Two instructors at Christian College get the credit for our having unusual vacations that have enriched our lives. Petie Davison, Christian’s French teacher, was headed for England to teach for a year when she said, “Come over in July, and we’ll rent a van and tour the continent.” How wonderful it would be to travel with a French teacher! We couldn’t afford it, of course.

When Geneva Youngs heard of Petie’s offer she said, “Sue, think what this will mean to Nancy and Walt.” “But, Geneva, we don’t have that kind of money,” I said. She said, seriously, “Sue. Go anyway!” We did! We worked for extra money, made do with old things and stayed in Youth Hostels, cooking most of our meals in the members’ kitchens. Having that fantastic vacation prompted others. I’ve learned to plan early, to take few clothes, to buy inexpensive mementos and gifts and yet splurge on the things that are really meaningful.

February is a great time to plan. Get tourist literature from travel agents and USA Tourist Bureaus. Ask for calendars of events, maps and information about your special interests -- sky-diving, horses, genealogy, thimbles or whatever. Forget new clothes; you’ll be with people who never saw your old ones. Make reservations NOW for special events, ferry crossings, freighter travel and one-time-only events such as musical and theater productions, regattas, auto races, etc.

For example: A little town in Wales has, during the first full week in July, an international eisteddfodd. Thousands of performers compete in choral and instrumental music, native dancing, etc. We made reservations for this when Boone County was snow-covered, and our group of 13 bicyclists had inexpensive lodging only two miles from the huge tent where the events were staged.

Twice, in Newfoundland, we’ve taken freighter trips along the coasts. Our boat made short stops at isolated fishing villages where residents had never seen a real car. On the north coast we saw whales and icebergs and heard the reading of personal mail on the radio: “Grandma came through the surgery all right....” That was primitive communication! And it was the day after we stood in the room, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, from which the Italian Guglielmo Marconi sent the first wireless message across the Atlantic. If you’d like an inexpensive vacation like that, write for literature on Canada’s Maritime Provinces.

Daily I’m reminded of these vacations because I’ve chosen unusual souvenirs that didn’t come from gift shops. I lift a hen from the roaster to the platter with a tool I bought in Germany when waiting for someone to fix a flat on our rented van. I begin lots of days by using washcloths I bought at a quick stop in Australia. Our face soap hangs by a magnet bought at a hardware store in Wales. My hand-knitted wool mittens are fishermen’s “wet gloves” from Labrador, wet wool that freezes to keep their hands warm! And I bought locally made snowshoes at that same stop.

My soup ladle came from a local shop in Canton, China. I’m still using sheepskin mittens I bought at a five-minute bus stop in New Zealand. I’ve some whalebone to carve from St. Anthony’s, Newfoundland, but it hurts my hands to hold it. And I’m still using linen dish towels from many places in this country and others.

It needn’t shatter the budget to have memorable vacations. However, the time to plan is now. If you’d like more information, my phone is listed in the Columbia directories.