Wednesday, May 4, 2016

When one door closes...

... another opens, or so they say.  Last night a door that I thought was closed years ago suddenly showed a crack of light around it.

I left work early yesterday; for some reason, I'd been tired and groggy all day, and I was starting to make so many mistakes that I was afraid to trust myself any longer with someone's financial aid.  I went home and curled up on the loveseat in the living room to wait for dinner.  I wasn't asleep, just dozing, with absolutely nothing in my head (other than the squeaky-floored basketball game Martin was watching), when all of a sudden a VERY clear voice in my head said:  "You can go to Egypt and Crete."  HUH?????  Ooooh, wait, I can...

After my mom's bills and burial arrangements were all paid, I inherited the remainder of her pension fund.  Because I "inherited" it, I can't keep it or add money to it, but I can take money out of it whenever I want to.  I'm already using use some of it to pay for my museum certificate program; then I figured I would get a retirement account to put the rest into.  However, now I'm thinking that maybe I should use some of it to go to Egypt and/or Crete.  I honestly never thought I'd ever have the money, and neither trip is cheap.  But why not go?  I'll probably never have another chance, at least not until I'm too old to really enjoy it!

So now I am getting started.  I got out my expired passport and will be renewing it shortly.  And I have already chosen the tour agency through which I will be making my arrangements, Ancient World Tours (AWT), based in London.  They have many different tours to Egypt, and recently added one to Crete!  I "met" the owner, Peter Allingham, through an online group we were both in, and he was kind enough to allow me to quote him in my master's thesis.  Of course, that was back in 2006, but I'm sure he'll remember me... NOT!  ;-)

I shall now go and check on my "suitable for Egypt" gothic wardrobe.  Stay tuned for updates!

10 comments:

  1. Oh cool! Have fun in Egypt. I cant wait to read updates

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    1. Neither can I, hehe! Thanks, I'm so excited!!

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  2. That's very interesting Lucretia! Still, I'd advise you to be careful if you follow through on this. I've heard repeatedly from various sources that Egypt isn't very safe anymore.

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    1. Oh, I agree, travel in Egypt is still rather "iffy" these days, and I appreciate your suggestion no end. But AWT has a really good reputation, and they keep up to date on what's safe and what isn't. I've gotten their newsletters for years now, and they are very good about keeping their customers and potential customers informed on those issues.

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  3. It is wonderful that this financeleft to you by your mother could make your travel dreams come true! I am excited to hear more!

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    1. Thanks! It's rather ironic, really, as my mom HATED traveling, and I think she only left California once or twice in her whole life.

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  4. Wow! Get yourself there lass, and follow your heart. Sounds brilliant.

    (Though I second the be careful comment; it's a little volatile over there at the mo).

    I was planning to go to Italy but have decided to get a dog instead!

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    1. Okay, you HAVE to explain how you went from going to Italy to getting a dog!!!

      And I agree, caution is indeed the better part of valor. I'm thinking that Crete might be the first trip, while keeping an eye on the Egypt situation. But that IS my first love, so it's hard to pass that one by.

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    2. Totally get that - seeing the pyramids and tombs would be amazing. I visited the Greek mainland a few years ago and the ancient royal tombs at Vergina, as well as Mount Olympus and the valley / temples of the gods (I may have a chunk of Olympus in my study *cough*). It was totally awe inspiring, not on an Egyptian scale but maybe worth considering if you head to Europe / Greece.

      The Temple of Isis is in ruins, but it was so pretty - the foundations have been flooded by a small stream and there were fish swimming in it. Would have been perfect if we could have got rid of the rest of the visitors!!!

      When we lost Sally in December we decided to take a year's break from dog ownership. But I'm climbing up the walls with loneliness, and working from home is making me nuts. There are pros and cons to rehoming another dog - but I think it will happen soon. So Italy will have to wait - again!

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    3. Better a chunk of Olympus than a chunk of Pele's volcano! I hear she does really nasty things to people who take without asking her personally...

      I do understand about the dog now; I know I'd go nucking futz if I didn't have at least two cats around! You're right, Italy is just not in the same ballpark.

      I've wanted to go to Egypt since I was in the fourth grade (over 40 years), but Crete has been calling to me for many years as well, and I have this theory about Crete being the place the original Egyptians came from. I can't prove it, of course, but going to both places would be... perfect.

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