Asta,
You make me blush and laugh. I would say “break the cycle”! Remember, three years ago I had never been outside the United States… well… okay… I had been to Tijuana, Mexico; the Canadian side of Niagara Falls… and I had taken a discounter cruise to Nassau, Bahamas. I was certainly not “road tested” when I took the plunge… and at times… I’m still not road tested. Just blessed.
At this point, the struggle is to not taking the opportunities for granted. I constantly try to hold onto the childlike wonder of my youth, in regards to the world. It was always so overwhelming, untouchable, and unavailable… seeing it was always a fantastical idea… and now? Well, now I just have to remind myself that it’s still fantastical… and that it is still so much bigger than I will ever be… and that just because it’s available and tangible and a bit less overwhelming… it’s a privilege.
Asta? Bite the bullet. It’s settled… you have to see the country of your birth. Tytan hath spoken. And yes, the “Titan’s” are the children of Zeus… lol.
Let’s stop talking about it and start planning the trip. My first piece of advice… focus on summertime. For some reason, my wife and I don’t know how to vacation in the summertime. Every time we go somewhere cool it’s freezing. Lol.