What is on your bucket list?

I was recently horrified to learn that only 20% of Americans have a passport and out of those people the percentage who take their valuable and rare vacation days to clean their garage, mow their lawns or just repair stuff around their house is staggeringly high. 

What kind of house project could have kept me from this: 

(Giza Plateau, Egypt 1997)

or this: 

(my baby's first vacation - Cancun, Mexico 2007)

or this:

(Florence, Italy - tower across the Duomo 2001)

or this:

(Chichen Itza, Mexico 2004)

There are so very many more and I am not even at the tip of my bucket list. 

It is true that the only product you buy that makes you richer is travel. And because picture is worth 1000 words here is a few more:

(this is when I was 5 months pregnant way over 200 lbs - 100kg giving water to hotel cats and dogs, Bora Bora 2006)

Both my husband and I work long hours. Especially when our child was a little baby sometimes he didn’t even see her for 5 days at the time. We swore that no matter what, we will take 2 vacations with our baby every year, because those memories are priceless. Do you think she can remember that many times her father wasn't there to tuck her in or give her a goodnight kiss? I guarantee you she will remember when we took her to Mexico, Fiji, Turkey, Aruba, Honduras, Belize, Europe...

(my little girl when she was 2, Fiji)

(my little girl's first cruise)

(my little girl's first night swim and her first braided hair, Roatan Honduras)

I’m looking forward to many many more trips to come, and many times when I arrange travel for people and I use the words: “Yes, we will take this flight, this cruise...” people tend to get confused. They say: “You are not really coming with us, are you?” and I always say “Yes, I am! But only in spirit.”I take it personally that I am involved in some of the most memorable experiences in their lives.

So think of that will you remember on your deathbed: the garage that is super organized or the fabulous time you had with your loved ones, especially the little ones before they grew up and had a choice not to vacation with you?

Happy Travels!