re: Do you like to travel?

I would definitely fly in and out of Seatle then. There is plenty to see and do for 6-8 days in that area. Your wife would love Port Townsend as well.

Don't care for flying, but for the past few years we've been driving to every karate tournament within 8 hours or so. That used to be a long drive for me, but now 6-7 hours seems short. Used to kill my back on long drives, but the new car with heated back massagers makes a world of difference. We try to make most of our long weekend trips mini- vacations, but the wife working put a damper on that to an extent. Don't mind flying a few times a year. Right now we're in Virginia, and I wish we had another extra day or two to hit Monticello and Mt. Vernon, but we will do Jamestown, Yorktown, and Colonial Williamsburg. Traveling for tournaments really opened a whole new world, because we're seeing a bunch of cities I never would have planned vacations to otherwise. In the past few years we've hit Chicago, St. Louis, Vegas, Hilton Head, Sandestin, Ft. Lauderdale, San Antonio, El Paso, Richmond, Anaheim...in addition to the usuals like Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Orlando, etc. I thoroughly enjoy traveling now.

That military life

As someone else mentioned, traveling for business can get tiring. I still love the thrill of showing up at the airport and getting to my destination, but putting the suit on and eating alone gets dull.

Personal travel is always a thrill. It's one of the few things in life for me that is always new and exciting, especially traveling internationally. We get so used to our daily routine and comfort zone, that traveling really breaks down those walls and forces you to see things differently. I also think the nostalgia is the most memorable part. Time has a funny way of making you realize how fun and enjoyable life has been.