Lets assume you have hundreds of millions of dollars and never have to work another day in your life.
Now let’s talk travel.
First of all, would you travel or would you just buy a home and plant roots?
And if you do travel, how long and how often?
And in what style and where?
My answer:
I would spend probably 6 months a year travelling. And the other six months in my fabulous mansion.
I would probaly fly first class - leg room, service and food. But I might not be that inclined to stay at 5 star luxury hotels, at least not all the time. I think part of the fun of travelling is to stay in small to mid-size hotels/pensions, travel by train and meet other people, hang out at a beach bar and drink cheap beer with the locals and other tourists, Slum through the flea markets, sample the food from local vendors, take a bus to the next town and wear jeans and t shirts and have la duffel bag for luggage.
I would probably do the world in sections. Spend six months going through South America. Then the following year, do six months in Asia. Then the following year Eastern Europe. At least three to four weeks in most large countries, just to get the feel for the language and culture. Maybe longer.
So - here is your $200 million dollars. Tell me about travel.
I’d build a house and then travel. Probably first class flights … but think i would rather stay in B&B type places whenever possible. I think i would travel 2 or 3 months and then be home 2 or 3 months. The first place i would go to is Japan, after that, however the spirit moves me.
Oh, and i’d hire language tutors so i can at least get the basics down.
I live out of a backpack when I travel, and I think I would continue to do this, it makes life so much simpler (and I don’t like people fussing over me) but there are lots of other things I would change if I had the money.
I certainly would have a couple of homes. They would not be that large but there would be more than one of them. One on the beach, one in a larger city. Perhaps I would discover and indulge my inner eccentricities.
I’d plan an around-the-world trip first, in which I would visit the Southern Hemisphere and perhaps find a home there, then later would spend my travel time in three-month increments, six months of the year. The biggest change for me would be that I would be able to travel in the fall. (As a teacher, I have rarely been able to go anywhere in September-October.)
I would likely have my own jet but also would enjoy doing an Atlantic crossing in an ocean liner.
I would certainly do the occasional 5 star hotel (you can meet fascinating people there just as you can in more modest places) but would also stay in B&B’s as well as plan on some really out-of-the-way unusual spots.
Have you been reading my mind? It seems EVERYONE I know has left the country on holday recently. Predictably most have been heading over to Surfers Paradise/BrisVegas or Fiji but my Aunt just got back from a 6 week trip to Veitnam and Cambodia. That made me reallllllly jealous.
My 200 mill? No I wouldn’t buy a house, well not until I got back. No first class either, I think that is a collosal waste of money. Wayyyyyyyyy back in the 80’s I left Aus with a one way ticket to Eygpt and $600 US. I got back to NZ 3 and a half years later, after having an incredible time.
So my 200 mill, Europe first (for old times sake), S.E Asia next (for the same reason). There is sooo much I want to see there. South America next, the culture is so very different from anything I am familar with. Next, a LONG time in India (Wow). After that the P.I’s, on a gorgeous sail boat (luxuary time) Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands…it is good to visit the neighbours. Next (can I take the sailboat?) the Carribean. Oh and I want one of those overland bus tour thingies in Africa.
I would buy loads of transportation, except buying a jet. The amount of time I’d actually fly, it would make more logical sense for me to charter a jet, then to buy one. This would leave mo’ money, fo’ mo’ vacation time! Own property in the Southwest part of the U.S. Find something in Mexico, as well as Canada. Honestly, I would rather spend large amounts of time in different areas rather then go somewhere every 2 weeks. Something like 1 year in the Australian region, then 6 months in California, a year in Mexico, etc…
Yep, I’d probably by a modest home out past the exurbs, but not a mansion.
THEN I’d travel in several different ways.
I’ve wanted to take a coast-to-coast train ride, but I’ve never had the time and in this case I would.
I’d travel to all the different continents. Don’t think I’d travel first class (I agree, a collossal waste of money) but I’d *definitely * do better than coach on long legs like, say, going to Australia from anywhere else. Stay in nice but not luxurious accomodations because, let’s face it, I’m not going there to spend all day in bed. Probably do one continent a year.
Meanwhile, back in the US, I’d buy an airplane - not a jet, but a two or four seat prop plane and use it to travel all over and really see this vast country and probably Canada, too. Would also do some road trips.
But I’d also spend an equal amount of time at home working on my scrapbooks of all these travels.
I’d combine the two: buy/build several homes around the world, and spend the year between them. The basic list would include a posh flat in London, a farm in Ireland, a ranch in Wyoming, a high-rise condo in San Diego and a big-ass yacht for cruising the Caribbean. Private jets are too freaking expensive to have on-line all the time. Better to charter and write it off as a business expense.
If it were 10 years ago, I would say that I’d travel extensively all over the world - a month here, then a month somewhere else. Now, however, I have pets and I cannot and would not leave them alone for months on end. The way I’d work it now would be to travel for 3-6 months at a time to some fabulous place, where I would rent a house/villa/apartment that would accommodate me and my pets. I’d have one “base” home, which I’d buy. Let’s just say that was in MA, where I am now. A typical year might be: May, June, July: at home in MA; September, October: southern France; December, January, February: Florida coast; March, April: Greek islands. I would not buy a jet (unless you fly a LOT, they are not worth it); I’d charter private, though, so that I could bring my animals with me on board with me. The next year would be different places.
So, who wants to buy me some lottery tickets or put me in their will?
I’d buy a sizeable piece of Africa, probably in Namibia - less crime and the issue of land claims is not too much of a problem. I’d get rid of any fences on the land, although my boundaries would still be very clear. Strategically placed signs will say, “Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.”
Wild animals would have full access to and protection on the land.
I’d have a main house with 5 little guest cottages for friends, family and anyone else of like mind wanting to get away from it all. I would have two or even more dogs, probably Rhodesian ridgebacks, a battered 110 Defender in the driveway, and a pristine Range Rover in the garage.
I’d hire a manager and then travel extensively, mostly overland through Africa, and then I’d tour the Australian outback.
I’d probably start off by going on a round-the-world cruise. We’d work something out with the Cunard line so we could have one of the largest suites and be able to have our four cats with us. That seems like it would be the simplest solution to the pet dilemma. After that I’m uncertain; I think what we saw on the cruise would inform subsequent decisions.
I would spend about half my time in NYC and then fly first class to Paris and from there take trains or drive around Europe. (Staying in nice places) But I would want ground transport just to see the countryside.
I would spend the months of July and August in NYC with twenty air conditioners running all the time on full blast.
Actually if I had hundreds of millions of dollars I would buy all the lotto scratch tickets. I would be bound to win big.
I’d have a nice house “up north”, maybe in northern Michigan, and a nice condo “down south”, maybe Miami, maybe Fort Myers. I’d stay in Michigan from May through October, then snowbird south to Florida.
I’d travel to all the most likely places first, all the big cities. I would stay in each one until I was tired of the place. When I got tired of living out of a suitcase I would come home for a few months. I would probably eventually find a couple areas in the world I like the most, and visit them the most.
I wouldn’t stay in the super swanky hotels, but I would stay in nice ones. I’d probably be on the road about half of the year. Where do I sign up?
Change Namibia for SA, and the 110 for a 90, (and used. With a snorkel.) and you’ve exactly described my ideal retirement. However, as far as travel is concerned, I would never be able to plan it out. I’m probably start out with a month in Thailand, but from there, who knows? Depends on my mood at the time.
