I've wanted to go to New Zealand since my mom traveled solo there in the 80's. Yep, the travel bug is inherited and I hope it's contagious, too. By writing this blog, I'd like to inspire others to travel our planet and experience the joys of having adventures and making friends all over the world. Finding inexpensive ways to travel to faraway places has been my biggest hurdle since retiring in 2006. You've seen the ballcaps that say something like, " Retired - All the time in the world and no money to see it" ? Well, I have found some cheap ways to travel!: working and volunteering at Y conference centers in NC and CO; volunteering with http://www.i-to-i.com/ to live and work in the Galapagos Islands; traveling in Israel and volunteering at the West Jerusalem Y as the Blue Ridge Assembly Y ambassador; joining the over 50 crowd at http://www.evergreenclub.com/ to stay at members' homes while traveling; having the winning bids on http://www.skyauction.com/ to go on safari to Africa and an eco-tour of Costa Rica. This trip, I'm getting to be a Kiwi (New Zealander) and a sheila (gal) in Oz (Australia) because of a wonderful cultural exchange club, http://www.friendshipforce.org/.
Friendship force was started in the 70's, was promoted by President Carter and has been growing ever since. Clubs from all around the world contact each other to set up an exchange. Visiting clubs stay in the exchange club members' homes, which not only saves money, but gives the visitors a personal view of life and opens doors to making new friends in that country. A few months ago, I went on the FF website and saw that the northern Illinois club was planning a trip to NZ and Oz. I
e-mailed the leaders, paid my deposit and now I'M GOING!!!
The flight leaves Chicago on October 24 and the club will have exchanges in Thames, Rotorua (both in NZ) and the Blue Mountains (Oz). The exchanges will be finished on November 18, but I have decided to tramp around (get your mind out of the gutter - that's Kiwi for hiking!) NZ for another few weeks on my own, so I'll be returning to the states December 16. Wherever I have traveled, my goals have always been to make friends and to give back, so friendship force is a perfect fit for me! I hope that you enjoy my blogs about this trip, but I wish even more that you find some time - and a little money! - to adventure around this earth, too! God bless the people of EVERY nation.
