Day after tomorrow we are off! Our advanced planning.

 

Hello again.

So, we are now just 48 hours from leaving.  WOOOO HOOOO!  The excitement is building.

Little note about who is authoring this thing.  While both Anita and I will decide what goes into the Blog each day.  For the most part I (Jim) will be typing it up and updating this thing.  Two reasons:

First, Anita teaches computers everyday of her life in her job and has very little interest in doing a Blog (on a computer) during her time off.

Second, as anyone who has known me more than a couple of hours will attest, I am not the quieter one of A & J Wood.  Not by a long shot.  

For those of you who do not know, the legend of the Blarney Stone in Ireland is that if you kiss it, (while hanging upside down 100' above the ground) you will be endowed with what the Irish call the "Gift of Gab" or Blarney, as it is known. 

I give you that bit of information because, again as anyone who has known me more than an hour will attest, I need not stop at Blarney Castle to kiss the stone.  As a matter of fact, I have been requested strongly by several of my oldest and closest friends (and family) not to kiss the stone.  Apparently, they all believe I was divinely endowed with that Gift of Gab a birth and need not stoke that fire further.

So, as you read these updates, just assume it is Jim doing the writing.  If Anita jumps in, we will preface her writing with a note saying it is her.

BUDGET (as promised)

We developed a budget, during the Winter of 2021-2022. Basically over Christmas break. This was as we were all heading for what we hoped was the light at the end of the COVID tunnel.  And also it was before psychopath Putin started the Ukranian crisis.  A few adjustments have been recently to try and account for the current financial situation us, and a lot of the world, is experiencing now.

The bottom line is that our goal was a $10,000 limit on the adventure.  It took us 5 years to save that amount.  I think if it were not for the current financial situation caused by the combination of COVID and the Ukranian crisis we could have made our budget.  But as it is, I think we are going to go over by 10 -12 %

Please do not get me wrong, I am not in any way whining or complaining about the price everything.  Because of COVID and the Ukranian crisis there are many thousands of people in the world with far more serious issues than possibly breaking a vacation budget.  These people deserve our compassion and our prayers.  Do not take this budget thing as heartless rant about prices.  As I said yesterday, the only reason I am putting the budget forward is that it may help others that may be planning a similar trip.

It might be a little hard to see.  The first few columns consist of the day, flights, the rental car, and some preparatory clothes, shoes, etc. (we each bought a mid-grade pair of light hiking shoes, rain gear, some light Kakis.  Also got a new backpack and cross shoulder bag, or purse)

Then we get into the meat of the sheet.  I calc'd the rental car gas costs based on miles driven on each leg of the trip, 35 MPG and gas @ $6 per gallon.  Next is the B & B or Hotel costs.  Then meals.  I figured any morning we ate breakfast we would just have a light lunch or some snacks to get through to dinner (Supper). 

Next is the cost of the attractions or touristy things we may do.  And finally, I put some money in each day for misc. and souvenirs.  Which is a polite way of creating a pool of money for nighttime pub visits. 

So, we will see how close we end up.

Tomorrow - day before.  I will tell you our thinking on why we decided on a self guided vacation and show you our planned route of travel.  

Have a great day.

Anita and Jim