Soooo.....last year on New Year's Eve, I was in New York City (unintentionally... thanks to the UK Border people not letting me into the country and sending me home)!! I think after my ordeal, I was in bed and sound asleep by 7:00, so I certainly didn't make it to Time's Square to see the ball drop!! I'm trusting that this New Year's Eve will (hopefully) be much more fun and less exhausting than last year!
2016 certainly came in with an unexpected BANG and change in plans, but it's been an interesting one for sure!! I still have no specific answer as to WHY I was detained and shipped home last year, but I have a general "sense" and reassurance that there was a reason my plans were changed so abruptly last year!! AND....I've not let it stop me from making plans for another trip....SOON!!
Thanksgiving week, I "just happened upon" (Divinely Inspired perhaps?!?!) a "glitch" (or a VERY short 5-hour fare war) and found a flight to Venice for a mere $400 and some change (1/3 of what it is usually)!!! When I first found the lower fares, they were all over Europe. But as I pondered my options (looking for places to house-sit, trying to wrap my mind around if I REALLY wanted to try this again, etc.), the fares kept disappearing! I decided to use that as an "internal guidance system" through which God/the Universe might guide me to where I am meant to go!! And that's how I ended up flying into Venice!! (Plus....it just sounds cool!) AND.... they have ferries from Venice to Croatia which has been on my radar since last year (when I chose the "safe option" of house-sitting in England versus checking out Croatia which sounded more unusual but didn't provide a guaranteed place to land). Interestingly, it was a house-sitting possibility in Croatia that led me to look at fares at just the right time to book my ticket for this amazing price!! Hmmmm..... interesting, yes?!?!?!
As I "sat with" possible house-sits, etc., something became very clear....on this trip I want to interact more with people and see more places than last year!! So I've explored a number of possibilities and decided to stay/live with 2 different families in Italy!! The first family is in Genoa (on the Ligurian Sea near the French Riveria). They have 2 girls (age 14 and 11) that I will be hanging out with a few hours a day....just helping them practice their English!! In return, I get room & board, a local family to show me the sights, hang out with, become friends with, etc!!
The second family is in Fano (on the Eastern side of Italy....on the Adriatic Sea, across from Croatia)!! They have 2 little girls (ages 1 and 3), and I'll do a bit of babysitting, some dishes (after they cook me amazing Italian meals!!), and get to know the local culture from the inside-out)!! I will be with them about 6-7 weeks (if all goes as planned) since the mom wanted someone there as long as possible to bond with the little girls!!
I have Skyped with them a couple times and felt a "simpatico" connection the minute the mom wrote me and said..."your profile is very interesting and I like also your picture, smiling people are the best!! :)" And later when I mentioned I love to travel, she said..."if you will be with us, the best wish I have now is to go somewhere all together and to show you the wonderful places that there are in this area...like Assisi (where St.Francesco was born), or "grotte di Frasassi" (amazing huge caves!) and many others! I like traveling so much! Now I'm a mum and my job is to look after my angels, but...if I've got a helper, I can spend every single day off traveling!!" This is my kind of friend!!
I'm sure both of these experiences will bring me many joys AND challenges, but I'm getting very excited for my new adventure!! (By the way, this is through www.Workaway.info for anyone who wants to check it out!!)
So that brings me to the end of my (almost) 90-day tourist visa in the Schengen Area. (In the past, I would've been able to stay in EACH country for 90 days, but awhile back they became one country for visas....basically....so I can only stay 90 days on a tourist visa in all the western European countries that are part of the Schenhen agreement!! (Here is a link to make more sense of this....https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area)
Soooo....since my ticket is booked for 5 months and I can only stay 3 months in Italy, etc., I'll be heading to Eastern Europe for the last 2 months of my trip!! I'll start with a ferry from Italy to Croatia (ferry departs not far from Fano.....nice "coincidence" huh?).....then I'm not sure where I'll go after Croatia!! Maybe Serbia? Bulgaria? Bosnia? (all countries not part of the Schengen agreement). These all sound like strange, exotic, wonderful possibilities to me, and I'm trusting my path will unfold as I get closer to my time in those countries!!
There are plenty of Workaway opportunities in these countries, a few house-sitting possibilities, and a number of possible 2-night stays through SERVAS (a world-wide organization started in 1949 with the intention of creating peace through one-on-one interaction....hosting travelers in peoples' homes)!! (Here is their link.... http://www.servas.org/who-we-are.php)
I have no clue what might happen to my (sort of) well-laid plans for the next 5 months, but I am open to all possibilities!! I am doing my best to "hold loosely" the experiences, outcomes and interactions....trusting I will learn, grow and expand in love through whatever experiences come my way (but hoping no more "UK Border type" experiences are included)!! I read a quote a few years ago that resonated deeply with me (although I can't seem to find it now)! It basically said..."I didn't know exactly where I would travel to or who I would meet along the way, but I knew it would be a heart-opening, growth-filled experience if I followed the guidance of Spirit and trusted the wisdom of The Journey....I only had to take the first step!!"
So as I'm preparing for my journey to begin in 10 days (although really, it is just the next step in the longer Journey I've been on for years), I am also thinking about the upcoming year of 2017 and what it might bring!! I covet your prayers, good intentions and love/support as I begin the next leg of my journey!! I will do my best to keep you updated through Facebook and my travel blog (http://travelingwithjudi.blogspot.com), but emails and Messenger will be the only way reach me since I won't have a phone or texting available!!
Happy New Year everybody and wishing you many, MANY Blessings, Joy and Peace in the upcoming year!! Let's make 2017 a special year filled with LOVE, heart-opening experiences, and FUN!!
2016 certainly came in with an unexpected BANG and change in plans, but it's been an interesting one for sure!! I still have no specific answer as to WHY I was detained and shipped home last year, but I have a general "sense" and reassurance that there was a reason my plans were changed so abruptly last year!! AND....I've not let it stop me from making plans for another trip....SOON!!
Thanksgiving week, I "just happened upon" (Divinely Inspired perhaps?!?!) a "glitch" (or a VERY short 5-hour fare war) and found a flight to Venice for a mere $400 and some change (1/3 of what it is usually)!!! When I first found the lower fares, they were all over Europe. But as I pondered my options (looking for places to house-sit, trying to wrap my mind around if I REALLY wanted to try this again, etc.), the fares kept disappearing! I decided to use that as an "internal guidance system" through which God/the Universe might guide me to where I am meant to go!! And that's how I ended up flying into Venice!! (Plus....it just sounds cool!) AND.... they have ferries from Venice to Croatia which has been on my radar since last year (when I chose the "safe option" of house-sitting in England versus checking out Croatia which sounded more unusual but didn't provide a guaranteed place to land). Interestingly, it was a house-sitting possibility in Croatia that led me to look at fares at just the right time to book my ticket for this amazing price!! Hmmmm..... interesting, yes?!?!?!
As I "sat with" possible house-sits, etc., something became very clear....on this trip I want to interact more with people and see more places than last year!! So I've explored a number of possibilities and decided to stay/live with 2 different families in Italy!! The first family is in Genoa (on the Ligurian Sea near the French Riveria). They have 2 girls (age 14 and 11) that I will be hanging out with a few hours a day....just helping them practice their English!! In return, I get room & board, a local family to show me the sights, hang out with, become friends with, etc!!
The second family is in Fano (on the Eastern side of Italy....on the Adriatic Sea, across from Croatia)!! They have 2 little girls (ages 1 and 3), and I'll do a bit of babysitting, some dishes (after they cook me amazing Italian meals!!), and get to know the local culture from the inside-out)!! I will be with them about 6-7 weeks (if all goes as planned) since the mom wanted someone there as long as possible to bond with the little girls!!
I have Skyped with them a couple times and felt a "simpatico" connection the minute the mom wrote me and said..."your profile is very interesting and I like also your picture, smiling people are the best!! :)" And later when I mentioned I love to travel, she said..."if you will be with us, the best wish I have now is to go somewhere all together and to show you the wonderful places that there are in this area...like Assisi (where St.Francesco was born), or "grotte di Frasassi" (amazing huge caves!) and many others! I like traveling so much! Now I'm a mum and my job is to look after my angels, but...if I've got a helper, I can spend every single day off traveling!!" This is my kind of friend!!
I'm sure both of these experiences will bring me many joys AND challenges, but I'm getting very excited for my new adventure!! (By the way, this is through www.Workaway.info for anyone who wants to check it out!!)
So that brings me to the end of my (almost) 90-day tourist visa in the Schengen Area. (In the past, I would've been able to stay in EACH country for 90 days, but awhile back they became one country for visas....basically....so I can only stay 90 days on a tourist visa in all the western European countries that are part of the Schenhen agreement!! (Here is a link to make more sense of this....https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area)
Soooo....since my ticket is booked for 5 months and I can only stay 3 months in Italy, etc., I'll be heading to Eastern Europe for the last 2 months of my trip!! I'll start with a ferry from Italy to Croatia (ferry departs not far from Fano.....nice "coincidence" huh?).....then I'm not sure where I'll go after Croatia!! Maybe Serbia? Bulgaria? Bosnia? (all countries not part of the Schengen agreement). These all sound like strange, exotic, wonderful possibilities to me, and I'm trusting my path will unfold as I get closer to my time in those countries!!
There are plenty of Workaway opportunities in these countries, a few house-sitting possibilities, and a number of possible 2-night stays through SERVAS (a world-wide organization started in 1949 with the intention of creating peace through one-on-one interaction....hosting travelers in peoples' homes)!! (Here is their link.... http://www.servas.org/who-we-are.php)
I have no clue what might happen to my (sort of) well-laid plans for the next 5 months, but I am open to all possibilities!! I am doing my best to "hold loosely" the experiences, outcomes and interactions....trusting I will learn, grow and expand in love through whatever experiences come my way (but hoping no more "UK Border type" experiences are included)!! I read a quote a few years ago that resonated deeply with me (although I can't seem to find it now)! It basically said..."I didn't know exactly where I would travel to or who I would meet along the way, but I knew it would be a heart-opening, growth-filled experience if I followed the guidance of Spirit and trusted the wisdom of The Journey....I only had to take the first step!!"
So as I'm preparing for my journey to begin in 10 days (although really, it is just the next step in the longer Journey I've been on for years), I am also thinking about the upcoming year of 2017 and what it might bring!! I covet your prayers, good intentions and love/support as I begin the next leg of my journey!! I will do my best to keep you updated through Facebook and my travel blog (http://travelingwithjudi.blogspot.com), but emails and Messenger will be the only way reach me since I won't have a phone or texting available!!
Happy New Year everybody and wishing you many, MANY Blessings, Joy and Peace in the upcoming year!! Let's make 2017 a special year filled with LOVE, heart-opening experiences, and FUN!!
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