Why Wait?

I was beyond thrilled when Allen responded to my 10-year plan idea by replying, "why wait?" I immediately got onto the Internet and scrolled my way through my travel website "favorites."

We had vacationed in Italy one year prior and I found a lot of useful information, including a link to the apartment we eventually rented, at www.slowfood.com. That seemed as good a place to start as any. From there I found a link that led me to www.slowtrav.com. And as they say, "The rest is history...or in my case, histoire."

The next thing I knew I had been reading for hours (really) a riviting 14-month trip account written by a person named "Kaydee." Kathy, aka Kaydee, her husband and their 10-year old daughter had spent 14 months hiking and traveling through most of Western Europe. When I got to Kaydee's 7-month account (amazing photos included) about living and eating in Provence, I was hanging on to every mouth-watering word. Kaydee's thoughtful description of La Bastide Vieille (LBV) sounded like the kind of 17th restored farmhouse that every crazy about France-girl like me dreams about. Kaydee provided a link to the home owner's website where I found more information about LBV. Within a nano-second I was clicking on the "contact me" link and inquiring about renting their home for a long-term rental.

Since then Allen and I have secured LBV (www.vrbo.com/1293) from October, 2007 through April, 2008. But more importantly, Kaydee, or Kathy as I like to call her, has become not just a wonderful source of information, but a great friend. We first corresponded with detailed emails about who we are and what we do. And of course Kathy answered my never-ending questions about the house, the area, what to expect, how to budget, etc., I often liken our friendship to a grown-ups version of Pen-Pals. I had a Pen-Pal when I was in the fifth grade. She lived in Michigan and I lived in California. One summer her family vacationed at Disneyland and we were able to meet. It was rather strange to play in Disneyland with someone I'd never met, but it was a lot of fun.

This past weekend, while we weren't playing in Disneyland, I got to meet Kathy. And we had a lot of fun. Allen and I had the good fortune to be invited to a Slow Travel Get Together (www.slowtrav.com), where Kathy was also a guest. Actually she was the "Mystery Guest." She hadn't flown from Michigan, but rather Tennessee. After the truly incredible dinner party on Saturday, Kathy came back with us the next afternoon to our home where we chatted (a lot), drank wine and had dinner. We are kindred spirits and I feel very fortunate to have found my friend Kaydee. Kathy has played an monumental role in our decision to rent La Bastide Vieille and live in Bonnieux for 7 months. Allen and I look forward to spending time with Kathy again and meeting her husband when they host one of their unique 1-week slow-trips, "The Luberon Experience" (www.luberonexperience.com), where our paths will cross once again.

On September 28, 2007 Allen and I, along with our two cats, Percy and Max will be moving to France for 8 months. We have rented a beautiful 17th century restored farmhouse in Provence, near one of France's "Most Beautiful Villages," Bonnieux.

I have been obesessed with the idea of living in France or Italy during our "golden years" for as long as I can remember. Allen and I have traveled to both France and Italy together, I have read nearly every form of travel narrative or travel fiction written about these two countries if not once, twice then three times over, and I spend countless hours online dream traveling in both France and Italy. And if that's not enough to convice you, my financial planner, who is well aware of my obesession, appropriately named my retirement account, "Under the Tuscan Sun."

Because I was beginning to become concerned with the increasing property values and the higher costs of living, my dream was becoming just that, a dream. So I suggested to Allen, given the chance to spend a year living in France, and I'm sure France was the first country out of my mouth since we were in Italy less than one year prior, perhaps I would get it out of my system. The amusing thing about this is, since we started our research and began our planning, my fixation has become more or less, an addiction.

Now here I am several months later and with less than one year to go, writing my first entry for my first blog, "Why Wait?"

My hope is, for those of you reading, my process and the exciting events that have already and will continue to unfold in researching our decided upon plans combined with the experience in and of itself, will steer you towards realizing your own travel dreams and guide you on your own unique journey.

Trained as a graphic designer, I worked for in the marketing and advertising sector for 12 years before getting into real estate. I have a BFA from Art Center College of Design and a MFA from Yale University.

I currently live with my boyfriend and our two cats in a 1925 Spanish-style home in Altadena, California and work for Coldwell Banker in Pasadena. I have what my mother and Allen call a "sickness" as I am planning our next trip the moment we return home from the previous trip, read and re-read countless books on traveling; fiction and non-fiction, can name what airline provides the best route at the best price, spend countless hours online "dream-traveling," have magazine subscriptions to numerous travel and food magazines, and on and on.

Currently an eight-month sojourn is in the works and we are scheduled to leave Los Angeles for Bonniuex, France on September 28, 2007!