Not too long ago, I would have told you that the prime of life was those years right after college when the horizon of possibilities was endless and the responsibilities were few. But I've recently been thinking something different - the prime of life is actually right now.
Many of us have raised children, some of us have been blessed with grandchildren. We have had careers. We have had ups and we have had downs, and we have learned from it all. Now we're at the top of our game, and even in these tough economic times, we still have some money left in our pockets to enjoy the fruits of our labors. Once again, that horizon of possibilities is open.
So how best to take advantage of this self-discovery? How do we take advantage of our vitality and that wide-open outlook just like we had in our youth? I believe it's through learning and travel and making new friends.
And that's what we offer at Road Scholar.
Road Scholar is a not-for-profit educational travel organization made for people who love to learn through experiencing the places they visit, not just from behind the window of a tour bus. With Road Scholar, you get to experience the culture authentically - the way the locals do - whether bargaining in a bazaar in Istanbul or eating great cuisine in Paris.
"But Road Scholar seems expensive," my friends say.
Not when you look at what you get, I reply. In fact, Road Scholar is great value. You'll find many programs in the United States for just over $100 per day, while our International programs average about $250 per day. And that includes accommodations, meals, the inside knowledge of local experts, excursions, gratuities and more.
You'd be hard-pressed to do on your own what you get with every Road Scholar program.
And for those of you on a budget, if you would rather make multiple payments to cover the cost of your program, then you can do that. We even offer scholarships for our United States and Canada programs for those who lack the financial means to participate.
I encourage you to not put off those dreams for tomorrow. You're at the top of your game right now, so make the most of it.
Go to our website and check out our latest publication, Global Discoveries. You'll find dozens of stimulating and rewarding adventures, including two that I'm particularly excited about and will be attending:
Come to Martha's Vineyard this August for
Historical Diversity and Current Life on Martha's Vineyard, where our special guest lecturer is Andrew Young, noted Civil Rights activist, former mayor of Atlanta, Ga., and the United States ambassador to the United Nations in the Carter administration.
And in March 2010, I'll be heading to Honolulu for
Understanding Obama's Hawaii: Birthplace of a President. Michelle Obama once said "You can't really understand Barack until you understand Hawaii." On this program, we'll learn about Hawaii and its influence on President Obama's beliefs, values and leadership style.
I hope to see you there!
P.S. We're now accepting applications for the "2009 Asa Grant Hilliard III Road Scholar Award for Lifelong Learning." This is a $5,000 educational travel award given to an educator with at least 10 years. Learn more at www.roadscholar.org/hilliardaward.
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Associate Vice President Kathy Taylor joined the Road Scholar team because she believes learning, traveling, staying active and building friendships are the keys to a happy and fulfilling life.
