Host From Hell: A New Plan

I’ve read so many comments about travelers having the worst host possible or dirty accommodations that look nothing like the pictures.  When I decided to book my rooms through AirBnB I only stayed in places that had 20 or more reviews.  However, when I was booking for Johannesburg there weren’t any available rooms that would fit my budget and that had an opening for a month so I took a chance.  There was a new listing, the pictures were great, and I messaged the host before booking to get more information.  Everything has been wonderful.  The refrigerator had a few necessities, the cabinets had cleaning supplies, the host gave me a 20-page information packet with “Things to Do,” and they have been beyond kind and helpful.  Luckily, I haven’t had to experience any bad host.  I’ve enjoyed a few evenings out on the patio with them, their friends, and their family and it’s made me miss mine.

I’ve been enjoying my stay in the AirBnBs so much I started thinking buying another house would be a good idea.  The biggest problem has been deciding where I want to live.  Do I move back to Georgia or someplace else?  Do I want to live abroad permanently?  I don’t know.  If I return to the States I’d have to start looking for a house, preferably a duplex or something with a finished basement, I’d need to buy a vehicle, and all the planning just seems overwhelming.  My home buying, owning, and selling experiences were draining and I feel like if I buy another house then I’m stuck.

Instead of deciding, I’ve came up with a new plan. This new plan takes me back to my high school days when I thought I’d travel across the U.S. in an RV after I graduated, before I completed college applications and was offered a full scholarship, before I thought my ideas and desires were unattainable.    I talked to my daughter about continuing our travels but taking a break first.  Our new plan is to travel across the U.S. and through Central and South America in a camper van.  That solves the transportation and living situation.  While I thought we’d be traveling abroad for at least a year I do need a break so I’m going to cut our travels abroad short and spend three months in the U.S.  Originally, my mini was going to stay with her dad for two months after we returned so that will still work, it’ll just be sooner than we planned.  During that time I can buy a used camper van and get any repairs that need to be made completed.  I also want to take a vehicle maintenance class – I don’t want to be stuck on the side of a highway and not know how to change a tire.

I’m thinking we’ll be back by January, five months earlier than planned, and then we’ll take off again around May.  I am still going to complete the workaway in Nairobi and another in Tanzania.  After that I want to go to Egypt, India, and Thailand.  They will be quick and short trips.  We also promised to visit our host in Koln before we depart for the other side of the ocean.  The travel will continue just in a new form.