The Travelling Itch

I have a passion for travel that has never been fulfilled. My childhood years were spent fantasizing about exotic cultures and faraway places: visiting the pyramids of Egypt, flying over the Nazca lines in the southern Peruvian desert, wandering mysterious cobbled streets in the rustic towns of Italy…these fantasies were always in my mind and formed the background for my college studies in Anthropology. Someday, I thought, I will see the world…
One child, one mortgage, two car payments and several revolving credit balances later I have yet to see more of our planet than the western half of the continental US (with a few forays into the wilds of Vancouver, British Columbia). Though the shores of the west coast are indisputably beautiful and my move to Idaho has introduced me to a different landscape of rugged yet pristine terrain, my thirst to roam remains unquenched. So when I recently landed on an opportunity that enabled me to indulge my travel yen - for life - with a membership offering steeply discounted trips around the globe, I seized it. This is what I found:
The Coastal Travel membership is good for a lifetime with just one purchase and a small annual renewal fee. There are two options to join: Domestic and International. I chose the International option, which includes all of the discounts and packages offered in the Domestic package as well. Included in the membership are a vast variety of discounted trips offering complimentary lodging to destinations from the islands of Barbados to those of Greece, and from Paris, France to Bangkok, Thailand. Also offered are 20 discount cards for dining, entertainment, roadside assistance, complimentary long distance calls, golf, camping and a long list of hotels and resorts, including domestic and international condominium rentals at greatly reduced prices. As a bonus, I found 5 complimentary cruises included in my purchase.
Though my first two scheduled trips are within the States (the discounts also apply exceptionally well to my normal business travel), I will finally see the Eastern half of my country for the first time and will be visiting Boston, Massachusetts and Orlando Florida for less than 1/3 the cost I would pay without my membership. But after my return, I will be planning my first trip overseas.
I am having a hard time deciding between Tahiti and Australia…