WELCOME FELLOW TRAVELER!
Hi There! I’m Mary Vosika, founder of Golden Moments Going Places, a site dedicated to Baby Boomer Travelers.
Are you a Boomer who:
- Wants to experience the world in a different way?
- Is interested in sights most tourists don’t see?
- Appreciates the richness of world cultures?
- Is looking for travel tips and advice?
If so, then you’re in the right place!
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL FIND
- Travel tips and advice we have learned that will help you save time and money.
- In-depth reporting so you know what sights you really MUST see.
- Interviews with travel experts to keep you up-to-date- and in-the-know.
- A community of Baby Boomer travelers (mostly!) who are knowledgeable and supportive so you stay inspired and keep traveling.
HOW IT ALL STARTED, OR, A TALE OF TWO TICKETS
I grew up in the Finance Industry, specializing in retirement plans like 401(k) and 403(b). Boring stuff to most people but I loved it. Accounting. Administration. Compliance. I did my very best to ensure my clients had buckets of money for retirement. It was hard work with long hours, but each day I gave it my all.
Then one December my life changed for good. It was decades ago and came completely out of the proverbial blue. My boss called us all together for a staff meeting. All hands on deck was how he put it. We couldn’t help but think something was terribly wrong. It was mysterious. And to make matters worse he kept scowling at everyone. Maybe we were all getting fired. We didn’t know what to think.
We all sat, eyes darting everywhere, sullen faces turning this way and that. Not a word out of any of us.
The boss quietly asked us five team leaders to stand. I took a deep breath. I swear my legs were shaking. I knew we were getting fired. In front of everyone! Right before Christmas! What kind of grinch does that?
He handed each of us an envelope. I could see pink paper inside. Yep, this was it. A pink slip to end my career. He asked us to open our envelopes, one by one. Tears slid down my face. I couldn’t breathe.
And…to my surprise…my envelope contained a letter of gratitude and appreciation for my hard work. I was so relieved! I wasn’t fired at all!
But that pink paper…what was that?
Well, that was the biggest surprise. Two round-trip tickets to anywhere in the world. ANYWHERE! Once again, I could hardly breathe. I smiled a big, wide smile. More tears poured down my face, but this time for joy. I gave the boss a nod of thanks, and I saw he was beaming too.
I ran home to show Spouse my prize. He pulled me to him in a big bear hug, and we danced around the room like two silly kids. Anywhere in the world! We could go anywhere in the world! Wow!
And then…it hit us. We’d never been abroad. Where would we go? What would we do? How could we even start?
We scratched our heads, looked each other in the eye, and said simultaneously, “Let the research begin!”
And boy, oh boy, we did a lot of research. Countries, cities, passports, hotels, trains, passes, attractions, and a whole lot more. We told ourselves this would be our only chance so we’d better do it right.
Eventually…after six months to be exact…we decided on London and Bath as destination cities. Why? Well, for one, everybody spoke English. Of course, it was The Queen’s English, but at least we could understand that. And second, we were captivated by the rich history of England. Kings and Queens, betrayal and intrigue. Who could resist that? So we set our sights on England.
HAPPY ENDING
The trip was amazing! The sights and sounds of both London and Bath captured our hearts. The people, the cultures, the very soul of those cities became part of us. And it sparked a desire to experience more. That trip hooked us on the world.
We’ve been traveling ever since…all because of those two tickets…
Well, that’s our story. It’s been a pleasure to share it with you. We hope you’ll come along with us as we experience Golden Moments Going Places.
THANKS FOR VISITING!
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