From a thread on Trollope19thCStudies:
I've spent huge amounts on travel -- with the Admiral in the 1990s (when he was earning a lot). And bought stuff that's useless.
But another aspect of the CFP is how much we take away that's intangible and transformative. My feeling is to experience the latter we have to stay away for at least a few months and at a minimum get away from packaged experiences. Get off the bus, get away from other Americans, stay in the hotels the people of the country stay in (better yet rent an apartment in an apartment building filled with natives), shop in their stores, eat in their restaurants, and try to get to know a few people there.
An intended year's stay in the UK changed my life -- As in Reader, I married him (the young man I met there is now my husband of 43 years) and stayed on for another year and more. Traveling in Europe for a month or so now and again, all over the UK for 2 years between 1969 and 71, and then again mostly the UK and once to Italy (5 weeks) and twice to France (3 weeks) taught me a lot. I came back with books. The latter times I met friends who I had met here on the Net; the former times friends from university and when I was alone I just made friends (so to speak).
The problem for the US person nowadays is to go outside western Europe and its satellites is dangerous because of US foreign policy. Rightly we are seen as little atoms of a state gov't and miltia which devastates other countries to keep them safe investments for the super-wealthy and US people become targets. Who would I tell how against all this I am. I'd love to go to India but think I would find myself in bandbox. Could I really see Turkey?
I'd go to Austalia and New Zealand -- love to go there -- because of my reading of Trollope and books written by people there -- but the Admiral says it's too far and won't listen. So I probably will not get there.'ve been able to give my girls a little feel of their English background. We went to all the neolithic sites once; we've stayed in Landmark places with them. We stayed in Hampton court place the gardener's house for a week. 3 weeks in London with a friend. A week in Bath. Devonshire, a gatehouse. A 15th century manor hall in Somerset. So they have something of their originating roots genetically & culturally.
I want to go back and stay in Cornwall and return to the Lake District. I hope Yvette will come with us to some of this.
Sylvia