World Traveling Seabrook couple shares their best travel advice.

According to a recent AAA Travel survey, nearly 100 million Americans are planning a vacation in 2019. Residents of Seabrook, a developed and managed Erickson Living senior living community, are following this national trend. They are taking road trips to visit family and friends, enjoying cruises and traveling internationally to fulfill lifelong “bucket lists.”

Seabrook residents have a distinct advantage when they travel. They leave with peace of mind knowing their apartment home and belongings are secure (in contrast to needing house-sitters). Also, residents can sign up for day trips organized by Seabrook staff to concerts, attractions, theatre events, festivals, and more.

World travelers Karin and Willy Goedeke take several cruises a year. They call their home base—Seabrook, their “permanent land cruise.”

“We absolutely love Seabrook,” says Willy Goedeke. “We came here to make life easier so we could still travel. We don’t have to maintain a house; we just have to walk out the door and lock up. Living in a house, you have many things to care for before you leave. Now, I don’t have to worry about the garden or the house or worry when we’re gone that we’re going to have a snowstorm or another Superstorm Sandy.”

Since moving to campus in 2016, they have been on 18 cruises, of which nine were Atlantic crossings, and one was a Danube River cruise. They have visited the Canary Islands, Holland, Great Britain, Hungary, Morocco, Spain, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Guatemala, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Hawaii, and more during that time.

Goedeke's travel tips:

• Always make a color photocopy of the information page of your passport and carry it in a separate place from your passport while traveling. Also, make a photocopy of the front and back of all the credit cards you take with you.

• Besides the normal trip interruption/cancellation insurance you should buy, consider an emergency assistance medical evacuation insurance policy if traveling a long distance from home.

• Plan to arrive at your destination two days prior to cruise or land tour to allow for jet lag and/or missing luggage to catch up.

• Book a non-stop flight if possible to avoid connection problems and reduce total travel time. Also, consider alternate airports that may have shorter direct flights, better schedules, or less expensive flights.

• Travel with a list of medications as well as vaccinations and copies of medical directives. Emergencies can happen anywhere in the world. Also take a second pair of prescription eyeglass with you in case you lose or break your normal eyeglasses. If you don't have a second pair, take a copy of your prescription with you.

Seabrook is a not-for-profit organization, developed and managed by Erickson Living®. The community is governed by its own board of directors affiliated with National Senior Campuses, who provide independent financial and operational oversight of the community.

About Seabrook: Seabrook, one of 20 continuing care retirement communities developed and managed by Erickson Living®, is situated on a scenic 98-acre campus in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. The not-for-profit community of more than 1,400 residents and 750 employees is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, who provide independent financial and operational oversight of the community. Additional information about Seabrook can be found at SeabrookCommunity.com.

Photo: Karin and Willy Goedeke in Nagasaki, Japan.