WOW: Giving Back

Bill discussing with the volunteers of a Habitat project in an ongoing build site in Ocala, Florida

We have been so fortunate. We are able to retire in relative comfort, our children are all doing very well, and the only thing we need to do is travel and be happy. The universe has conspired to provide us everything we needed as we were struggling to build our families and a life of our own: opportunities, resources, money, people, health, talents, and more. Now it is truly time to give back. This is our fourth resolution.

In the past I devoted my payback efforts towards helping my third world home country. The Philippines has, besides giving me birth, provided me with plenty of opportunities to excel. I also used to think being part of the Philippine Institute for the Deaf, the non-profit school teaching the deaf to speak founded by my mother and sister would be enough. But the school is in good hands now and doing well.

Then Bill and April, my youngest daughter, participated in Seven Fund's competition for projects that would increase livelihood for the Philippines. Bill entered GEM, Go and Experience Manila, a proposal to build a powerful tourism website, and April entered PinoySEEDE, Source for Executives and Educators for the Development of Entrepreneurs in the Philippines. Unfortunately both lost since the contest was primarily looking for livelihood projects.

Bill’s DU friend, Doug Miller, is founder of the EVPA, European Venture Philanthropy Association, and is now Chair of AVPN, the Asia Venture Philanthropy Network. Bill is helping him evaluate BKP, a non-profit setting up small libraries in the Philippines. Perhaps even without winning a grant or utilizing this connection, Bill and I can found a simple nonprofit that will provide a college scholarship grant to an indigent gifted student to help her bring her family out of poverty, much as my mother and I were helped.

But I should really get involved with social problems here in the US, too! We have been thinking about what we can do within our chosen cruising lifestyle. It has to be a cause that does not tie us to a particular place but also gives us the chance to impact the lives of not just a few!  One idea was given to us by Father Jack, Bill's friend and pastor in the West SEattle parish: 1) the study of best Catholic parish practices in reaching out to its community. I have also read about Learning Camps on Wheels. We can also turn our RV into a Soup Kitchen on wheels!

When we were in Americus, Georgia, visitiing the International Headquarters of Habitat for Humanity, (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/11/ola-turning-wounds-into-wisdom-oprah.html), we found out that there is a group called Care-a-Vanners for RV travel with a purpose. We simply have to schedule our volunteer time at a build site in a preferred state. Volunteers park their RVs for a week or two and help build new homes. An ongoing schedule of build sites can be found in http://www.habitat.org/cd/rv/schedule.aspx .

We visited the nearest Habitat build site to our campground, the Ocala Ongoing Build Site. This is an experimental project, helping a low-income mom with a handicapped child rebuild her home. She gave the last of her savings to an unscrupulous contractor tor who was supposed to do all the repairs (her roof had caved in). But he ran away with all of her money without completing anything. The city government gave a small grant to Habitat which, in turn, provided the volunteers to work on her home.

As in every major decision we make, we built decision matrices for these options. We came up with the following criteria to include in our analysis:  required skills, passion for the activity, ease of approach to a community, immediate need, and future impact. We have completed the matrices and the result surprised us…the simpler, the better. So, for the payback in the US, volunteering our efforts to Habitat bested the other two ideas. And for help for the Philippines, a simple scholarship fund would be the best!. 

Thus even without a grant or connection, we may be able to start giving back. Not that we have not been doing tha but this time, it will be a collaboration between Bill and me. Then giving back should be doubly  rewarding!

WOW: Focusing on Health

getting prepped for the procedure

This post about my health issues was bumped off early in December because of Bill’s unexpected heart attack. Back then, superstitions come to my mind. Teresa, the ER nurse, said it is probably because it was a Lunar Eclipse that day (Dec. 8, 2011) and during such times, ERs experience a sharp increase in cases! I said that maybe I shouldn’t have scheduled writing about health issues! Look what happened after!

Stress Management

Well, Bill had his second coronary artery (75% blocked) worked on last Thursday and another stent was inserted. Technically, his heart is now almost as good as new! But through the ordeal, I was so stressed that I fell victim to several health issues right after. He jokingly said I just felt left out because he was getting all the attention!  But stress has always been an issue. That is why I retired from the Philippine business landscape early and why I retired from teaching/counseling in Seattle after only 2 years!

After his first procedure, my sciatic nerve got inflamed and I could scarcely walk for a couple of days, practically leaving Bill to his own recovery. As soon as that was gone, a three week ordeal of hives, affecting different parts of my body, began. I went to four doctors but it still raged. When I stopped taking all that was prescribed, the hives subsided, only to reappear the night before Bill’s second procedure! Again, the culprit appears to be stress!

drinking water after the procedure

Consistent Good Healthcare

But the cruising lifestyle allows us a more relatively stress-free life. However, it also prevents us from getting consistent health care. Bill had to wait for our 6-week Indiana/Ohio leg in August to September before he could have arthroscopic surgery even though it had been recommended by his primary physician before we left for Manila in February! All that time I had several ongoing health issues.

When we were in Manila, I consulted my former cardiologist, stress management doctor, and gastro-enterologist.  After all, health care costs are about a third of those in the US. I was told I had no cardiovascular problems but an endoscopy revealed that I had 3 tiny ulcers resulting in GERD. And my anxiety had everything to do with the very worries about these health issues! But despite the medication, the symptoms never really left.

So now that we are in Florida for several months, I have consulted with the Florida Center for Digestive Health. My medication was quickly changed to a stronger proton pump inhibitor. Dr. Ruderman also scheduled me for an upper right quadrant abdominal ultrasound, an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. Results are all good. Lo and behold, the issues are all gone! Even the lingering hives!

finally getting a much needed rest

Other Necessities

Superstitions and stress aside, Bill and I both just have to continue to eat well and exercise regularly. A national medical system of patient records would also help so a doctor in any state can see the entire history and our primary physician can still exercise overall stewardship. A comprehensive but affordable health insurance will also help me think less of costs.  At 67, Bill already has all of these. I will have to wait 2 more years!

I also would like to become a more enlightened patient so I can discuss my case with doctors and even understand why I need to make necessary lifestyle changes. The PH Miracle (keeping the balance between acidity and alkalinity in our bodies) has opened my eyes to alkaline water, as my friend Jingjing has long suggested. I have also added more alkaline foods like green veggies, gelatin and avocado to my diet and minimized acidic ones like meat and sweets. 

Although Bill agrees, he also thinks that I have to be careful of what I read and be sure there is good science and solid empirical evidence to support the recommendations. He thinks some of the best-selling health books are nothing more than a new version of the legendary “snake oil sales pitch”. Oh the travails of getting old!  But Bill also reminds me that getting old is certainly better than the alternative!

WOW: Slowing Down, Taming our Bucket List

a lovely park model by the sea, an option for Stage 5

When Bill suffered the heart attack (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/12/wow-getting-scared.html), friends cautioned us to slow down. My children who were just here for the holidays also said so!  Bill disagrees.  We are younger than many we meet in the campgrounds and he feels the level of activity and stress will be as great or even greater if we settle into one place (especially with my propensity for boredom). But the arrival of 2012 has nudged us to look down the road and begin to think about Stages 4 and 5 (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2010/04/going-through-five-stages-of-cruising.html).

trade show goers lining up to inspect a $2 M RV

The choice of settling down in the US or the Philippines is a no-brainer because most of our children, all grandkids, and majority of siblings are here in the US. But it should be in a place where temperatures go only to lows of 60s during the day even in winter months (these old farts don’t do well in the cold)! The following cities make the grade: San Diego, LA, and Palm Springs for California, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, and Lake Havasu for Arizona, Brownsville and Corpus Christi for Texas, and most cities in Florida!

a brand new Mountain Aire, $500K

To pin down the city, we can use the following criteria: proximity to children, local attractions, quality of healthcare, availability of Thousand Trails campgrounds (all free of charge up to 2022), availability of Ballys Fitness Centers (Bill has a free lifetime membership), proximity to water and/or mountains,  and sales, income, and property tax structure (especially for Stage 5). If we construct a decision matrix, the clear winners are 1) Orlando, Florida, 2) Tucson or Phoenix, Arizona, and 3) San Diego, California.

the interior of the brand new Mountain Aire

This is what emerges as a strategy. For sunbirding in Stage 4, we should opt for Orlando, Florida or, alternatively, San Diego, California because these two have many Thousand Trails campgrounds. Ten years from now, we can proceed to nest in Stage 5 and choose Phoenix or Tucson, Arizona which do not have any. In fact, San Diego may make more sense than Orlando because during Stage 4 we will not be full time residents anyway and therefore not subject to the state’s higher tax structure. California is nearer our children’s homes. 

an Italian villa for European sojourns in Stage 4? 

Stage 4 means rotating among available campgrounds in the sunbirding chosen area as opposed to being permanently in one.  When we nest in Stage 5, we may even choose a condominium complex with the same amenities and activities over a park model in a campground. We went to the Florida RV Trade Association Show at the State Fairgrounds last Saturday to look at options of brand new motorhomes and park models for these 2 stages. We found out that a brand new Mountain Aire would cost us about $500,000 (there was even a $2 M motorhome!) and a modern Net Zero 500 sq. ft. park model would be around $100 K.

an RV Resort for sunbirding in Stage 4?

To choose the specific location for nesting, we shall use the following criteria in another decision matrix: proximity to a supermarket, Ballys or another good exercise facility, a Catholic church, a good hospital, amenities, and activities. Most retirement communities have all these features. In the final analysis, beginning 2013 when we would have finished Stage 3 (sight-seeing/relaxing) in North America and we would be begin our extensive travels in countries abroad, we do have to have a slower schedule here as sunbirds for rest periods, staying around southern California, if not Florida, 3-6 months a year!

a 55+ condominium complex for Stage 5?

We have also decided not to cover countries outside of North America by cruising in an RV. We concede…we are already getting on in years and we need more conveniences in traveling. Besides cruising means a pace, not a specific means of transportation! For instance, renting apartments in central locations in Europe and making them bases for road trips to nearby attractions may be the best way to cruise Europe (even less expensive).

The rest of the world will be through the best hotel/flight deals. We will go out of the country for three months at a time, visit the children and siblings the other three months, and rest the other 6 months. This way we may be able to cover Europe in 2-3 trips, Australasia in another 2-3, Central America and South America, 3-4, and Africa, 1-2. This is how we can slow down and still cover the rest of the world! It will take us all the way to 2022 when we should be able to completely settle down. It is called taming our bucket list!

Being Closer to Family, an Orlando Reunion OLA

an enchanting Loch Ness monster on Pleasure Island in Downtown Disney

New Year's Eve dinner at Giordano's, our treat! 

"A thing is mighty big when time and distance cannot shrink it". Such is family. Just as 2011 was ending, the Aberions  from Seattle, Washington (eldest daughter Trisha, her husband DJ and grandkids Yeye and Kenji) and  the Vidallos from Calgary, Alberta, Canada  (second daughter Claudine and her husband Arnold and grandkids Ashton, Andre, and Enzo) arrived to help us be true to one of our resolutions.

fireworks at the hotel parking lot!

Orlando is not a nice place to be if you are on a diet. New Years’ Eve Dinner was at Giordano’s (famous for their deep dish pizzas and pastas) near their hotel, the Maingate Lakeside Resort. Then, as is the Philippine custom, we greeted the New Year with some legal (not lethal) fireworks at the hotel.  The frenzied exchange of delayed Christmas gifts ensued and the toasts of champagne completed the night!

New Year's Day pandemonium at the RV!

On New Year’s Day we brought a hearty Filipino brunch to wake them up. That was when we also distributed our gifts to everyone. Kenji so loved his 5 gifts (he turned five on Dec. 16) that he danced Happy Feet for us! At 5PM, after an afternoon of swimming, mini-golf and a round of horseshoes at the Orlando Thousand Trails’ clubhouse complex, we had New Years’ Day dinner at our ‘patio’.

lunch at Ichiban, Trisha and DJ's treat, on that cold Florida day!

The following day the Vidallos were off to a fun day at Sea World and the Aberions to Disney’s Magic Kingdom!  Unfortunately, the following day turned out to be a record cold day in Florida, highs of 40s and lows of 30s (an arctic blast came quickly…but also left as quickly!). We all just went shopping at Downtown Disney, sandwiched by a Japanese /Chinese buffet at Ichiban for lunch and a Hibachi dinner cum chef show at Kobe Steakhouse.  Kenji said it best, “Happiness is eating too much!” But for Yeye, it was shopping too much!

dinner at the Kobe Steak House, Claudine and Arnold's treat 

The following day still started out cold but the sun raged and the day ended with high 60s so the two families enjoyed the first of their 2 Universal Studios sprees. It was fortunate that the next day was even warmer, inching up to the low 70s! In the tradition of eating too much, both couples opted to pay for the $20 for adults and $10 for kids all-day eat-all-you-can meals (with a lot more taken out for midnight snacks back at the hotel)!

right at the entrance of LegoLand, a fave dinosaur!

at the entrance to Legoland

Then the couples had their day of rest as Bill and I took the four little boys on a visit to Orlando’s newest theme park, LegoLand!  Designed for kids under 9, the boys had a blast! Between the flying, driving, and boating schools and the build and test race cars at Imagination the little boys all voted Legoland the best theme park of their visit! They were all amazed at the millions of Lego bricks used to build Miniland and delighted at the safari, the Island in the Sky, etc.

mesmerized at Miniland's millions of bricks

The Aberions had to leave early. It may have been a short trip but we were definitely thrilled to be able to hold Kenji and Yeye in our arms and to behold Trisha and DJ’s animated faces as we talked. The Vidallos had an extra four days which they used well to scour every inch and corner of Disney World and its 4 parks. We had a final dinner on the evening of the 8^th, , very glad to have nice talks with Claudine and Arnold first hand and to squeeze the little boys in tight hugs.  Enzo must have posed for me a hundred times with his Harry Potter smile, complete with glasses!

the little boys having fun with Arnold at their hotel room

It is definitely a wonderful start.  But to be closer, despite the time and distance, will require much more than annual visits. Constant communication throughout the year will be necessary. Technology will certainly help. But fervent caring will always be the key. When the Aberions and Vidallos left to go back home, we felt like saying, ‘We will hold you in our hearts til we can hold you again in our arms’.

WOW: Making Resolutions for 2012

2011 has been a great travel year for us. The top 3 destinations where we enjoyed ourselves the most are: 1. HongKong (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/05/ola-getting-excited-in-hongkong-hk.html), 2. Palawan (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/03/ola-marveling-at-palawans-beauty.html) which also won to become one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and 3.  Mt. Rushmore (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/06/saluting-man-made-wonders-of-south.html).  In 2012 we expect to be wowed by: 1. Nova Scotia, 2.Bahamas, and 3. Niagara!!!  But what kind of a travel year will 2012 be?

This year has been predicted by some as a spiritually transformative and apocalyptic year! It will definitely see the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth on February 6 and there will be a total solar eclipse on November 13. It is also a leap year (men beware)! The fastest computers with 10 and 20 petaflops (quadrillion floating point operations per second) will also be launched by Intel and IBM, respectively, within the year.  Many great happenings!

In our little corner of the world, however, the year will be what we make it to be.  So these past 5 days after Christmas, we formulated one resolution each day to set the stage for our next phase of travels. This is how this week’s post got ready for publication, just in time! They are all interconnected and have arisen out of the lessons we have learned from our RV experiences in the past 2 ½ years. Here goes:

Dec. 27, Slow Down

Bill and I have to slow down and look at settling down a couple of years down the road. Let’s face it…we are both spring chicken no more. Bill had his big wake-up call early December (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/12/wow-getting-scared.html) while I have been having issues since last year. We (most especially I) have to learn to remain true to the real definition of the cruising lifestyle (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2010/03/cruising-as-lifestyle.html)    

Dec. 28, Get Healthy

We have finally established our health care team here in Florida. Hopefully, we can do the same next year in Tucson, Arizona and San Diego, California. This should help us choose the area where we could slow down and even, eventually, settle down. Besides we really have to take better care of ourselves in a more preventive and consistent kind of way.  Obviously, we need more help than just our usual healthy practices of eating well and exercising.

Dec, 29, Focus on Giving Back

We have toyed with various ideas for payback. One that we have sort of begun is a very informal study of best practices in parishes all over the United States (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/01/opening-door-on-bright-new-year.html).  2 other ideas have come up this year: Habitat for humanity and a soup kitchen. Certainly, we should focus more on this. It will be better for our heart and soul Remember the Latin saying, Mens sana in corpore sano?  Helping others will certainly enable us to help ourselves!

Dec. 30, Write a Book

There are already 112 posts in this blog in over 100 or so pages that can be transformed into a book. Only 2 questions remain unanswered: 1) What is the best way of weaving them together and 2) Do I self-publish or look for a publisher? Now that we are in Florida for the winter months, I may be able to wrestle with these questions, decide, and begin!  Hopefully, this activity (which interests me a lot) will not encroach on a truly cruising lifestyle!

Dec. 31, Be with Family More

On December 31, at 12 noon the Aberions arrived from Seattle, Washington and at 8 PM, the Vidallos from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This is our third year of reunions.  2009 was during Thanksgiving in Mexico (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2010/02/touring-mexico-with-family.html). 2010 was during late fall in Spokane, Washington (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2010/11/staying-awhile-in-evergreen-state.html). Now we are starting 2012 with a bang! We had only one reunion with Bill’s children so far…in Yellowstone National Park last fall (please see 

http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/06/converging-yellowstone-moving-to-mt.html). Hopefully, we can grow the closeness despite the distance. 

    

That’s it! Five important resolutions to make our cruising lifestyle even better! Each will be written about in more detail in the next posts. Thanks for listening to (reading, technically) my many wonderings on wanderings! Pardon me, but it’s that time of the year! Or better yet, I hope you don’t mind that my emotional side is showing!