After 40+ years of wanting to give it a try, I just enjoyed my first surfing lesson (along with my wife and daughters.) Felt great to check that experience off the big list. We went down under for the summer, and our trip included time in Surfer’s Paradise. (Isn’t it cool that a country would officially name a place Surfer’s Paradise? Got to love a government that doesn’t take itself too seriously.)

Don't look for me surfing in the picture above (I’ll need a few more lessons before posting one of those pictures) but rather my youngest running along the beach we surfed. I included it because it resembles the painting hanging over our living room fireplace, the one I stare at when I want to relax and it’s too hot to light a fire. It’s nice to have lived the picture.

On that topic, I wanted to pass along a couple of resources that made our summer abroad possible--in case you’d like to put yourself into your favorite picture. (Please note, I have no affiliation with either website.) The first was homeexchange.com. Through their website, we arranged to exchange homes and cars with an Australian couple, thus paying nothing for local accommodation or transportation (beyond the $150 annual .com membership fee.) Our exchange experience was fantastic, making the trip much richer than it would have been had we stayed in hotels. And saving $$$ took the guilt out of splurging on other experiences while vacationing.

My second tip is scottscheapflights.com. Scott’s regular emails alert you to international travel bargains from your airport. This will help you get to most popular tourist destinations for under $600 round trip. Highly recommended.

Whether you travel or not, if you own a Kindle, there's always a great getaway at your fingertips. Let me know if you need a reading suggestion ; )