Here Are a Few of My Travel Regrets

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Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. That goes for jobs, relationships and well, travel. I consider myself very fortunate to have seen so much of the world. Sure, it probably seems pitiful compared to many in the travel community, but not to this gal who grew up in the Soviet Union. You know how frustrating it has been not to travel internationally over the last year? Imagine facing this predicament year after year due to government restrictions and lack of money.

Of course, as most people, I do have some travel-related regrets, and would like to share them in this post. Without further ado:

1) Not going on a two-week South America cruise before we had kids

This was absolutely doable before we had to deal with the school calendar. Also, before we had kids, my husband had a job that gave him lots of time off. Now, it’s extremely difficult to even take two consecutive weeks off. Speaking of, as I’ve just discovered, we may have to settle for going to Japan for only seven days.

But it wasn’t always like that, and we should have taken advantage of our relative freedom. We didn’t have a ton of money when we were young, but we absolutely could have pulled off a cruise around South America if we really wanted to.

But there is a silver lining. A few months ago, the idea of this very cruise has inspired me to put forth a bit more effort towards saving for my husband’s early retirement. I don’t know if we’ll be able to do it, but the idea of booking amazing trips and not worrying about the time factor is extremely appealing.

2) Not going to Japan while my father-in-law was alive

This one really hurts. My FIL passed away last year, a few months before we were all supposed to go to Japan. Of course, we didn’t end up going due to pandemic anyway, but he didn’t know that. Not long before he passed away, he said it was a pity he couldn’t  join us. “I wish I had more time”, those were his last words to me.

He did get to travel a lot after retirement, more than most people do in their lifetime. Still, Japan is one place that got away, and one he was really looking forward to. I should have made it happen.

3) Not using my top-tier Hyatt status for a suite upgrade in Andaz Costa Rica in 2016

This is a minor regret, but one that’s most relevant to the miles and points hobby. So, due to fortuitous turn of events, in 2016 I got a Diamond (now called Globalist) status in Hyatt via match. It didn’t cost me a cent, and provided a host of valuable perks. One of those perks was the ability to confirm a standard suite for the price of a regular room.

I had my eye on Andaz Costa Rica and thought about using a suite upgrade there. At the time, this property cost 15k Hyatt points per night, so the value would have been terrific. Alas, I procrastinated until my Diamond status went poof.

One of the reasons was the fact that we would have to drive to Miami in order to fly to Liberia, the nearest airport. I hate Miami with a passion. The traffic is insane, and it’s just too chaotic for my taste. Still, I really wish I just used some Avios to make this trip happen.

Now that same suite would cost me 32k points per night, and we would have to pay for breakfast. Plus, since my daughter is 13, it looks like we would not even be able to book a suite, but would need two rooms.

Nancy went to this property last year and reading her trip report made me kick myself for not going there back in 2016. Her family of five got two connecting rooms, and it looked like they all had a blast. Spending 40k points per night is certainly painful, especially compared to 15k points!

Costa Rica is on my “to do” list, though it probably won’t be this resort unless I can get a Globalist status for free. Oh well, you can’t win them all. But it is a lesson that it’s wise to take advantage of limited-time opportunities because they may not present themselves again in the future.

In general, the older I get, the more I regret not doing something rather than the other way around.

Readers, please share some of  your travel regrets.

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