Ugh, we're solidly three weeks late on this post. Which doesn't really seem surprising since we've been on Hawai'i for three weeks and it's hard to feel any urgency here. Gotta love "Island Time."
A little background: over a year ago my folks got a bee in their bonnet that we should spend Thanksgiving together on Hawai'i, at a charming spot they had found. But "togetherness" is tricky since we're talking 40+ people coming from two countries and seven states, and traveling during the busiest (and most expensive) week of the year.
Brian and I kicked the idea around quite a bit, mucked around in our budget spread sheet, and considered the best way to make it work. We planned to continue traveling on from Hawai'i, and we were thinking of Southeast Asia or Central America since we'd already be halfway there, both would allow a bit of geographical arbitrage (that is to say, offset the cost of Hawai'i with a second, cheaper locale). But a few things popped up that made the equations more interesting.
- My childhood friend J and her spouse R have recently moved to a home 15 minutes north of Hilo, and encouraged us to visit.
- A dear family member (from the non-Thanksgiving branch) offered us the opportunity to use an apartment in Paris for the winter.
The math immediately changed. We could avoid traveling the costliest air travel days around Thanksgiving by enjoying J&R's hospitality, which saved a massive amount. And instead of traveling on with a bag of sandals and swimsuits, we are now flying back to Alaska for 5 days to re-pack, then off to spend the winter in France!
Expect many more updates.
~Lucy
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