Because I have no wife…
I never had the nerve to do much after college. I moved back home, got a job as a manager at Lancer’s, did some substitute teaching and waited for Rob to finish college. Not Andy Polley! Here’s what he decided to do:
I absolutely love to travel. Whether it’s a state over or a country or two away, my passion is hitting the open road and skies. So far in my 25 years, I have been to 48 states and 7 countries. And, of course, with my upcoming trip, these numbers will only grow.
As it stands now, my goal is to add an additional 30 countries and 3 continents. But as with any traveling
experience, I will adjust throughout the trip. If I fall in love with a place (or girl!), I will stay. If I don’t like a place, I will leave.Everyone always asks how I am able to travel. True, travel costs money. But so does everything else…the truth is, you will pay for whatever you want. If it is a car, you will work towards that car. If it is an iPod, you will throw your cash towards that iPod. For me, my money goes to travel.
But with this trip, I am going a bit differently. I am only taking $300 with me. … I want to learn the languages, stay with the local families, eat the local dishes, and play with the local kids! …Money may get tight. My stomach may yearn for food. But I am trusting the people of this world, and I am
confident that it will pay off.
Andy Polley is SURELY the next one red paper clip guy! His website, Because I Have No Wife, is kept up-to-date with great photos and detailed accounts. Check out his hosts and his blog. I didn’t have the nerve to travel before settling down, but I definitely think I could do this in my 50’s.
His itinerary, so far:
September 5-6–Glasgow, Scotland, to London, England
August 30–Glasgow to Clyde (Hills) to Glasgow, Scotland
August 28–Shannon Airport to Glasgow, Scotland
August 28–Limerick to Shannon Airport, Ireland
August 27–Cork to Limerick, Ireland
August 27–Cork to Blarney to Cork, Ireland
August 26–Cork to Cobh to Cork, Ireland
August 24–Cork to Youghal to Cork, Ireland
August 21–Dublin to Cork, Ireland
August 20–Galway to Dublin, Ireland
August 19–Dublin to Galway, Ireland
August 13–Springfield, IL to Chicago, IL, to Dublin, Ireland
He is in Portugal now, learning a bit more about himself and us all:
…But as always happens, where people congregate, businesses develop. And within spitting distance of the castle, restaurants were starting to take root. Tourists were walking down the cobblestone roads, and beautiful marble tiles were replacing the old rocky walkways leading to the castle. Silves was becoming a tourist town. And quickly. In five years, I am more than confident that the town will completely transform. These once-cheap houses will now be sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The local restaurants will face stiff competition from bigger chains. Best Western. The Hilton. And the like. And for the first time, I began to see what I had missed numerous times before. It’s the same story of Wal-Mart, highways, and the movie Cars. Times are changing, for sure. And it is all for the sake of money.
Locals are selling their houses for fortunes. Businesses are eager to pay out the costs of these houses, because they see bigger fortunes in the upcoming years. And the jewels of Portugal, the Silves’ of Portugal, the reason why I travel, all of a sudden turn into the tourist traps of Portugal. It matters now whether I travel to Dublin, London, Paris, Glasgow, Las Vegas, or New York. I will meet the rest of the world there. The small tiny town of Silves will no longer be Portuguese. It will be global. And it’s all for the sake of money…
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