1. Introduction

Thank you so much, dear Chris, for setting up this blog! I'll try to send you the mail which we have written about our journey. This is the first installment. A big thank you hug from Ziggy Novak

House exchange arrangements via the Univac Exchange Program:

November 3-December 10  in  Vaihingen/Ens (South Germany, near Stuttgart)

(our home base for the year)

Werner Hamberger (cousin)          Almut Scholtz van der Hewel (sister)

Dec. 10-30. in Vienna

Brigitta Goeschl-Pratsch

  

Carnival- Fasching - Fastnacht Season    

Feb.12-March 8. in Berlin

Nikolaus Basedow

March 10 -April 15   in Berlin/Tegel 

Anita Malchow-Juncker 

April 17-May 15 outside of Paris

21. 4.-15.5.//Janet Ingram & John Cary 

May 20-June 15  in  Wroclaw/Breslau. Sigrid's hometown in Silesia, now Poland

. Stanislaw & Sofia Bogdanski

 Wroclaw/Breslau:

+cottage near mt Sleza  & Radunia in Sulistrowiczki

Left OPEN on purpose

these are possibilities:

 Rykyavik, Iceland; 

North Germany/ Dresden/ Rostock 

Barcelon, Spain

Scotland

Introduction

Ten years ago we retired to Rancho Palos Verdes, the most desirable location imaginable: perfect climate, stunning natural surroundings, a beautiful condo complex with all the amenities and facilities one could imagine, and above all, congenial neighbors who soon became good friends. During these ten years not a day has gone by without us thanking our good fortune for having been so lucky as to find such idyllic retirement conditions after a stressful and difficult working life. 

A couple of months ago three things happened almost simultaneously which changed our lives: Richey's 80th birthday was approaching; two good friends and neighbors of our age died unexpectedly; and  at that same time an email arrived from the INTERVAC agency containing an offer for a home exchange next spring with a couple from France.  

Thus an idea was born for adventure: Yes, let us check out this home exchange opportunity in Europe. What did we have to lose by taking risks when we can lose it all while staying in our paradise? We definitely needed a change, but did we want a challenge too? Could we still take such a risk in our late 70s? Didn't we have health issues lately?

Our ideas and questions came fast and furiously: Home exchanges? Of course we could offer up our beautiful condo for exchanges. Where would we want to go? Probably to Central Europe. When would that be? As soon as we can organize it?  For how long would we want to stay? A month? A year??? What about experiencing a whole year's cycle with the local populations: Oktoberfest in Munich... Christmas and New Year in Vienna... Carneval along the Rhine or Fasching in the Black Forest? Spring in Paris? Why not? Why not aim for it all? 

What would be  most important for Richey? What are my priorities?

We had not been as alive with ideas and projects and hopes in many a year!

It was then that the awareness struck us : Yes, we did need to challenge ourselves and why not do it in the way we like most: traveling, exploring, living abroad for a while; in Europe? In France? Germany? Austria? Why not do it all!

The real question was: how soon could we leave?  And we now knew: As soon as we could set up home exchanges; because without rental expenses, we could live abroad indefinitely. Our day-to-day expenses would be essentially the same as in RPV. Thus transportation would be our only real problem. 

The internet is such a great facilitator: I searched the web pages of "INTERVAC" (International Vacational Exchange), a reputable home exchange service. There I found all the information I needed to contact people who  had indicated their interest in visiting and exploring Southern California: I chose to contact those living near Paris, in Germany, in Vienna, Austria and in Wroslav, Poland,

The question of when and for how long to stay would solve itself when we see the response to our Intervac inquiries .  How long did we want to be away?  Why not aim for a whole year?  Our brain wanted to say: slow down, not so fast! But our heart yearned to fly again... For as long as we could keep it up... so why not aim for a whole year ...  and leave the specifics to chance and opportunity ... 

I got lucky which musty be a good omen: in a few weeks I had found some twelve families who were very interested in spending time in Palos Verdes. 

Once we got started, our ideas just snowballed and there was no stopping us: To venture out again, to take a risk, a leap of faith, and trust that we could have yet another adventure, other opportunities at our age ... Such dreaming was possible because we knew that we could always return to our condo in beautiful Palos Verdes at any time. With that assurance we felt safe to dare. It gave us the confidence and courage for adventure. 

     Thus the idea was borne and quickly evolved into possibility and then realization. 

Richey began writing short general presentations about America which would be appropriate to give in high schools or public forums.