Global Pursuit is a trivia game about geography from National Geographic, although I’ve never played. We have our own real life travel challenges that will never end until the end, and I’m not talking about when “The Fat Lady Sings.” It’s when the money or life clock runs out. In the meantime, we’re on the go, pursuing places like Granada, Brazil, St. Moritz, Dubai, and Wales. These were this week’s desirable destinations from the pages of the 1000 Places to See Before You Die calendar.

Although none of these “must-see” sights are yet on our radar, it’s been an active week of travel planning. I booked three flights and some related hotels for excursions to Chicago, Maui, and New York City. We’ve been to all three of these popular locations many times already, but once again business calls. My working wife simply allows me to tag along for the ride. There will be no bucket list write-offs or game pursuit achievements in conjunction with these plans, but all are still exciting adventures in the life of a retiree.

We’ll be away from home 25 of the next 75 nights. Catching up on the old Western movies will be soon replaced with the sights of Bangkok and coastal Thailand to start this road trip. It will be strictly vacation time for my wife before the three business trips soon follow. For me, they’re all just days away from my lazy homebody routine of reading, writing, collecting and TV. I feel as though I’ve earned this somewhat sedate stage of my life, but I do continue to run and exercise every morning like clockwork. My wife grows more and more envious, as she trudges off to the office, leaving the pets and I home alone to fend for ourselves.

The snow flurries have stopped, along with my recent chauffeur service on the icy, steep roads to her workplace. I spent three straight mornings on the treadmill, extending my running streak to 3,715 consecutive days. This keeps me from becoming too lazy and has been part of my daily routine for over ten years, spanning the transition from employment to retirement. There was a recent article about my efforts in the USRSA (United States Running Streak Association) newsletter, along with the hundreds of other stories about similar accomplishments and comparative lists of longevity. When we travel, I get to run in new places as part of my own game of Global Pursuit. Ten years of running every day has taken me at least 8,500 miles on foot, or a third of the way around the globe.

Last night, we went to see Come From Away, a Broadway Series musical about an airport in Newfoundland that was forced to handle incoming flights unable to land in the US because of 9-1-1. This reminded me of the potential hassles with travel and the possibility of getting stuck in a remote location. The local community came together and somehow supported the needs of all these stranded travelers for 5 days until the air space finally opened up. I’ve not been to Newfoundland and certainly wouldn’t want an unexpected extended stay. It’s all part of the game of Global Pursuit.