Earlier this week Judy received her date for her Australian Citizenship swearing in ceremony. This is the next stop in making her officially an Australian citizen after a four-year process that included a myriad of forms, affidavits, letters and tests.
As an American it’s been difficult for her to stand by and watch what is happening in her homeland, but I’m eternally grateful that she’s here in Australia during this turbulent time. Her family lives primarily in the United States with a smattering of relatives in the UK, France, Spain and of course the Caribbean.
Now that she’ll be able to get her Australian passport, we’ll also be able to travel internationally once again. It was difficult during the citizenship process because there are strict guidelines as to when and if she was able to leave the country.
Clearly the challenge is that she hasn’t been able to visit her mum and dad or close family in New York… This has been difficult particularly when health concerns are raised.
So, our plan is to go see them but not in the United States.
We’re planning on meeting them in the Dominican Republic as neither of us wish to visit the US at the moment, the question is finding the right airline and flights that will by-pass the US while still allowing us to not spend days and days travelling.
The next stop is to complete the research for a potential departure in the late part of October or early November. So far, there are a number of possible routes into the Dominican Republic.
The most likely route for us is to fly from Brisbane, via Hong Kong to Toronto then booking another flight from there onto Puerto Plata. Although there are a couple of other options, which ultimately will depend on timing and price.
Another route is via Sydney to Santiago (Chile) before taking either a COPA or LATAM flight via Panama onto Puerto Plata which could be interesting.
Still another would see us leave from Brisbane, via Hong Kong to Frankfurt or Madrid before taking either a Lufthansa or Iberian flight direct to Puerto Plata, although is route is about ten hours longer as there are stopovers in both Hong Kong and at either of the two European stopover cities.
Once we’re in the Caribbean we also want to fly over to St Lucia where Judy’s father is from. Neither of us have been there before so that could be a fun side trip while we’re in the region.
Our timing is not ideal as October and November are toward the end of the hurricane season, so hoping that it’ll be a quiet season.
Overall, our plan is to be away 3-4 weeks.
Not surprisingly, after not being able to travel internationally for a couple of years we have another much longer trip in mind for the March 2027 timeframe that will see us in Europe for an extended period (3 months).
Our broad-based plan is to visit family in the UK (Sam) plus Judy’s cousins in London, before spending time in Paris and Valencia (Spain) to visit relatives.
The final part of our European adventure is to find a village somewhere in Italy for 8-10 weeks and go local. This will enable us to spend time absorbing the lifestyle and culture and all that comes from living a simpler life.
The greatest challenge (albeit first-world problem) is choosing the location for our extended stay. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years in and around the lake’s region of Northern Italy (Lake Como, Lake Varesse, and Lake Maggiore) but given the time of year we’ll most likely end up in either Puglia, Sicily or Sardinia.
The April – May timeframe is spring, so the weather won’t be very warm and so the further south we go the better chance we have of getting some sunny days. However, given the time of year we also expect some rainy days. Our preference would be to find a place close to the ocean to ensure that the climate is relatively temperate and consistent.
Day trips or short trips will be the focus as we explore whatever region we finally choose, whilst allowing ourselves to immerse and find the rhythm of the village or town that we are staying in.
As you know, no two places are the same so it will be interesting to ensure that wherever we choose has access to public transport – either buses or trains to allow us to adventure further afield when the mood strikes us.
For me travel is the elixir of life, and I can think of no better thing to do than to travel and explore and let the adventures unfold as they often do in the passing of each day.
We have an exciting year ahead and we’re both looking forward to our travel adventures, discovering new places and enjoying new experiences together. Shared experiences are best!
Until next week.
Ciao!