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I would like to go to a mountain retreat. ALONE. Eat and sleep as needed, on nobody's clock. No phone, no TV, just good music, my Bible and some books.
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My husband and I uprooted and moved in with my Dad about 6 months ago, so my dad could stay in the area he wanted. I am his 24-hour caregiver, he has dementia. I am fortunate that my sister is able to come about once a quarter and give me a break. Next month, I am going to Florida, ALONE! My husband doesn’t have vacation time yet at his new job but he urged me to get away. Can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to some time at my Happy Place.

I am (was) an OT and countless times I counseled caregivers to make sure to take care of themselves, as I would have the caregivers as patients in rehab, worn down and sick from the stress of caregiving. Now I’m taking my own advice.
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I'm not mired in the day to day of caregiving like some are here.

But a quiet little mountain house .. on the side of a winding long road through the woods. That sounds wonderful to me. If I could live in that kind of setting, it just seems like it would be a peaceful oasis from the stress of the world.
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pamzimmrrt - I so get the desire to have a B&B in a odd - for lack of a better word - location.

I dream of having a little place on either Greek Island of Mykonos or Santorini - on a beach side hill. Those are the all white, seaside villages one sees in the Greek travel ads.

For four years I had a Greek boyfriend/fiancé and immersed myself in all things Greek. Even a long vacation there. I love the food - even learned to be quite the Greek cook! So yes - my own little place. The only problem is - I hate the heat! Anything over 80 degrees is uncomfortable- over 90 and I turn into a raging lunatic!

Still... one can dream.
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I have loved reading each and every answer here. I dream of going to Hawaii with my husband and seeing the volcano on the big island. But let's face it....right now even an Oklahoma State Park would be wonderful! This is a lovely thread Sue.
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A lovely fully tricked out Travel trailer in NH,, or any place in the woods or near water.. with internet of course!! Or a similar cabin!  In fact I dream of opening a BNB in new England,, which is pretty funny since I HATE snow..  but I love the idea of being snowed in for a few days with a nice fireplace and lots of books
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to bed
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I would move back up north. New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, anywhere in the northeast. Probably following a job. I'd like to do that right now, honestly. I hate Florida. The heat and humidity make me avoid the outdoors and I'm really an outdoorsy sort of person. I love the seasons. Even snow. I'd probably move back to western New York state if I could find a job there. Or the Lehigh valley area in Pennsylvania. Beautiful, cool places!
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Yes GA, I have read the book ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE once in my twenties and again a few years ago. It's a classic travelogue with mechanical tips and philosophy.  Odd combination but he made it come together well. It's one of the best books that captures the experience of traveling by motorcycle.
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I did something a little outrageous recently. It's not often that I go outside the box, since caregiving, but, I recently stood in line to get FRONT row tickets to see my favorite performer! I'm so psyched! That will be my excursion, if not for only one night. It's not until Feb. 2018 though. Lots of time to anticipate!
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Windy, have you ever read Robert Persig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? It's really not about either; it's about a self discovery trip on a motorcycle across the US.

FF, your genealogy trip is quite interesting, and can be done from the comfort of home, especially in the winter, with a mug of hot chocolate on your desk!
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Since doing my family tree has become a part-time job for me, I have found there were certain parts of the U.S. where many had lived their whole life, of which I never had visited.

Same small cities/town keep popping up in my research, so now I am curious. I would like to walk those streets of downtown [if they still exist] where pass relatives [like great-great-great aunts and uncles] might have walked. With the internet I can sometimes find the street address, and what the house/apartment currently looks like [if the home wasn't torn down]. This is just on my Dad's side of the family as they came to the U.S. in the 1700's.
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I did motorcycling touring for many years but sold my last bike about 3 years ago. I know motorcycles are pretty stupid, especially for old guys, but I miss it.

I did some 5 day trips but I always wanted to spend a summer completely circling the US. But, by the time my caregiving is done I'll probably be riding a Geri scooter to the mailbox.
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I really enjoyed reading about all these places that you want to visit. Oh my, they sound wonderful.

As the sole responsible family member for my cousin, I really can't venture far from her MC facility. She's late stage now and you never know what will happen. I do sometimes think about my past trips to London, Paris, Mexico, but, I think that I will be able to travel more one day. London is a special city for me. In fact, I just adore England. If I can't make it there, then, I'll make do with visiting the lovely NC beaches in my own state.
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Knowing this time would come, hubby push me to visit most of the places I wanted to see and do what I had always dreamed of. I did! I took thousands of photos from 40 different countries in a 12 year period. My travel window did close. Hubby in at home hospice, and mom has issues too. So I know have all those photos to sort through, which is great. When my travel widow opens again, it will be a one week trip to Vegas or a cruise to anywhere. Bottom line a week of doing nothing for anyone. A week of pure me time to recharge the batteries.
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In a dream world in which I had enough money to go wherever I want, I'd go to Austria, probably Vienna, as well as Paris. and travel around to see all the marvelous chateaux, including Giverny and Chenonceau.

I'd also go to Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic to see the magnificent Art Nouveau works of art.

I'll just leave it at that for a while as I indulge in daydreams of waltzing in Vienna on New Years Eve. When I'm more down to earth, I'll think about where I'd really be able to go on a limited budget.
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I try to do some things now. I am a distance caregiver and 80 yrs old so if I don't do things now, I may never do them. I am not comfortable going out of the country much as I have POA duties, but I enjoy smaller trips within the country. One day I would like to go to Europe again - maybe a river cruise in Germany, a trip to Greece, revisiting Italy ... There is so much to see. I haven't been in a Museum or an art gallery for years. A concert under the stars would be great.
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My caregiving duties for my parents is over - but I still have my caregiving duties for my son. I hope to be able to care for Rainman for a long, long time - but I wouldn't say "no" to a long vacation.

I have always wanted to spend Christmas in Paris. I'm thinking a month from early December through New Years.

Failing that - Christmas at the Oregon Coast. A month renting a small cabin on the beach for me, hubby, Rainman and our three little dogs. This one may actually be do-able... some day.
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I am my husband’s caregiver. He is immobile, incontinent and even through many rehabs and tons of therapy, he has never made much effort to regain mobility. I don’t think I would want to “escape”. My wish would be to have my husband healthy or at least mobile again and then escape somewhere with him.
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Somewhere remote where there is no cellphone coverage and no internet so that my husband and I could unplug. I'd really love if it they didn't have telephones!!! I've always wanted to go to Iceland, camp under the Northern Lights, hike through the forest, take a sled ride, ride horses, sit in hot springs, eat delicious food, drink amazing libations, and meet new people who have interesting things to say.
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