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Scotland - 2026
A Journal of Slow Travel Arrival in Scotland The return from an overseas trip usually stirs a mixture of emotions: disappointment that the adventure is over tempered by relief at being home. Our recent trip to Scotland was different. We came home relieved to sleep in our own bed, of course, but both of us were so enamored with Scotland that the disappointment of leaving was much stronger than usual. After our spectacular house-sit in Wellow, England, the previous year, Martha
gcarroll5217
Aug 2930 min read


Sedona, Arizona-2026
Our second trip to Sedona. It's enchanting, otherworldly and we jumped at the chance to go back and explore. Weird housesitting story on how this trip came about. One of Martha's best friends, Laura, from our old home in Purcellville, moved to Sedona. Laura knows we do housesitting and a friend of hers in Sedona was looking for one, so Laura connected her with Martha. This couple was going away for a couple weeks and wanted someone to stay in their home to watch over thei
gcarroll5217
Apr 302 min read


Thailand - 2026
We've done several family trips in the past; London/Paris, San Francisco, Mexico, Park City, Utah. But going to Thailand was a milestone family trip; though it came about almost incidentally. Jamie has been living in Thailand for the last eight years (now alternating with Buenos Aires) and was urging us to visit. We'd been reluctant because of the distance and the heat. But we finally succumbed. In planning, I seem to recollect mentioning it to Patrick and he jumped
gcarroll5217
Feb 1822 min read


England & Portugal - 2025
A house-sit in England prompted this trip. We've done some 15 house-sits domestically through Trusted Housesitters , building up our credentials and plotting to take some overseas. It's a way to travel cheaply, but perhaps more importantly, it provides an opportunity to live in a more relaxed atmosphere like a local. This is another instance of Martha pushing me beyond my normal comfort zone and it's been rewarding. We've experienced places and met interesting people tha
gcarroll5217
Nov 10, 202514 min read


Arizona & Utah - 2025
This trip was instigated because of the easy accommodation in Sedona, Arizona by Martha's friend, Laura McCarthy, who, along with her...
gcarroll5217
Mar 16, 202511 min read


Balkans Excursion - 2024
It had been a long time coming. Throughout 2023 Martha and I had been discussing and debating our next overseas trip. Portugal? ...
gcarroll5217
May 15, 202431 min read


Hopscotching - 2023
A natural assumption about retirement is that you're free to do whatever, whenever. Good in theory, but there are always other...
gcarroll5217
Mar 19, 20246 min read


France 2022!
Going overseas, especially anyplace in Europe, sounds exotic. To family, friends and the obligatory social media audience, there's even a...
gcarroll5217
Jul 8, 202228 min read


Park City, Utah - Jan. 2022
We'd arranged a ski trip to Utah - instigated by a wistful comment by Chris - for January. Skiing - and eventually snowboarding - we...
gcarroll5217
Feb 15, 20224 min read


Summer '21-Michigan, Indiana, Nashville, Smokies
Following the New England trip in June, we made the annual pilgrimage to Castle Park in late July. Martha had to attend meetings of the...
gcarroll5217
Oct 3, 20217 min read


New England Road Trip
We left Richmond at about 7 am on Saturday, June 19 for the drive up to Boston. With backups on the George Washington bridge in New York...
gcarroll5217
Jun 27, 202113 min read


New Discoveries - Amid the Lockdown
Covid has driven everyone stir crazy. Outdoor activities have become more popular and small excursions have been a way to safely relieve...
gcarroll5217
Mar 8, 20213 min read


Spain Again - 2019
We loved Spain so much on the trip in 2018 and felt there was so much more to see; especially Barcelona which seems to be on everyone's...
gcarroll5217
Oct 26, 201915 min read


Spain - 2018
(original post) We'd started planning a trip as soon as we knew that our youngest, Nathan, was leaving for Nashville, effectively leaving...
gcarroll5217
Nov 20, 201814 min read


London-Paris - 2015
(Note: An abbreviated recollection taken from casual notes) We took Icelandair to save some money, leaving Dulles and stopping in...
gcarroll5217
Apr 25, 20156 min read


Costa Rica - 2013
Since Jamie is now in San Francisco and the other three are at Camp Highlands, Martha and I decided to spend some of my LLS windfall that...
gcarroll5217
Jul 13, 20133 min read
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