My husband and I have been to 67 countries but there are still a few places we’ve yet to see - New York, Bali and Croatia are probably at the top of our remaining bucket list. We did a land tour of South Africa about seven years ago and loved it so we have just booked two back to back cruises for November. One will go up the West coast of Africa and the next will go up the East Coast of Africa. We’ve been to India twice and would love to return and also return to Australia but we’re reaching that age where we’re not quite sure we can do those long haul flights much longer.
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I’m spending this summer in the UK and Portugal so those are top of my list. I’ve been all over the Caribbean but still have missed a few places, notably Belize. I really want to go to Alaska, and although I lived in Hawai’i it was only Big Island so I want to explore the others as well.
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I lived on Big I, in Holualoa for 6 months, in 2005, and then Maui for 15 years. I suggest to anyone wanting to stay on Maui: shop at Mana in Paia, if you can, and/or Costco, because the prices are extraordinary in the visitor-heavy areas, like Kihei, and K’aanapali, on the West Side of Maui. Mana own their real estate, so it is a health food store with 40-60% lower prices to other grocery stores. Also, The Kula Farmers’ Market will dazzle and delight you; 150 booths of local foods, veg, fruits and joyful connectivity.
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Aloha, Claire
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You know you have been Sitting plenty when you long to go home. Like me, you were invited to STAY, with lockdown. I, too, have been a “lockdown refugee,” held in a place I never wanted to stay, but choosing it as the best choice for the moment in March 2020:
a small walkable town being better than starting my new life in a new country with many people in hiding, behind walls and masks. I hope you get to Canada soon. I also hope to meet you in Scotland.
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Thanks, I lived in Wainaku on BI, working for HELCO, it will be a long time before I return to that state because I have so many other places left to see that I have not visited. I hope someone will benefit from your tips.
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Hi @Cyn. Welcome back, and thanks for joining the conversation. We moved from CA (the Bay Area) to Florida (Destin). Where in CA and FL did you move to/from?
Your list sounds fairly extensive (like mine). I’ve seen some longer sits posted for MT and MI. I hope you can snag one of them when they come up again. Welcome back to pet sitting!
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Karen,
Thanks for the contact. My husband was raised in CT and I grew up on Long Island, NY. When we first married we lived in NJ. Mark (hubby) is a food microbiologist so there were far more food manufacturers in CA than the greater NY City area.
We lived in a lot of places in CA. We were in Orange County the first few years. Then, in the Central Valley for 25+ years. (We would go to the Bay Area to see Giants games, sight seeing, etc). The best were the 2 years in San Diego (204 - 2016). We were briefly in TX but returned to the greater Palm Springs area for 4 years - way toooooo hot!
As you may know, CA got crazy on so many levels. Besides, many people from the northeast plan a FL based retirement. Finally Mark retired in 2021.
We closed on our home 9/2022. We are in Apollo Beach, FL. We spend lots of time in Riverview, Brandon and Sun City for Dr, DDS, shopping, etc.
We have been to Lightning games and when house shopping in 2021 we went to 3 different Rays games.
Is Destin on the water? Are you loving FL? Are you retired or working? We haven’t done any sits for the last many months. It took us 10 months of travel, with several sits, hotel stops, visiting relatives and friends. It feels good to be stable.
We will try again soon, though.
Were you sitting before your move? Do you like to travel?
Thanks again for the contact!
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia,
You did get around! I’m originally from Ohio, and my hubby’s from east Texas. Talk about hot! Whew! But you were in Palm Springs, and that’s a special kind of hot!
We love to travel. In fact we took a multi-year trip around the world before we settled into the Bay Area. After six years I got itchy feet again, so I retired, and we set off again. We’re now full-time travelers, meaning we don’t have a home/condo/apartment. We don’t even have a storage unit or closet anywhere. Just the things in our car and stored in “the cloud” online. Destin, which is in the Florida panhandle, is where our mail goes and where our doctors, etc. are. We stop in there once or twice a year as needed for appointments.
We, too, love to take in games when we can. Major League, Minor League, cricket and footie in Australia, rugby in New Zealand and South Africa, football in the UK, basketball around the US. If there’s a ball involved, my hubby’s all in. A puck, being round and hit around, is close enough to count as a ball! 
I can understand wanting to sit still for a while. You’ve picked a great place to do that. We strongly considered moving to the Tampa/St Pete area ourselves.
I’m glad you’ve joined us in our friendly little community here in the forum.
Karen
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thanks for asking. I answered above, here is my reply again. “I’m spending this summer in the UK and Portugal so those are top of my list. I’ve been all over the Caribbean but still have missed a few places, notably Belize. I really want to go to Alaska, and although I lived in Hawai’i it was only Big Island so I want to explore the others as well.”
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Oops! I guess the caffeine has kicked in, and I’m moving too fast this morning! Thanks for re-answering.
Oh, I understand! Just poured my own first cuppa! 
Karen,
We started out in Orange County. Next we lived in parts of the Central Valley (between Fresno and Stockton). When my husband was offered a job in San Diego, we jumped at the chance. A couple years later his job brought us to TX. When we returned a year or so later, we were west of Palm Springs the area is called The Coachella Valley.
We were growing tired of CA + my husband always wanted to retire n FL. We are here a year in Sept.
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No bucket list places left, because if I’d really wanted to go, I would’ve already done that by now, in my 50s.
There are plenty of places I’d enjoy visiting (again), though. But for places that I really want to sightsee, especially for the first time, I’d prefer to go on my own dime. That’s because I wouldn’t want any sitting responsibilities and constraints in such circumstances.
For sits, I telecommute and enjoy different settings, but I’m mostly in the home with the pets. The change of pace is nice and, when I’m telecommuting, I’d rather not pay for accommodations.