TRAVEL PLANNING IN ADVANCE

Travel planning began a year ago, unbeknownst to me.

A couple we know had taken a cruise and were ready for their next adventure.

Turns out these people are more adventurous than most, with a passion for learning new things.

We had connected through yard-bragging one evening at Andina in NW Portland before a Portland Center Stage show at the Gerding Theater in the Armory.

How else do you meet new friends?

A year of travel planning later we met in Swindon a day after they arrived to England on a boat. We flew in.

But before we met up?

Day One?

Renaissance Hotel near Heathrow with authentic Indian food dinner and full English breakfast on steroids buffet to work off the jet lag.

Day Two?

Get a car.

Car Agent: I’ve had people in here after a twenty hour flight from Australia who made me wonder if I should rent them a car. You did the smart thing and took a night first.

Later I parked the car in Bath for an undetermined amount of money. A local told me Bath is famous for its parking ripoff stories.

Good to know, but I’ve got Jo on my side.

Travel planning changes as fast as GPS in a roundabout, if it even registers the roundabout on the screen.

That’s why you need the onboard directions and a co-pilot navigating on a phone so you won’t get lost, or go around in circles.

Travel planning in advance helps clear the doubt about complicated travel.

Do it right and you’ll know where you’re going, how you’ll get there, and when you’ll get back.

But that changes if your wife does the Fosbury Flop over the open dishwasher llid and breaks something.

If everyone isn’t healthy.

Things also change when someone finds a kindred spirit.

Eric Sparkes is just that, a kindred spirit and more.

He was the right guy at the right time, an authentic connection to spend time with. How do I know?

After I accused him of trying to hustle my wife, he volunteered to drive us over to Avebury.

To be safe, I asked him if was a wanted kidnapper. He got the joke and said ‘no, but if I were . . . ?’

All afternoon he regaled us with local history, changes, and a silent lesson on how to navigate the lanes and pull-outs and roundabouts.

This was a driver. I know because he is my aspirational driver.

With a sure-command of his vehicle, he took control of the road like a seasoned professional.

I’ve been struggling with staying in my left hand lane to the point of my wife giving up and thinking about a train, but now my confidence is back.

Thank you, Eric and your Toyota Prius. See you in Portland.