Anything planned yet for 2025 ?

Nanna8. I've been to the Hermitage a wonderful museum especially the gold room. We went on a cruise to enable us to visit more easily. That way we had a very early morning booking and avoided the crowds and were also allowed into rooms that were otherwise closed to most visitors. When we left the place was heaving. We did think of going on our own but even the visa appln was offputting, no way could we remember dates and even countries we'd visited in the previous 10 yrs, (don't get passport stamps in all places) and I was very wary of guessing dates and places and maybe getting into trouble if incorrect.

If all goes to plan, we have 3 holidays booked so far this year. The first for a week to Porto in March, then 2 weeks to Zakynthos in July, followed by 10 days in Kefalonia in September. Our 13 year old granddaughter plays football for Swansea City, so we'll probably stay a night or two when they have away games. hubby is 70 in October, so finances allowing we might squeeze in a few days somewhere then.

I've been signed up by my boss to do a specific qualification. I wasn't asked first. So my year will be juggling two jobs and completing that. I was actually thinking of leaving this particular job as it's exceedingly stressful and requires a 24hour shift every week which, frankly, is becoming a bit too much nowadays especially when the bulk of the work happens when I'm supposed to be off shift and sleeping (ie between midnight and 7am). By the time I've finished the qualification, I'll have just over a year until I'm due to retire and it's not one I can use post retirement. It seems a bit daft to me.

South African safari for my 65th birthday in May, top of my bucket list, can't wait 😃

heavenlyheath

Gosh you all seem to be spending a lot of money on expensive trips

I thought that! Why not if you’ve got spare disposable income & I dare say at our age some might have been given an inheritance. My 70y old friend is just planning what to splurge hers on this year. She said “definitely a fancy cruise and perhaps a big new hybrid car”.

We never plan ahead really, we just go as we fancy. Just as well really because my husband is still in hospital after a haemorrhagic stroke 5 weeks ago.

As often happens when people decide to finally retire something terrible happens. He was still working part time at 71 not knowing what was round the corner. He used to come home regularly with tales of people we know who retire one day and then drop dead or suffer a stroke or heart attack the next.

So, no plans for 2025.

Hopefully I am going to an old college friend’s 70th birthday party in February. Hopefully a few more old friends will be there. Then I have booked a cottage in Northumberland for a week in April. I love the Northumberland coast and I am looking forward to visiting the bookshop in Alnwick, Barter Books. Hopefully the books I buy will fit in the car!

It seems that many are planning holidays. What FUN!! I have no plans to travel for vacation, but do plan a trip to see my first great grandson again, when he turns one in June.

I read the following the other day:

So, as we start a new year, what are you packing in your suitcase for 2025?

Patience, optimism, hope, resilience, acceptance, and serenity, or are you full of frustration, annoyance, resistance, fear, bitterness, irritation, impatience, and anger?

Your experience will be determined by what you pack and how prepared you are, not by anything or anyone else.

heavenlyheath

Gosh you all seem to be spending a lot of money on expensive trips

My thoughts exactly, heavenly,

Canaries in a couple of weeks and a med one for the summer. will do a short one in Feb as well. I like short hols.

We have had rotten year so the stuff we have planned is much needed.

Three very significant birthdays to celebrate in 2025, though no idea how yet. And an exhibition we are involved in, in the summer. Calendar already beginning to fill up.

After beating cancer in 2024, looking forward to a fortnight in Spring cruising around the Med and to Greece and already booked our third World Cruise for Jan 2026. Could do with renovating the too-large house we are in or preferably downsizing if I can get DH to agree. Or at least decluttering this place as it is in a mess.

Hope that my youngest DD is successful on their third attempt at IVF.

Need to consider selling the touring caravan and getting a second-hand motorhome (smallish) for UK trips cos towing is getting too much for us.

Yes we are lucky with our finances, easy to say we earned it all but not everyone is able to do that. So hope that those of you wish reduced incomes are able to find plenty to enjoy too.

We're going away tomorrow. Only for a weekend but it will be a nice change. We have no idea where we're going because it's a coach mystery tour but at £49 each for a coach trip, BBED in a hotel and visits to somewhere, we couldn't resist.

The first hurdle to overcome is the emigration of grand daughters with their parents next week to Brisbane ! Then we can recover and make plans

Bargain!

Hope you end up somewhere nice, but it's the going that's just as important, isn't it? The "Going away"

I have 2 Cruises planned already one in April and one in November plus a few theatre visits. I might squeeze a holiday in June or July too.

My life is one long holiday now I am retired (sort of) so I don't feel the need to go away. Visiting family and friends will do me.
Also I plan to sell my house this year with all that that entails.

We're off to Barbados in March where we'll spend a week by the sea then a week on the sea, under sail. I'm very excited, I've always thought a trip round some Caribbean islands on a tea clipper would be really romantic and, thanks to a bequest from my dear father, my dream is coming true! We've been ultra organised this year and will be staying in an air bnb in Budleigh Salterton in June followed by a few days in a hotel on the north Devon coast. In October, we're revisiting a superb hotel we discovered last year in Paphos. In between times, we have DD a few hours across the country from us and a dear friend just outside London, both of whom we visit when their schedules and ours allow. In fact, the dear friend and I are going to a spa for a couple of nights at the end of this month. So yes, we've a lot planned, hopefully our health and other circumstances will allow us to enjoy the trips. We are lucky to have excellent house/cat sitters otherwise we wouldn't be able to go anywhere.

I'm just looking forward to having the freedom to do exactly what I like. Freedom from ill health, pain, encumbrances and responsibilities and having the confidence to do the things I like to do.

Oooh, your Barbados holiday does sound exiting GrammaH.

My plans so far hopefully get someone to cut some branches off a tree.

So, at the moment I can still drive with no problem and enjoy travelling. So I have decided to do one last major trip. The cost of hotels or b@b is extortiate these days , so am investigating the options. Either sell my car and buy a camper van, or keep car and hire camper van to try out for a couple of days and see how I like it. Or alternatively work out a rail trip with hiring cars at various places, where no public transport available. So want to go to some of the old places that I havent been to for ages. Up to Plocten, down to Lands End, across to north wales etc.Visiting friends and family but on my terms. Then I will accept that I might begrudgingly have to accept some help. I have fitted in as we all do with the family and put them first. Well folks my turn now and shall make my plans and organise it all and then once I am on my way will send the family the info that I am off on my travels!! Shant tell them before I go, as they will try to stop me or tell me tales of doom and gloom, and think that I shouldnt do it etc., when all they really care about is if they have to come and rescue me. I have various health problems including bladder cancer. Well I have looked after myself, lived in POrtugal, Syria and all over europe and travelled up to the arctic etc, my body may not be so supple but I can still get round now so intend to grow old disgracefully and remember the poem that starts :-
When I am old, I shall wear purple
with a red had that doesnt go

I shall keep going as long as possible so long as I can cause no problem for other people but live my life a I already have done. Well now dont have the winter fuel money and the weather being very cold, I might live longer being in a camper van than trying to keep warm and fed at home!! Of course my other plan is to keep breathing so that politicians of any type have to pay me my pittance of a pension until I am 103!!

We'll just load up the dog and hit the road in our van. Away several weeks last year and plan north of Scotland this year, weather dependent. Might go to Europe if the kids will take the dog or we pluck up courage to give her a rabies shot and get a pet passport.... Can't wait for the spring and get going!!!

My 80th this year and I have a cruise booked to the Eastern Med to celebrate - I will be on board for my birthday!

Also a theatre visit to see Tony Blackburn's live Sounds of the Sixties show. Hope there'll be dancing on the aisles!

Plan 1 - Give up smoking !! again.
Plan 2 - Lose some weight, it has gradually crept on since DH passed in 2014 and I have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic.

Plan 3 - I need to get up the courage to go dress shopping around July as my youngest son is getting married in September. I hate shopping in any shape or form. Lucky for me, it is not a big formal affair—they are getting married in the woods near here—but I need to do better than my normal attire of jeans.

I hope everyone has a great new year and fulfills everything that you have planned.