Well Marti - does not look like I am going anywhere either for awhile. Been here 5 years permanently and 2 houses, one in a pueblo and one in the city.
After 4.5 years on the run I will be content to stay put for awhile. That is unless I get kicked out
of Bahrain for failing to get all the necessary documentation so I can become a resident. It's complicated...
But seriously; I like it here and besides I now am responsible for getting my housekeeper home for Christmas. It's complicated but a key words is: visa. First time in 3 years and she has 2 kids under age 10 there. The whole Sri Lankan village is expecting her along with a huge crate we have filled with goods. The crate is being built and someone is to pick it up soon. Tailor is making her a new dress for the trip home ;-)
The gardener just informed me that he will be traveling home to Bangladesh ; first time in 2 years. It's a good year as we seem to have adopted 2 people. Life is indeed good and I have found a home. I can't leave. OPK
That's exactly the way that I want to live at this point in my life. I don't want the burden of property. A little time here. A little time there. Move on when things get too predictable or too boring. No big house to clean and most importantly no big yard to take care of. A little bit more of a challenge now that DH has medical issues but still doable.
My permanent home is Scotland, but we do love to travel. If we volunteer again it will only be short term. We've been home from Uganda for a month and next week we go to Australia for a month then to Michigan for nearly a month. Then back home to Scotland for a while.
I like to get a two year lease. The landlords tend to set an initially good price and then the next year, jump up the rent big time. They are so stupid. They figure they got you. So I negotiate the same rental price for two years. Then if the rent goes too high in the third year, I'm outta there. Also, I really don't want to be moving every year. That gets onerous.
I've had enough of moving as I've been doing it all my life. Although I do miss the excitement of moving to a new place.
Does 4 continents in 3 months make me a globe trotter? :-D Africa, Europe, Australia, North America. I'm tired.
Having lived on a boat for 30 yrs. there is no need for me to go into how often I have moved. However, now I am retired from the sea and living in the Philippines. I built my own small house on some land rented for 50 yrs. There is a very sensible law here, only Filipinos can own the land. That law keeps foreigners from buying up their country. The 50 yr lease is fine by me. I'll be 1112 when it expires and don't think I'll give a damn then.
I also have moved many times, some 49 times, which does not include moves while in the Air Force, or the continual daily moves from hotel to hotel, country to country, during my career of 22 years. Those 49 times are the 'complete' moves, entire households picked up and taken to a different location, including 16 international moves.
Those 49 include the latest, when I moved this past Sunday from the country in Bohol, The Philippines (after 11 months), to the coast where my second story porch to my native nepa house overhangs the waves pounding against the concrete retainer wall.
