Cash flow and balloons

Our weekly post … (as usual) we’ve been busy, and it seems like we are being supported in our goals. Hot on the heels of last weeks posting, we spent most of the day figuring out and defining our focus in the other areas of our lives that we have dreams and plans for, such as travel, simplicity, financial, and international areas. A little problem with cash flow (as we save towards financial independence and retirement before anything else) was solved with a nice tax return and a generous settlement for the total write off of the old beat up Honda! We had been planning to donate it when we bought our new car as the trade in was very small. Then it was hit a few weeks ago, and so now it has been totaled by the offending party’s insurance company, and is being taken away with a nice cash sum. Worked out just fine in the end!

So with plan in hand, it looks like the rest of the year is going to be exciting and eventful. We are wanting to visit England some time this year to see Andy’s mum and dad’s new house, as well as making the customary quick trip to Europe … Evan’s pick this time … possible Dubrovnik, Berlin, Lisbon or Krakow! Next will be a trip to Beijing to hike the Great Wall of China. We have had to postpone a re-visit to Nepal until next year – both the orphanage and the massage clinic have asked us back, so it was hard to postpone it but it will happen soon. Both places have offered us accommodation too, so that was really nice as well.

We have made some exciting steps in other areas but for now they are top secret!!!
Next week, we’ll talk more about our upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic and what our plans are for that visit.

Here we are with the stars of the movie "Up" - from our recent trip to Disney. We queued for a while to get to them, but it meant a lot (strangely ... because yes we know they are not really the cartoon characters in the movie, but rather probably pissed off Disney employees wearing overlarge hot uncomfortable costumes ....) as the movie is so terrific and inspiring. If you haven't seen it, you should. We seemed to have identified with the old man, who rather than give in and move to a nursing home, follows his dreams, attaches thousands of helium balloons to his house and takes off on an adventure to a remote, tropical paradise .... (hint).
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“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” (Henry Thoreau)