Last trip was August 2008 when we took the kids (14 & 7 then) for a month. Yes it was expensive – I figure nearly $13k for the 30 day trip for 4. Ouch, I know. It works out to just over $100/person/day, so maybe not all that bad for everything. It was only that high because we paid for 3 flights (hubby's work paid his as he had to work for 3 days in Munich which is what started the whole trip). This time the flights will be free so we should be well under $10k for a month. Last time we did 3 days in Rome, 12 day cruise (Pisa, Monte Carlo, Naples, Santorini, Ephysus, Mykonos, Athens, Olympia, Corfu, ending in Venice); 3 nights in Venice, train through the Alps to Munich for 5 nights; 6 days driving through southern and western Germany to Frankfurt for the flight home.

Still trying to figure out the route for this summer's trip. Plan A is Spain and northern Italy (Barcelona, Milan, Florence, Lake Como area, Cinque Terre region). Plan B is Paris for a week,then a ~10 day Baltic cruise (Copenhagen, Oslo, St Petersburg, Amsterdam etc) followed by a week in London.

Yes travelling like this now delays our early retirement my a few years, but it's a choice we're consciously making so that we can travel while our kids are still at home. We've cut our basic expenses down to 55% of our take home pay so that we can boost our retirement savings and make extra mortgage payments with the plan of retiring in our early/mid 50s. Yes we could retire a little earlier if we waited to travel in our retirement but we've decided having these memories with our kids it more important. My daughter still talks about the gondola ride in Venice and the donkey ride up the cliff on Santorini. My son went for a ride in a Ferrari around the streets that form the Formula 1 route in Monte Carlo. The picture of him grinning from the passenger seat still sits his night stand.

The kids are reading travel books and I've asked them to pick three cities or sites they's like to see. In addition to contributing to planning this trip they are already thinking down the road and have suggested Australia, Africa and Peru for future trips. Getting them involved in the planning seems to make the connection for them when we choose not to spend on a giant TV, the latest gaming system, or go to restaurants for anything other than a very special occassion. They are very clear that the trips are instead of other things and are fine with it. Hopefully we're instilling in them that we can't do everything so we'll do the things that are most important to us, which isn't necessarily what their friend's families are doing.

i don't think i could go away for 5 weeks yet, but i support you all the way baby!

I completely understand what you mean by when you wake up you think about blogging. I think that's all I do now. I THINK in blog speak… (e.g. when I think of something, i think it might be a good post). I'm just a newbie, but have caught the blogging bug bad!

Blogging is an engrossing mistress and sometimes a harsh one (maybe she could put out more often–just sayin'). While "balance" may be overrated, sanity isn't, nor is getting out and doing stuff. I will want to see pictures. :)