Trip #3 was very special – my parents joined us! Celebrating our first night in Cordoba

by Wendy
Follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps
Jack and I had a rare 2 week vacation and we spent at least 2 months debating where to go. We sketched out a few different itineraries in countries we’ve never visited. And after discussion and research…we happily decided to go back to Spain for the fourth time.

We knew we’d have fun in the other places – and we’d love to visit them in the future. But Spain had the most of what we wanted from this particular vacation including:

• A good deal on international airfare and hotels. Our round trip tickets to Madrid were about $650 apiece, including trip insurance. Instead of direct flights from DC area airports, we opted for one extra stop to save money. And we found many hotel bargains, probably due to the off-season and strong dollar. For example, one ran us about $75 per night and one luxury 4 star was $120.
• A great mix of familiar and new. We would visit Madrid again – a city Jack and I love – and take a road trip to visit new Spanish cities. We also planned to drive across the border and visit Saint Jean de Luz, France for 2 days. We wanted to spend some of the trip sightseeing, and some of the trip just relaxing. We set a pace to allow for a lot of strolls through gorgeous cities, as well as sleep-ins, a few pool and beach days, bar hopping and of course, delicious food and wine.

Finally and most importantly, we love Spain. How many times have you visited a favorite destination and each time, left thinking that you would definitely go back?

Trip #2 introduced us to Barcelona and Gaudi

In my book, there is no shame in revisiting destinations. So we didn’t get any new passport stamps. So what. It’s not about that, or about bragging rights, or how many “likes” a photo gets. Travel is an enriching experience – and it’s also really personal. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Don’t get preoccupied with checking off boxes. For those of us who work full-time jobs outside of the travel industry – and who have limited vacation days and limited travel funds – we have to do what makes sense for us when we have the good fortune to go on a trip. As much as I love visiting new places and agree that it’s beneficial to get out of my comfort zone – I knew I’d never regret going to Spain again. Now that we’re back home, Jack and I reminisce about it all the time and expect we will go back.

My upcoming posts will cover stories from this fourth trip – I hope you don’t get tired of the topic! Please share your questions and comments! Which destination are you always trying to find a reason to visit again?

To read about Spain trip #1 click here
To read about Spain trip #2 click here
To read about Spain trip #3 click here

Spain trip #1 – smitten in Seville