First Pages

I know there are some people that travel so much they would rather just sit at home and relax. It was never a goal of mine to have one of those jobs where you are gone from home constantly, living in airports and hotels. And it still isn't!

But, and it's a big but, one of my goals in retirement is to travel to a host of cool destinations. I have a next door neighbor that goes on a really interesting, awesome trip, every 2 or 3 months. Really! In the year we have lived next door to them, they have visited Africa, South America (including Machu Picchu!), driven through California Wine Country, and have about 5 other amazing trips planned right now. I tell her, when I grow up, I want to be just like you.

The other side of that coin is that I WANNA TRAVEL FIRST CLASS! When my husband Jeff and I went to Italy and Greece, for a marathon, I was able to get our first class round trip tickets with points/miles, and it was fantastic! So much different than sitting in the "back" of the plane. It was amazing, and comfortable, and they still feed you in first class! Not to mention the numerous offerings of wine and such. Lol... So, I made it a goal to get to the point where all my travel will be first class. We are still working on that goal, but getting there.

Please don't think this is a travel blog. Although I will be talking about various trips and travel experiences, this blog is about my journey to the point where I CAN travel first class, any where I want, at any time. Yes, this is something that is within my reach. This blog can and will be about what seems to be important at the moment. You might expect to read something about our non-profit, Support For Firefighters, Inc., as we are leaving on a 5 month long journey across the country, coast to coast, to raise funds for firefighters. You will read a lot about that I imagine! Also, we have 3 completely adorable Italian Greyhounds, which are going with us on the journey. Don't be surprised to read about them. And of course, there is my quest for First Class Travel! That deserves it's own paragraph....

After spending over 32 years with the Dallas Fire Department, I finally called my career over and retired. Having spent the past 12 years as a Battalion Chief, the responsibility was just getting tiresome. I loved the job and the people I worked with, but it was time for a change. So, we built a retirement home in Robson Ranch Texas and got busy enjoying it. Well, I quickly realized that I needed more to keep myself busy, and the First Class Travel thing was still not happening. That is when we decided to open our business, J&L Real Estate Investments. We are using several different avenues to reach my ultimate goal. Among them are lending money to real estate investors and hotel ownership. Both are fledgling operations but have great promise!

I will be able to keep this blog going for a couple of weeks just choosing topics from the conversation above! There must be a dozen blog opportunities mentioned. Stay tuned, oh, and expect pictures of tons of stuff, too! I love to take pics!