I asked last year where in the world you might want to visit, but I’m thinking about it again now. I’m happy to say that this week I get the opportunity to briefly visit the place I have dreamed about for a long time. That’s Japan, including a quick visit to Kyoto and its bamboo forest by way of Tokyo and the bullet train.
As I described last year, I’m drawn to the physical beauty of Japanese gardens and ancient temples. I’m intrigued by the bustling contemporary art scene and the people—and both the hustle and quiet of everyday life. “I’m determined to visit,” I wrote. “Maybe soon?”
And now it’s happening. A new world beckons. The mind expands. New ways of thinking, new modes of consciousness are possible. A momentary shift from the usual routine. Suffice to say, I’m feeling lucky…and I will report back on what I experience.
In the meantime, let’s re-open the discussion. Maybe, like me, it’s a place you’ve dreamed about one day visiting. Maybe, to take a darker view, it’s a place you might feel obliged to not just visit but move to, depending on the outcome of the upcoming election. (Yes, more than a few of you have expressed to me your worry that staying in America will be increasingly impossible if a particular narcissistic sociopath is successful at retaking the levers of power.)
So, be it for pleasure or out of a sense of necessity: Where in the world would you go? For this reflection, forget chores on your agenda. Don’t worry about the cost of the ticket or the length of the flight. Imagine money and time are no object. Feed your wanderlust.
As always, I look forward to reading your comments and the opportunity for this community to learn from each other.
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*Photo: Kyoto, Japan by Matteo Colombo via Getty Images.
I am too old to move overseas, but the thought of the possibility of Trump winning again makes me wish I’d pursued my dual citizenship (Italy). It’s a long process.
I had to give up my Swedish citizenship upon getting my US citizenship. However, Sweden allows dual now, so I got it back. Just in case. 😞
I would love to visit my sister who recently moved from England to Corfu (Greece). I would also love to visit my niece in New Zealand. And with all my relatives in Sweden. It’s been a long time, put on hiatus by Covid and not being retired yet. Soon …
Three years? Wow. Years ago I requested my paternal grandfather’s birth certificate from the sindaco of the province where he was born in Italy. He swore he sent it, but I never received it. I realize that is only one step in the process. In the case of Italy, there’s the far-right Meloni to deal with, so …. 🤷♀️
I found out years ago that you can be on the Irish foreign birth registry if either a parent or grandparent was born in Ireland. I got all of the requested documentation gathered, sent it in along with the fee required, and---waited. This was during the worst of covid; so the offices were closed. Two years later, they sent an email requesting an additional piece of information, which landed in my spam folder; and I never saw it. I decided after two and a half years had passed to inquire about the ongoing process, was told about the missed email, sent in the additional document and--I'm still waiting.
Yes, and can be expensive. For someI ran into a snag with a Catholic parish office and my effort got stalled. I'm still angry about it given that a niece did not encounter this problem. I'm debating if, at my age, it's worth bothering to keep at it.
There’s a group in PA, I don’t know the cost, but it’s in New Hope, and called “My Italian Family”. Bianca Ottone started it years ago. They help with every step.
Thank you. My niece has provided a lot of helpful information and connections but the one parish is the snag. Maybe before I give up totally I'll try your suggestion.
When I first started researching, with no idea of pursuing dual citizenship, I wrote to all the Italian parishes in South Philadelphia. They kept amazing records and some of the things I learned blew me away. (A former marriage of one of my parents, etc.) You just have to keep at it. Many times you’re dealing with a volunteer.
This has to be fantasy, since my next trip will be to commune with the worms. I have been to many places on this planet, as a resident, tourist, to work and to play... a fantasy trip now would have more to do with the mode of travel, maybe style of travel would be more accurate, than where I would go. I would travel on the economy, hitch hike, take buses, long boats, jeeps... move like the locals in the place I am, stay in small locally owned hotels, shop in markets for food, get my hair cut, etc. Think more about experiencing a place than 'seeing' a place.
Right there with you! I have done all forms in my life: flying, trains, hitchhiking, backpacking and now car and travel trailer. I find this last mode the best for me at 79! Getting ready to embark on an open-ended and sort of "Farewell Tour" (kind of like The Eagles!) to go visit all of my friends in their home states. Who knows? Maybe I'll find that perfect spot to live out the rest of my life along the way!
I want to go to Paris and see beautiful art in Musee d’Orsay. Then take a train over to Zurich and go over the Alps and see “The Last Supper”. Then maybe on to Bassano Del Grappo for a visit with my artsy cousin.
I enjoy Beschloss' posts on "America, America". And recently had the opportunity to take the bullet train to Kyoto and "forest bathe" in the bamboo forest. I simply wanted to share a thumbs up for his adventure ahead. Instead I'm disappointed to see all the divisiveness and snarkiness here in the comments. I expected civility, not bullying.
We are too old to relocate, so if Donny wins, we will need to hunker down here among my red-state friends and enemies in the capital of the bible belt, East Tennessee, and survive the best we can. As for a travel fantasy, we would love to go to a country - any country - and spend a month or more just traveling without an itinerary - asking locals what we should see and do. We could do the same in America - see every state capital, spend time in different places, learn from the locals. A dream of mine (bucket list?) is to attend a baseball game in every major league ball park. Let's hear it for dreaming!!
A lifetime ago, I spent a month camping in Austria. It was a magical place, and I would love to go back., but I am way too old and not financially well, so it is just a dream. I treasure the memories, though. :)
Maria, I have found that the remembered "magical" trips of our youth are best left to memory. They are magical because of our youth and the time they took place, even more than where they were. I have made the mistake of "going back" to relive the experience; it isn't there anymore.
After I finished my two-quarters of college abroad, I travelled with friends all over Europe by Eurail Pass. When I retired 14 years ago, I decided to do the same for three months, again by Eurail Pass. It was just as magical, though by this time it was greatly enriched by the amount of historical knowledge I had by then amassed. I basically followed Holy Roman Emperors around, with frequent stops for actual Roman remains as well.
My days of hauling luggage onto trains are now sadly passed. Maybe by the time I'm 90 we will have personal robots we can take to do the heavy lifting, and I can do it all again.
I also "commuted" in the mid 2000s twice a year between homes in Seattle and N. Carolina, travelling by car with two cats and a dog, staying mostly at campgrounds and parks. I took a different route each time--from I-90 to I-10. It was a great way to see the country. I've visited most of the states--and so had my pets of the time. There are wonders in each of them.
Funny your saying that! Many of those trips in my youth were with my first husband--divorced in 1975. He recently found me, got in touch, and we decided to recreate one of those long ago trip experiences, which was a stunningly bad idea. Turns out that those two young people aren't there anymore, either. Best not mess with memories!
I have considered a move to Europe but my only Grand is in FL. I am not sure i could talk my son to move. His wife and he do not have jobs that could be done remotely. My youngest would go also if he could make his writing pay. As a retiree, I am in a better position. But my best friend and only sister is here and I am moving to be close to her and thereby closer to grand. I am loath to leave a country where both sides of my family have been since the late 1600s. This is my country and I refuse to hand it over to the magats
As a serious environmentalist, I no longer fly--anywhere. My compromise is anywhere I can get to by other means, which I know is not a perfect, non-polluting alternative--it's just not as bad as flying. Or cruise ships. Unless climate change reverses course and a land bridge to Europe or Asia opens up, I will be here, in North America. Fortunately, there's lots to see! I've been to every state, most more than once. All--even the "fly-over" states--have enchanting things to see. Ever been to Lucas, Kansas? You won't see anything like it anywhere else in the world, guaranteed!
Steven, I'm going to recommend you watch Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers" and think about how someone stayed in one place for so many years only to travel again. That person wasn't Paul Giamatti's character but my own. I finally took an international trip last year and I hope to do more each year to come as I grow older. The reason I mention the film is we, as Americans, tend to stay root-bound. The world has surprises. Where will I go next? I don't know. But I plan to go.
I am a student of liberation struggles so I want to visit Brazil to meet freedom fighters there in their own context. I want to experience the Amazon River and forests, meet environmental Justice leaders and Afro-Brazilian activists. I want to learn from them how we can free our people and our land in this wealth-tortured world
I don't like traveling but I hope you have a wonderful trip to Japan. I have always enjoyed Japanese art, their gardens, their sense of minimalist design, their appreciation of clean and orderly aesthetics. I don't know much about their culture but find watching movies that reveal their history so interesting, so I am sure there will be lots to learn. Enjoy!
If I had my druthers I'd try to move to Scotland (my paternal ancestry) if TFG regains power, but I know the UK has very strict limitations on granting permanent residence so I doubt it could possibly happen. At 74 I'm hoping I won't live long enough to see the fruits of his cult ruining this once great country! Either that, or he'll lose the election and I'll live long enough to enjoy the comeuppance.
The Isle of Skye, a rugged land where time stands still. Mountains rise, valleys bloom, lochs mirror secrets. Light dances, darkness lingers. Beauty and darkness coexist. History's scars etched deep. A world of contradictions, where nature reigns and the human spirit is tested.
Skye is lovely. My sons and I were in Scotland 9/22 for two glorious weeks. Her Majesty died as we were descending to land at Heathrow. Fell in love with the Highlands and would return in a heartbeat now that I’ve learned how to handle air travel.
I am currently in Portugal and will return to the US in March for a D-7 visa interview. I have already rented a home here for a year, and intend to move, at least for a few years. I am retired and want peace in my life. I am not sure it will be a permanent move because there are people I will miss intensely. We will see what the future brings in the USA.
I would love to do that. I'm not sure how to get started. How do you find a home to rent? I'm also not sure if I want to stay there forever because I haven't been there yet. I am studying the language, though. I would like a home overlooking the ocean with a sand beach that doesn't make you walk down 3 stories to get to the beach. I know. I want it all. I'm going to come as close to that as I can. Oh yes, and a city near enough in case of emergencies that require a hospital or a doctor.
There are a number of places to find homes for rent in Portugal. I used Kyero, Idealista, and Pure Portugal, for instance. I actually found my home on Pure Portugal, but I just wanted a home for a year that wouldn't cost me a lot because most of the year would be spent in the US. To apply for the visa, one of the requirements (and there a number) is to have a one-year lease to prove your intent to live there. There are a lot of little beaches up and down the Silver Coast and of course, in the Algarve. You can find what you want, but it will cost more overlooking the ocean, of course. I'm not sure where I'll land, but I really love Northern Portugal's landscape and climate. I prefer mountains to beaches, and of course, Portugal is small enough that you can travel anywhere in the country within just a few hours. I hope you are able to find what you're looking for!
I've had the wonderful experience of traveling New Zealand and Australia with my son and being able to hike in both Fiords National Park at Milford Sound and the Three Sisters Canyon in the Blue Mountains. Absolutely incredible majesty of nature there.
But my all time bucket list trip is to sail on a three-masted ship from Rio around Cape Horn to Fuego Del Tierra, up along the coast to Peru, and out to the Galapagos Islands before they are gone.
I initially came to India in the Peace Corps in 1965. Returned for 4 months in 1969 and what I remembered was indeed there. I began returning for extended stays in 1989 and Married a Kashmiri in 1993 and have lived there/here ever since. It can't be beaten.
I first went to India in 1972 and stayed primarily in the North and in monasteries doing intensive mediation for nearly four years. Those years there became foundational and strong as a mountain! I loved India and all the people there. Jai Hind.
What a wonderful question! We would go to the continent of Africa… starting with Soutj Africa, then Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda for the mountain gorillas… we would enjoy the diverse cultures and food! We travel on our tummies!!!!!
I occasionally consider rural France if I had to move "permanently"; I lived in Aix-en-Provence in another century and time (the 1960's) and do know the language. Love the old stone cottages and countryside and do have friends who live there part time. Much would depend on whether my immediate family members would also relocate to Europe which is a distinct possibility. But ideally, I prefer to stay right where I am in rural New Mexico. I love it.
My husband and I fell in love with New Mexico when we were on our 7 month long golf trip around the US(including Alaska), Western Canada, Quebec and back to NC. We had our two miniature schnauzers with us in our Dodge Grand Caravan and we did our grand tour. We met so many great(and some funny)people and saw how huge the North American Continent is and how diverse it truly is. We were in Quebec when 9/11 happened and people could not have been nicer when they heard our southern accents. It was a magical time and the US has so much to offer just about anyone. We cannot allow the division and hate to overcome our better selves. What a damn shame if that were to happen.
Well, lovely travels you, too, have known…and I take heart from this and many other online communities because it seems we all love our country and believe in what is humane and good and kind. May millions upon millions of us vote!
You’re right where I’d be. I was born in Santa Fe and it’s my heart”s home still. I go home as often as possible and hope to live long enough to move back. No place on earth like Northern NM!!
I first came via Taos in 1971. Just before my 70th birthday 8 years ago I jumped at the chance to move back and just in time. It's a lot of work moving! It is my heart and soul home too. The air, the light, the everything.
I’m hopeful that people will react in November and we can keep our democracy because at my age the thought of moving to another country is overwhelming. I could go back to Mexico where I came from many years ago, but the president who is about to leave (🤞) is also a populist wannabe dictator.
There are many places in my bucket list. Next month I’m going to parts of Spain and Morocco
But I would like to go back to Turkey just as a tourist. It is beautiful. I have never been to Japan or Thailand. There are amazing places everywhere. I’m sure you will enjoy your trip and hope you post some pictures. Buen viaje!
And really batten down for the next big hurricane that boils up the coast and washes out the road-yet again. I’m a mountain native but emigrated to a “brown(horrors)” country because post pandemic, big city folk decided to move into the area and completely price a lot of us out of our area. Life down here is great. My Spanish is coming back slowly but people here are warm, friendly and diverse and no one is making a big stink about the fact. There’s a lot less superficiality here too. There are ex-pats here but I’ve managed to avoid them like the plague. Good luck with your plans and may the winds always blow gently.
It' s India. I have been there in fact already once, in 2008 three weeks after the terrorist attack in Mumbai. We stayed in fact at the end of our journey at the Taj Mahal hotel which had been attacked but we could stay there as the attack had been on the old part, quite beautiful, and we stayed int eh newer part. It was December 31st and we were about 20 guests in the hotel, everyone else had cancelled. The staff, who had lost so many colleagues, welcomed us twenty like we were their friends, it was intensely moving and we shared namaskars every time we would cross each others.
India has my heart, I can't even explain how much I feel at home there. We spent most of our time traveling in tiny vans through the country, so, outside of New Delhi and Agra, or Jaipur, we mostly saw villages, fields, Hindu or Buddhist temples. It is a country where people have such dignity, unaffected by time or lack of many material things. It is just a totally different view on life. And yes there is violence too suddenly appearing and then disappearing quickly, but mostly it is just so far outside our western perspective on life. I am sure Japan must have some sort of close spirit to this too. But still for me, India has my heart.
I want to live in an off grid cabin heated by a pot belly stove in the Canadian wilderness. My long distance internet lady friend says she would love to join me. I’m 71 years old — probably too late to do this but it’s an awesome dream!
I did that, only it was deep woods in Maine. 12'X12' cabin, no utilities. Two 18 month old kids in diapers. No running water, unless it was carried up the cliff from the stream below. I loved it. That was 44 years ago, and I was stronger then!
This was the stuff of my mother’s nightmares, one of 12 in a three room house in a Texas cotton field. Ditto, no running water, no indoor plumbing, no electricity. She had no nostalgia for that life at all!
Speaking of Japan, a cute story. A friend who was born in Indonesia was at JFK airport in NYC. He passed by some people from Japan, and seeing him as the only Asian in sight, bowed to him saying
Ohayoh , Ohayoh .(Ohio). He bowed back and said New Jersey, New Jersey.
You are very fortunate to be able to travel the world. A couple in my once book club , took a year and went around the world. Great stories when returned.
Although leery of airplanes and not interested in cruise ships, that being said, I would like to go to England and Wales, ancestral home of my father where an Anglo Saxon King Egfred's daughter married an Ardery, Grandmother's maiden name. And to Scotland, my mother's (maiden name Scott) especially since many of hers were knights and ladies, one served in Parliament, others included sheriff of Kent, comptroller of household to King Henry VII, endower of a chair at St.Andrews and one lost all privileges when Cromwell, whom he knew, came to power.Still standing and open for admission is Scotstarvit Tower built in the 15th century by Sir John Scot, author of a book called.........Scot of Scotsttarvit's Staggering State of the Scots Statesmen. Ha! (And trump thinks he is Sir !) Like Truman's mother in law, my grandmother thought Mother not worthy of her son.
In America, I have always wanted to drive from Chicago to Santa Monica on famous Route 66. While in Chicago, I would like to see the replica of the 1890s World Fair Ferris Wheel which beat out the Eiffel Tower as the tallest structure in the world at that time. I would like to revisit Gettysburg, drive through New England in the fall, return to State College, PA and stay there. We Ares are Penn Staters forever with 174,200 of us members of the largest Alumni Association in the world.Home, where one can be 20 forever.
I have no desire to visit Japan or Alaska, but I would if it meant keeping me away from Florida longer.
I know how weird this will sound, but I've always felt a lifelong need to visit Auschwitz, a kind of pilgrimage, to honor those who never made it out. I learned about the Holocaust about the time of the Eichmann trial, when I was 10 or 11. My sixth grade teacher gave us each an essay assignment; mine was The Holocaust: Could it Happen Again? I asked my mother "what's the Holocaust?" She simply said she would drive me to the library -- and did. But it was the enormous Cleveland Public Library - not our little community library. She dropped me off and left. I found a little dusty alcove with the relevant Dewey Decimal numbers, pulled a few books at random and read some of the pages. I remember standing there, horrified, alone, watching dust motes in the air lit up by the slating sun. When my mother came to pick me up, I shared a few of the atrocities I had read and said "Did people really DO that?" Mom: "Some people say so." I can't convey how deeply I was affected by what I read, and, later, by the fact that my mother appeared to be a Holocaust denier. I have always believed that I would go, in reverence, to that place. I waited too long and now I fear it is too late. I can barely walk and have other handicaps that make travel quite challenging. But you asked! And this is my answer!
Have safe travels and enjoy, Stephen, and also, anyone that accompanies you on your dream-fulfilling journey! It's another really great question: "Where in the world would you go?"
Most of my urges to travel places seem to have a very strong relationship to whether an ancestor has been there at a previous time in history.
I have had the good fortune to travel to Northeastern Slovakia and, what is today, Southeastern Poland, twice. Those two areas are where my paternal grandmother and grandfather migrated from in 1905 and 1912, respectively. When I returned a full 90 years after they had left the land of their births, I felt very much like I had returned home. I would love to return again.
Regarding the Irish side of my family, I have always said I would love to visit Ireland, but would want to go to the specific places of my Irish ancestors' births. I may never end up going. I have done in depth research, for over 50 years, and it is astonishing how few records are really available for people that were fleeing The Great Famine in the late 1840s and early 1850s. Maybe someday though.
Of late, my wife (of over 50 years), Janie, and are tentatively planning a trip to Germany. Janie's family heritage hales from the Fulda, Germany area, and her ancestors actually re-settled the Fulda, Ohio, Noble County area in the 1850s. Janie's side of the family is replete with lots of family historical documentation, which really helps in returning to her roots.
I have a desire to visit Germany for a number of other family related reasons: My paternal grandfather, that I mentioned above, managed to get a job as a coal hauler ("Trinner" in German), in the 110 degree, boiler room heat of huge German Steamships, out of Hamburg from 1907-1912. I would like to visit the towns, along the path that my grandfather most likely took from Southeastern Poland to Hamburg, which may include cities like Dresden, and Berlin, among others. Then, fast forward to approximately 30 years later (1941-1945), when my Dad was a B-17 Navigator Bombardier with the Eighth Air Force out of Alconbury, England. I would like to visit the many places he flew those harrowing missions over, and I am forever so grateful that he survived, and in turn, I so fortunately am here even today, and see the hopefully peaceful view of those places from the ground up.
My motivations for travel may seem odd to some, but, that is truthfully what, inexplicably, gives me any sort of Wanderlust.
And, finally, on the darker side, with the bone chilling MAGA movement still rearing its ugly head, I have often wondered if Alberta or Saskatchewan (two Canadian Provinces that other Halaikos fled to), would be any safer or more peaceful? I really love our country, and don't want to ever really leave it. I'm worried that too many think the given order of the last 248 years of democracy is indestructible, and will always be here without most of us working to keep it free, fair, and equitable. I hope and pray every day that we can "live out our national creed" (The documents of The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and MLK Jr's "I Have a Dream" Speech are a few of our creed-bearing documents), and be the kind, caring, Freedom Loving, people we were made to be.
Thank you, again, Stephen, for another thought provoking and soul searching question! Safe travels!
I would visit the homelands of my ancestors: Slovenia, Sicily/Italy, Germany, Poland, and Finland. If money and time is no object, maybe I could stay in Europe immersing myself in the different cultures if Trump gets back in power. That'll be four years of wanderlust.
Unfortunately, if he gets in again, he won't leave until the undertaker arrives, or then men in white coats to take him someplace where he can't harm himself or others. He intends to be President (Dictator) for life.
I keep thinking that one of these days we'll wake up to the news that he had a stroke and could no longer speak. The silence would be deafening. All of those hamburgers and steaks finally caught up with him and did what no human could.
I would like to see Praha (Prague) again. Spent an afternoon there in 1998, then had to take the night train to Amsterdam to fly home. So beautiful. My great-grandmother was born there.
I think there are two places I'd like to go, if I could stand the trip. One would be Scotland, and especially Edinburgh and Glasgow. I've read books by Scottish authors, and those cities sounded interesting to me. I'd also go to Denmark and Norway. I'm interested in how those countries make the lives of their people better through social programs we can only dream of. Whenever I travel, I'm interested in how people live there, and the ways we're all the same yet all different.
I have always been fascinated by Machu Picchu. I've been to Mesa Verde which is another ancient historic site. In both cases the trip can be arduous and at 81, I am probably not able to complete my wish. Wish I had done it a few years earlier; don't let opportunity pass you by.
I would return to the British Isles for an extended stay. I toured the Scottish Highlands in2018 but my roots also lie in Northern Ireland and that would be the most interesting and beautiful.
I'm a biological scientist who almost became a geologist so there are many places of biological and geological interest. One of my wife's unrequited loves is archeology. She has a long must-see list of archeological sites. We're both also into genealogy, so attracted to places of genealogical interest to one or the other, surprisingly, sometimes both of us. We've been fortunate to visit several priority places, but there are many left to see and a few that are a bit too dangerous to visit at this time.
You mentioned darker motivations. At the moment that's where my head is. Although I've yet to determine where that branch comes in, my DNA indicates that I have Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. I have verified paper trials to German Catholic and protestant ancestry. I feel it incumbent on me to visit Auschwitz-Berkinau.
The genealogical, historical, and biological destination list expands constantly. So does information about those places and family lines, so what seems to be the top destination now may change tmorrow.
DC again. I was there for a school trip. Now there is a memorial to Women who Served. Now that I'm older I'd appreciate it more. And tour the battlegrounds of the Civil War, Monticello, & Mt. Vernon.
And sorry to see so many people here dump on Japan. What should have been a fun thought exercise of fantasy travel turned into trolls dumping on each other. How lame of you all. I usually enjoy the comments on Steven’s Substack.
I’ve always had an interest in visiting Japan as well. Both of my parents were stationed in Okinawa when they were young and have many Japanese things from that time. Now years later my daughter is into Ghibli studio and really wants to visit Japan. I hope that we can afford to take her. What a trip that would be!
I am too old to move overseas, but the thought of the possibility of Trump winning again makes me wish I’d pursued my dual citizenship (Italy). It’s a long process.
I had to give up my Swedish citizenship upon getting my US citizenship. However, Sweden allows dual now, so I got it back. Just in case. 😞
I would love to visit my sister who recently moved from England to Corfu (Greece). I would also love to visit my niece in New Zealand. And with all my relatives in Sweden. It’s been a long time, put on hiatus by Covid and not being retired yet. Soon …
I've been working on my Irish citizenship for over 3 years, now. Not sure I'll live long enough to see it happen!!
It’s a little bit racist to move to an all white country because you don’t like diversity.
Huh?
you know it's a great idea... I am originally French but the Irish and that beautiful land !!
Three years? Wow. Years ago I requested my paternal grandfather’s birth certificate from the sindaco of the province where he was born in Italy. He swore he sent it, but I never received it. I realize that is only one step in the process. In the case of Italy, there’s the far-right Meloni to deal with, so …. 🤷♀️
I found out years ago that you can be on the Irish foreign birth registry if either a parent or grandparent was born in Ireland. I got all of the requested documentation gathered, sent it in along with the fee required, and---waited. This was during the worst of covid; so the offices were closed. Two years later, they sent an email requesting an additional piece of information, which landed in my spam folder; and I never saw it. I decided after two and a half years had passed to inquire about the ongoing process, was told about the missed email, sent in the additional document and--I'm still waiting.
Yes, and can be expensive. For someI ran into a snag with a Catholic parish office and my effort got stalled. I'm still angry about it given that a niece did not encounter this problem. I'm debating if, at my age, it's worth bothering to keep at it.
There’s a group in PA, I don’t know the cost, but it’s in New Hope, and called “My Italian Family”. Bianca Ottone started it years ago. They help with every step.
Thank you. My niece has provided a lot of helpful information and connections but the one parish is the snag. Maybe before I give up totally I'll try your suggestion.
When I first started researching, with no idea of pursuing dual citizenship, I wrote to all the Italian parishes in South Philadelphia. They kept amazing records and some of the things I learned blew me away. (A former marriage of one of my parents, etc.) You just have to keep at it. Many times you’re dealing with a volunteer.
Thanks, good to know.
Did you see that I wrote that I would be stuck with the far right Meloni there? I’m not moving, ok?
Enough with the impersonation, parody and goading questions, ‘Yuri’….
says Karen in Comments Management Department
This has to be fantasy, since my next trip will be to commune with the worms. I have been to many places on this planet, as a resident, tourist, to work and to play... a fantasy trip now would have more to do with the mode of travel, maybe style of travel would be more accurate, than where I would go. I would travel on the economy, hitch hike, take buses, long boats, jeeps... move like the locals in the place I am, stay in small locally owned hotels, shop in markets for food, get my hair cut, etc. Think more about experiencing a place than 'seeing' a place.
Right there with you! I have done all forms in my life: flying, trains, hitchhiking, backpacking and now car and travel trailer. I find this last mode the best for me at 79! Getting ready to embark on an open-ended and sort of "Farewell Tour" (kind of like The Eagles!) to go visit all of my friends in their home states. Who knows? Maybe I'll find that perfect spot to live out the rest of my life along the way!
I like your way of thinking. This is what I would love to do. Been many places myself and still healthy enough to do this at 73. You inspired me!!
Wanta come? It's just me and the dogs!
Enjoy!
You can't grasp a culture by touring through anywhere with a group of like-minded people. I like you approach.
Beautiful! Inspiring!
I want to go to Paris and see beautiful art in Musee d’Orsay. Then take a train over to Zurich and go over the Alps and see “The Last Supper”. Then maybe on to Bassano Del Grappo for a visit with my artsy cousin.
I enjoy Beschloss' posts on "America, America". And recently had the opportunity to take the bullet train to Kyoto and "forest bathe" in the bamboo forest. I simply wanted to share a thumbs up for his adventure ahead. Instead I'm disappointed to see all the divisiveness and snarkiness here in the comments. I expected civility, not bullying.
Sorry about that. It’s why I keep comments only for paid subscribers, except on Saturdays. Usually people are more respectful.
Yes, I was disappointed with the comments, too. Japan would be a fascinating place to visit!
We are too old to relocate, so if Donny wins, we will need to hunker down here among my red-state friends and enemies in the capital of the bible belt, East Tennessee, and survive the best we can. As for a travel fantasy, we would love to go to a country - any country - and spend a month or more just traveling without an itinerary - asking locals what we should see and do. We could do the same in America - see every state capital, spend time in different places, learn from the locals. A dream of mine (bucket list?) is to attend a baseball game in every major league ball park. Let's hear it for dreaming!!
A lifetime ago, I spent a month camping in Austria. It was a magical place, and I would love to go back., but I am way too old and not financially well, so it is just a dream. I treasure the memories, though. :)
Maria, I have found that the remembered "magical" trips of our youth are best left to memory. They are magical because of our youth and the time they took place, even more than where they were. I have made the mistake of "going back" to relive the experience; it isn't there anymore.
After I finished my two-quarters of college abroad, I travelled with friends all over Europe by Eurail Pass. When I retired 14 years ago, I decided to do the same for three months, again by Eurail Pass. It was just as magical, though by this time it was greatly enriched by the amount of historical knowledge I had by then amassed. I basically followed Holy Roman Emperors around, with frequent stops for actual Roman remains as well.
My days of hauling luggage onto trains are now sadly passed. Maybe by the time I'm 90 we will have personal robots we can take to do the heavy lifting, and I can do it all again.
I also "commuted" in the mid 2000s twice a year between homes in Seattle and N. Carolina, travelling by car with two cats and a dog, staying mostly at campgrounds and parks. I took a different route each time--from I-90 to I-10. It was a great way to see the country. I've visited most of the states--and so had my pets of the time. There are wonders in each of them.
For me a large part of the remembered 'magical' trips of my past are the memories of who shared the trip with me.
Funny your saying that! Many of those trips in my youth were with my first husband--divorced in 1975. He recently found me, got in touch, and we decided to recreate one of those long ago trip experiences, which was a stunningly bad idea. Turns out that those two young people aren't there anymore, either. Best not mess with memories!
I have considered a move to Europe but my only Grand is in FL. I am not sure i could talk my son to move. His wife and he do not have jobs that could be done remotely. My youngest would go also if he could make his writing pay. As a retiree, I am in a better position. But my best friend and only sister is here and I am moving to be close to her and thereby closer to grand. I am loath to leave a country where both sides of my family have been since the late 1600s. This is my country and I refuse to hand it over to the magats
As a serious environmentalist, I no longer fly--anywhere. My compromise is anywhere I can get to by other means, which I know is not a perfect, non-polluting alternative--it's just not as bad as flying. Or cruise ships. Unless climate change reverses course and a land bridge to Europe or Asia opens up, I will be here, in North America. Fortunately, there's lots to see! I've been to every state, most more than once. All--even the "fly-over" states--have enchanting things to see. Ever been to Lucas, Kansas? You won't see anything like it anywhere else in the world, guaranteed!
It's quite likely for any trip from point a to point b greater than a few hundred miles flying generates the least carbon .
Kudos for that. We all need to get there.
We are going to Greece in June, taking a cruise through the Greek Islands and a stop in Turkey. Definitely a bucket list trip.
Steven, I'm going to recommend you watch Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers" and think about how someone stayed in one place for so many years only to travel again. That person wasn't Paul Giamatti's character but my own. I finally took an international trip last year and I hope to do more each year to come as I grow older. The reason I mention the film is we, as Americans, tend to stay root-bound. The world has surprises. Where will I go next? I don't know. But I plan to go.
Thanks for the note. I’ve seen Holdovers twice. Yes to more travel!
I am a student of liberation struggles so I want to visit Brazil to meet freedom fighters there in their own context. I want to experience the Amazon River and forests, meet environmental Justice leaders and Afro-Brazilian activists. I want to learn from them how we can free our people and our land in this wealth-tortured world
I loved the Amazon River. The jungle, the rivers, the birds and monkeys, the stars at night! Hope you can go.
I would like to go EVERYWHERE. How long do we have? 💖💖💖
I don't like traveling but I hope you have a wonderful trip to Japan. I have always enjoyed Japanese art, their gardens, their sense of minimalist design, their appreciation of clean and orderly aesthetics. I don't know much about their culture but find watching movies that reveal their history so interesting, so I am sure there will be lots to learn. Enjoy!
If I had my druthers I'd try to move to Scotland (my paternal ancestry) if TFG regains power, but I know the UK has very strict limitations on granting permanent residence so I doubt it could possibly happen. At 74 I'm hoping I won't live long enough to see the fruits of his cult ruining this once great country! Either that, or he'll lose the election and I'll live long enough to enjoy the comeuppance.
The Isle of Skye, a rugged land where time stands still. Mountains rise, valleys bloom, lochs mirror secrets. Light dances, darkness lingers. Beauty and darkness coexist. History's scars etched deep. A world of contradictions, where nature reigns and the human spirit is tested.
Skye is lovely. My sons and I were in Scotland 9/22 for two glorious weeks. Her Majesty died as we were descending to land at Heathrow. Fell in love with the Highlands and would return in a heartbeat now that I’ve learned how to handle air travel.
I am currently in Portugal and will return to the US in March for a D-7 visa interview. I have already rented a home here for a year, and intend to move, at least for a few years. I am retired and want peace in my life. I am not sure it will be a permanent move because there are people I will miss intensely. We will see what the future brings in the USA.
I would love to do that. I'm not sure how to get started. How do you find a home to rent? I'm also not sure if I want to stay there forever because I haven't been there yet. I am studying the language, though. I would like a home overlooking the ocean with a sand beach that doesn't make you walk down 3 stories to get to the beach. I know. I want it all. I'm going to come as close to that as I can. Oh yes, and a city near enough in case of emergencies that require a hospital or a doctor.
There are a number of places to find homes for rent in Portugal. I used Kyero, Idealista, and Pure Portugal, for instance. I actually found my home on Pure Portugal, but I just wanted a home for a year that wouldn't cost me a lot because most of the year would be spent in the US. To apply for the visa, one of the requirements (and there a number) is to have a one-year lease to prove your intent to live there. There are a lot of little beaches up and down the Silver Coast and of course, in the Algarve. You can find what you want, but it will cost more overlooking the ocean, of course. I'm not sure where I'll land, but I really love Northern Portugal's landscape and climate. I prefer mountains to beaches, and of course, Portugal is small enough that you can travel anywhere in the country within just a few hours. I hope you are able to find what you're looking for!
Printing this information out. This is the best info I've found so far. Thank you!
There are lots of resources on the net to help you figure out the steps. Try ExpatsPortugal.com. Here is another link: https://www.portugalist.com/d7-visa-residency/
Thank you so much! We plan to travel in the next couple of months. You have been so helpful.
I've had the wonderful experience of traveling New Zealand and Australia with my son and being able to hike in both Fiords National Park at Milford Sound and the Three Sisters Canyon in the Blue Mountains. Absolutely incredible majesty of nature there.
But my all time bucket list trip is to sail on a three-masted ship from Rio around Cape Horn to Fuego Del Tierra, up along the coast to Peru, and out to the Galapagos Islands before they are gone.
I initially came to India in the Peace Corps in 1965. Returned for 4 months in 1969 and what I remembered was indeed there. I began returning for extended stays in 1989 and Married a Kashmiri in 1993 and have lived there/here ever since. It can't be beaten.
I first went to India in 1972 and stayed primarily in the North and in monasteries doing intensive mediation for nearly four years. Those years there became foundational and strong as a mountain! I loved India and all the people there. Jai Hind.
I want to go by ack to Japan. I missed Kyoto and Osaka. Otherwise the arctic. 🥶
What a wonderful question! We would go to the continent of Africa… starting with Soutj Africa, then Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda for the mountain gorillas… we would enjoy the diverse cultures and food! We travel on our tummies!!!!!
🤩🌿
I am so glad for you...🌿🌿🌿
I occasionally consider rural France if I had to move "permanently"; I lived in Aix-en-Provence in another century and time (the 1960's) and do know the language. Love the old stone cottages and countryside and do have friends who live there part time. Much would depend on whether my immediate family members would also relocate to Europe which is a distinct possibility. But ideally, I prefer to stay right where I am in rural New Mexico. I love it.
My husband and I fell in love with New Mexico when we were on our 7 month long golf trip around the US(including Alaska), Western Canada, Quebec and back to NC. We had our two miniature schnauzers with us in our Dodge Grand Caravan and we did our grand tour. We met so many great(and some funny)people and saw how huge the North American Continent is and how diverse it truly is. We were in Quebec when 9/11 happened and people could not have been nicer when they heard our southern accents. It was a magical time and the US has so much to offer just about anyone. We cannot allow the division and hate to overcome our better selves. What a damn shame if that were to happen.
Well, lovely travels you, too, have known…and I take heart from this and many other online communities because it seems we all love our country and believe in what is humane and good and kind. May millions upon millions of us vote!
You’re right where I’d be. I was born in Santa Fe and it’s my heart”s home still. I go home as often as possible and hope to live long enough to move back. No place on earth like Northern NM!!
I first came via Taos in 1971. Just before my 70th birthday 8 years ago I jumped at the chance to move back and just in time. It's a lot of work moving! It is my heart and soul home too. The air, the light, the everything.
I’m hopeful that people will react in November and we can keep our democracy because at my age the thought of moving to another country is overwhelming. I could go back to Mexico where I came from many years ago, but the president who is about to leave (🤞) is also a populist wannabe dictator.
There are many places in my bucket list. Next month I’m going to parts of Spain and Morocco
But I would like to go back to Turkey just as a tourist. It is beautiful. I have never been to Japan or Thailand. There are amazing places everywhere. I’m sure you will enjoy your trip and hope you post some pictures. Buen viaje!
I’d go to Okracoke, NC. And swin and shrimp.
And really batten down for the next big hurricane that boils up the coast and washes out the road-yet again. I’m a mountain native but emigrated to a “brown(horrors)” country because post pandemic, big city folk decided to move into the area and completely price a lot of us out of our area. Life down here is great. My Spanish is coming back slowly but people here are warm, friendly and diverse and no one is making a big stink about the fact. There’s a lot less superficiality here too. There are ex-pats here but I’ve managed to avoid them like the plague. Good luck with your plans and may the winds always blow gently.
I did not spend enough time on Crete, and my cousin just retired there on the southern coast. The Mediterranean is beyond beautiful.
Enjoy your visit. Japan seems a dreamy beautiful place. I think I would love to visit Italy, from North to South, East to West.
It' s India. I have been there in fact already once, in 2008 three weeks after the terrorist attack in Mumbai. We stayed in fact at the end of our journey at the Taj Mahal hotel which had been attacked but we could stay there as the attack had been on the old part, quite beautiful, and we stayed int eh newer part. It was December 31st and we were about 20 guests in the hotel, everyone else had cancelled. The staff, who had lost so many colleagues, welcomed us twenty like we were their friends, it was intensely moving and we shared namaskars every time we would cross each others.
India has my heart, I can't even explain how much I feel at home there. We spent most of our time traveling in tiny vans through the country, so, outside of New Delhi and Agra, or Jaipur, we mostly saw villages, fields, Hindu or Buddhist temples. It is a country where people have such dignity, unaffected by time or lack of many material things. It is just a totally different view on life. And yes there is violence too suddenly appearing and then disappearing quickly, but mostly it is just so far outside our western perspective on life. I am sure Japan must have some sort of close spirit to this too. But still for me, India has my heart.
Me too. It's why I live here.
I want to live in an off grid cabin heated by a pot belly stove in the Canadian wilderness. My long distance internet lady friend says she would love to join me. I’m 71 years old — probably too late to do this but it’s an awesome dream!
I did that, only it was deep woods in Maine. 12'X12' cabin, no utilities. Two 18 month old kids in diapers. No running water, unless it was carried up the cliff from the stream below. I loved it. That was 44 years ago, and I was stronger then!
I think I love you! This is getting complicated! 😂
This was the stuff of my mother’s nightmares, one of 12 in a three room house in a Texas cotton field. Ditto, no running water, no indoor plumbing, no electricity. She had no nostalgia for that life at all!
Speaking of Japan, a cute story. A friend who was born in Indonesia was at JFK airport in NYC. He passed by some people from Japan, and seeing him as the only Asian in sight, bowed to him saying
Ohayoh , Ohayoh .(Ohio). He bowed back and said New Jersey, New Jersey.
You are very fortunate to be able to travel the world. A couple in my once book club , took a year and went around the world. Great stories when returned.
Although leery of airplanes and not interested in cruise ships, that being said, I would like to go to England and Wales, ancestral home of my father where an Anglo Saxon King Egfred's daughter married an Ardery, Grandmother's maiden name. And to Scotland, my mother's (maiden name Scott) especially since many of hers were knights and ladies, one served in Parliament, others included sheriff of Kent, comptroller of household to King Henry VII, endower of a chair at St.Andrews and one lost all privileges when Cromwell, whom he knew, came to power.Still standing and open for admission is Scotstarvit Tower built in the 15th century by Sir John Scot, author of a book called.........Scot of Scotsttarvit's Staggering State of the Scots Statesmen. Ha! (And trump thinks he is Sir !) Like Truman's mother in law, my grandmother thought Mother not worthy of her son.
In America, I have always wanted to drive from Chicago to Santa Monica on famous Route 66. While in Chicago, I would like to see the replica of the 1890s World Fair Ferris Wheel which beat out the Eiffel Tower as the tallest structure in the world at that time. I would like to revisit Gettysburg, drive through New England in the fall, return to State College, PA and stay there. We Ares are Penn Staters forever with 174,200 of us members of the largest Alumni Association in the world.Home, where one can be 20 forever.
I have no desire to visit Japan or Alaska, but I would if it meant keeping me away from Florida longer.
Yoki kokai wo !
—New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland
New Zealand because of the beauty and relatively small population (5.123 million or so)
—Ireland because of the beauty and my genetics …and history
—Scotland really intrigues me because of my genetics, and beauty
—I was lucky to got yo Italy twice. I’m half Italian and found a true connection
—These were all on my Bucket List before Trump and Covid and those impacts!
—Thank you again for who you are and all that you do
💙🇺🇸👏
I am too old and too ornery to move if Bone Spurs is elected. We must stay and fight. BTW I am on my way to New Orleans tomorrow for 5 days!
The Galapagos islands! Pure beauty...
Mars. Been many places on Earth, but Egypt is still a goal
East arm great slave lake
Land before time
Water full of life land and lake agree
Binder Dondat my cabbie
He saw it too
I know how weird this will sound, but I've always felt a lifelong need to visit Auschwitz, a kind of pilgrimage, to honor those who never made it out. I learned about the Holocaust about the time of the Eichmann trial, when I was 10 or 11. My sixth grade teacher gave us each an essay assignment; mine was The Holocaust: Could it Happen Again? I asked my mother "what's the Holocaust?" She simply said she would drive me to the library -- and did. But it was the enormous Cleveland Public Library - not our little community library. She dropped me off and left. I found a little dusty alcove with the relevant Dewey Decimal numbers, pulled a few books at random and read some of the pages. I remember standing there, horrified, alone, watching dust motes in the air lit up by the slating sun. When my mother came to pick me up, I shared a few of the atrocities I had read and said "Did people really DO that?" Mom: "Some people say so." I can't convey how deeply I was affected by what I read, and, later, by the fact that my mother appeared to be a Holocaust denier. I have always believed that I would go, in reverence, to that place. I waited too long and now I fear it is too late. I can barely walk and have other handicaps that make travel quite challenging. But you asked! And this is my answer!
Have safe travels and enjoy, Stephen, and also, anyone that accompanies you on your dream-fulfilling journey! It's another really great question: "Where in the world would you go?"
Most of my urges to travel places seem to have a very strong relationship to whether an ancestor has been there at a previous time in history.
I have had the good fortune to travel to Northeastern Slovakia and, what is today, Southeastern Poland, twice. Those two areas are where my paternal grandmother and grandfather migrated from in 1905 and 1912, respectively. When I returned a full 90 years after they had left the land of their births, I felt very much like I had returned home. I would love to return again.
Regarding the Irish side of my family, I have always said I would love to visit Ireland, but would want to go to the specific places of my Irish ancestors' births. I may never end up going. I have done in depth research, for over 50 years, and it is astonishing how few records are really available for people that were fleeing The Great Famine in the late 1840s and early 1850s. Maybe someday though.
Of late, my wife (of over 50 years), Janie, and are tentatively planning a trip to Germany. Janie's family heritage hales from the Fulda, Germany area, and her ancestors actually re-settled the Fulda, Ohio, Noble County area in the 1850s. Janie's side of the family is replete with lots of family historical documentation, which really helps in returning to her roots.
I have a desire to visit Germany for a number of other family related reasons: My paternal grandfather, that I mentioned above, managed to get a job as a coal hauler ("Trinner" in German), in the 110 degree, boiler room heat of huge German Steamships, out of Hamburg from 1907-1912. I would like to visit the towns, along the path that my grandfather most likely took from Southeastern Poland to Hamburg, which may include cities like Dresden, and Berlin, among others. Then, fast forward to approximately 30 years later (1941-1945), when my Dad was a B-17 Navigator Bombardier with the Eighth Air Force out of Alconbury, England. I would like to visit the many places he flew those harrowing missions over, and I am forever so grateful that he survived, and in turn, I so fortunately am here even today, and see the hopefully peaceful view of those places from the ground up.
My motivations for travel may seem odd to some, but, that is truthfully what, inexplicably, gives me any sort of Wanderlust.
And, finally, on the darker side, with the bone chilling MAGA movement still rearing its ugly head, I have often wondered if Alberta or Saskatchewan (two Canadian Provinces that other Halaikos fled to), would be any safer or more peaceful? I really love our country, and don't want to ever really leave it. I'm worried that too many think the given order of the last 248 years of democracy is indestructible, and will always be here without most of us working to keep it free, fair, and equitable. I hope and pray every day that we can "live out our national creed" (The documents of The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and MLK Jr's "I Have a Dream" Speech are a few of our creed-bearing documents), and be the kind, caring, Freedom Loving, people we were made to be.
Thank you, again, Stephen, for another thought provoking and soul searching question! Safe travels!
I have a green card and lived in America for 34 years. If Trump is elected I will go back to Ireland. I hope this unthinkable event never happens.
Working on the 50 states. Seeking NOLA and Alabama for the first time. And doing garden tour of Cornwall and Devon in summer.
I would visit the homelands of my ancestors: Slovenia, Sicily/Italy, Germany, Poland, and Finland. If money and time is no object, maybe I could stay in Europe immersing myself in the different cultures if Trump gets back in power. That'll be four years of wanderlust.
Unfortunately, if he gets in again, he won't leave until the undertaker arrives, or then men in white coats to take him someplace where he can't harm himself or others. He intends to be President (Dictator) for life.
I keep thinking that one of these days we'll wake up to the news that he had a stroke and could no longer speak. The silence would be deafening. All of those hamburgers and steaks finally caught up with him and did what no human could.
I visited Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto last October! Planning trips to Iceland, Spain and Germany.
I would like to see Praha (Prague) again. Spent an afternoon there in 1998, then had to take the night train to Amsterdam to fly home. So beautiful. My great-grandmother was born there.
I think there are two places I'd like to go, if I could stand the trip. One would be Scotland, and especially Edinburgh and Glasgow. I've read books by Scottish authors, and those cities sounded interesting to me. I'd also go to Denmark and Norway. I'm interested in how those countries make the lives of their people better through social programs we can only dream of. Whenever I travel, I'm interested in how people live there, and the ways we're all the same yet all different.
I have always been fascinated by Machu Picchu. I've been to Mesa Verde which is another ancient historic site. In both cases the trip can be arduous and at 81, I am probably not able to complete my wish. Wish I had done it a few years earlier; don't let opportunity pass you by.
I'm 87 now, so I'll stand and fight MAGA.
I would return to the British Isles for an extended stay. I toured the Scottish Highlands in2018 but my roots also lie in Northern Ireland and that would be the most interesting and beautiful.
The list is quite extensive.
I'm a biological scientist who almost became a geologist so there are many places of biological and geological interest. One of my wife's unrequited loves is archeology. She has a long must-see list of archeological sites. We're both also into genealogy, so attracted to places of genealogical interest to one or the other, surprisingly, sometimes both of us. We've been fortunate to visit several priority places, but there are many left to see and a few that are a bit too dangerous to visit at this time.
You mentioned darker motivations. At the moment that's where my head is. Although I've yet to determine where that branch comes in, my DNA indicates that I have Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. I have verified paper trials to German Catholic and protestant ancestry. I feel it incumbent on me to visit Auschwitz-Berkinau.
The genealogical, historical, and biological destination list expands constantly. So does information about those places and family lines, so what seems to be the top destination now may change tmorrow.
DC again. I was there for a school trip. Now there is a memorial to Women who Served. Now that I'm older I'd appreciate it more. And tour the battlegrounds of the Civil War, Monticello, & Mt. Vernon.
And sorry to see so many people here dump on Japan. What should have been a fun thought exercise of fantasy travel turned into trolls dumping on each other. How lame of you all. I usually enjoy the comments on Steven’s Substack.
Dumping on Japan? Quite the contrary, I believe most comments focused on the cleanliness, homogenous, and obedient population. What a model for all
I’ve always had an interest in visiting Japan as well. Both of my parents were stationed in Okinawa when they were young and have many Japanese things from that time. Now years later my daughter is into Ghibli studio and really wants to visit Japan. I hope that we can afford to take her. What a trip that would be!
I hope I never get top comment here just to be trolled by Yuri.