacation specials for Europe. There are all inclusive trips (hotels, transportation, flights) to places like Paris, Barcelona, Rome, etc for less than $1000. Heck, I found a 7 night trip to Ireland with hotels, flight, and a rental car. If you can leave from Boston it'll only cost $499. Makes me bummed that my teaching year just started up. But if you're just itching for the experience of seeing other places, I've found that school trips aren't really as cost efficient as you might think. Save that money whenever you can and still get yourself out there.

Oh and no matter where you go, and be sure to go to Home of Poi and find the proper section to let people know you are coming. HoP has a huge community in Europe and Im sure you could get in touch with some hoopers while you are over. I can't tell you how many spinners and hoopers live in England....just lots. EmeraldCircus.com is another place hooked in with English and Irish artists and object manipulators. That's how I found the weekly meet at the part, last time I was in Dublin.

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Permalink Reply by Tangled Macrame on August 16, 2009 at 12:34pm

Thank you for your insight...and for the links. One of the requirement to earn credit for the trip is to meet with a pre-established contact person. Meeting some European spinners would be fantastic!

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Permalink Reply by Alicia * of HomeSpun Hoops* on August 15, 2009 at 10:44pm

oh girl! you have to go. I took out more loans on top of the tons of student loans i already had to travel Europe for 5 months. And although I don't have a clue how I will ever pay it off, it is the last thing I would ever take back! I wouldn't. It was the best investment I've ever made. I mean, not really an investment, but life changing. Best thing I've ever done by far. and sooo educational!!! But I have to warn you, you might come back a different person, and with the 'travel bug'. And yes, journal often, keep those memories fresh!

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Permalink Reply by circularlogic on August 16, 2009 at 11:04am

I have a bit more time today & wanted to expand on my first response, especially after seeing M. aux E.P.'s cautions. I'm sure my answer sounded like a knee-jerk cheer but truly, it's much more than that.

First of all, I don't mean to belittle your concerns. Of course you must take the financial burden into consideration. And you don't really specify how much of a burden it would be. When you said it cost more than your car, I must confess I was thinking of my own (very cheap used) car, which may be a serious underestimate! And I'm generally averse to taking on loans as well, though I do think education & real travel (as opposed to the resort holiday kind of thing) is an expense that's usually well worth the investment. You & your husband will have to decide whether or not your finances can take the hit. I surely can't tell you that, & didn't mean to brush over it so glibly.

But from your post, I had the distinct impression that the money was not really the major impediment. It sounded to me like it was mainly concern about being away from your husband & children, & fear of being among strangers in a strange land, that was really holding you back.

I am a mother of 22-year-old twins, & when my kids were young, I had a chance to go to Europe (Vienna & Paris) for 10 days. It was truly a one-time chance because my mother had a transferable ticket she couldn't use due to a back injury. Nonetheless I felt terribly guilty & worried about leaving them & nervous about traveling alone. I'd never been away from them for longer than an overnight, & had never flown overseas by myself. I'm a somewhat shy & timid person by nature too, & I was afraid on many levels.

But honestly, it was one of the best things I ever did. My husband was supportive, other relatives helped with child care, & the boys got along just fine. Yes, they missed me & I missed them (I remember distinctly the pangs of guilt & longing I felt whenever I saw young children while I was there!) but I honestly believe it was good for all of us. It's actually reassuring (if honestly a bit humbling) to know that your kids can survive just fine without you, & it's reassuring for them too to know that mommy can go away for awhile & be trusted to come back full of wonderful stories & loving them more than ever.

I wouldn't go if my kids were still nursing, or sickly, or if I didn't trust the people who'd be caring for them to be diligent & reassuring (& well-loved by my kids), or maybe even if it would mean missing a birthday or other major child event. But you don't mention any worries about these things, so I assume they're not an issue. And it's not as if you are planning to flit around the world for a year leaving them to their own devices. That would be irresponsible indeed. But this is a very limited separation.

And the rewards of traveling are really hard to put a cost value on, but in my experience they have been far greater than any material possession. It's true as they say that "wherever you go, there you are" but that doesn't mean nothing changes inside when you are exposed to a new (old) world. As an artist I've found lasting inspiration & creative energy from my travels. The sense of history, time & space you gain from seeing these places firsthand is hard to fathom until you experience it. The community service projects you mention will probably add yet another element to your expanded world view.

Later over the years, I was able to travel with my sons, & that was a wonderful experience too. And last year when my sons had the opportunity to travel overseas by themselves, we helped them as much as we could financially, & they too found the experience life-changing. One of my sons was so enraptured by Spain that he is returning later this year to teach English in a small mountain village. (It's a government-subsidized program & he has been waiting tables all Summer to save up for the trip.)

You just can't predict what you will gain from the experience. It will probably be scary & difficult at times for you & your kids, you will all feel sad sometimes, & you will have to budget for it carefully. It will be exhausting, even though energizing, & a huge shake-up of your household routine. But you have to take risks sometimes to live a full life. This sounds like one of those times to me!

So, for what it's worth, that's my advice.

Best of luck with your decision, & if you do make the trip, by all means travel with open eyes, an open heart, a camera & a journal/sketchbook! And send postcards as well as e-mails & calls to your kids to let them know you're thinking of them.

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Permalink Reply by Tangled Macrame on August 16, 2009 at 12:36pm

Sorry, no. Overwhelmed, perhaps, but that's one of my base-line states of Being these days.

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