I flipped the calendar page to Mount Etna this morning, thinking it was an Italian site that I had already been to see. Instead, I had it confused with Mount Vesuvius that had reeked volcanic havoc on Pompeii and Herculaneum. Mount Etna is actually on the island of Sicily, so it was not a destination that I could claim, just like a majority of the other 1000 Places To See Before You Die sites. Every day that I turn over on this calendar is a a reminder of how little I’ve seen in the world. I haven’t even yet been to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Other missing locations this week include Beqa Island, Fiji; Lijiang, China; The Gobi Desert; or Costa Rica. What have I been doing these past 67 years and how many more do I have left to see these “must see” travel meccas?

Over these next few weeks, we’ll be exploring the wide expanse between Seattle and Bangkok. We’ll make short stops in San Francisco, Tokyo, and Seoul as we “hop” across the earth from our home base of Portland. We’ll skip over the Pacific and then follow the coastlines of China and Viet Nam. In the process, as “Globe Hoppers,” we’ll only be able to claim the air space. After we explore Bangkok for a couple days, we’ll “hop” over Thailand to Phuket, about 500 miles south. There will be a lot to see in a very short period of time.

As we continue to make travel plans for the year, there will always be hassles to overcome. Yesterday, for example, I booked a hotel room in Rochester, New York rather than Rochester, Indiana. Even though I spotted the mistake 15 minutes later, it is non-cancellable, so I will have to stop the credit card charge through my bank. It’s hard to believe that there are on-line agents that won’t cooperate in a situation like this. At least, most airlines give you 24-hours to correct your mistakes. It’s the second travel booking error I’ve made in the last week and both occurred on my phone. I like the convenience, but when it turns into hassles, it’s time to reevaluate my methods. It’s very frustrating!

We’ll board the train to Seattle in a couple of days and spend two nights. It’s a very convenient way to get to downtown and the ballpark. We’ll meet eight of our friends, with three college baseball games and a group dinner on the agenda. I don’t think any of our wives are excited with these plans so there will be shopping deviations. The weather will also be chilly with snow in the forecast. The Phuket beach is sounding better and better, but there’s not enough money in our retirement accounts to spend every getaway in an exotic location or “hopping the globe.”