Have 2 months to travel all of a sudden - where to make the most of it?

Big Europe trip-

Switzerland has to be on that list, especially since it's the summer, and you can cool off in the Alps.
Perhaps-
Lake Como [Varenna] Italy to
Tirano, Italy, onto the Bernina Express, to Pontresina
Berner Oberland [Murren / Wengen]
Lucerne
Montreux

Oh, to be your age and have the time and money- enjoy your wonderful adventure!
PS
Have you been to The Fringe in Edinburg in August- the largest performing arts festival in the world, and a whole town partying for a month!

I really want to go paragliding in Switzerland! That was big on my bucket list!!

Another idea was to do half Europe and half South Korea or something!

I’ve always wanted to see Edinburgh!!! I’ll take a look thank you!

Have you considered an "around the world tour?" Many airlines offer tickets that let you do this (or did before COVID), either a northern or southern route, with you planning your stops. I haven't done it, but looked into it pretty heavily several years ago, when a colleague did this.

I’ll try googling that! Sounds awesome to do an around the world tour!

I love Europe, but South America is cheaper. My favorite countries there are Peru, Chile and Argentina.

I highly recommend a four day tour of Cusco (the ancient Incan Empire's capital), the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
We did it with PeruAgency.com.
Cost was $799 pp and it was a private tour with excellent guides.

Machu Picchu is best done while you are young. We did it in our early 70s and managed, but were wiped out after four days of climbing around those hills at that altitude.

Chile and Argentina are great, but you would be going in the Winter. Better to do a cruise around the Horn in January.

If you go to Europe in July, it can be very hot in Spain, Italy and Greece, but cooler in north. Scandinavia is great, but more expensive.

We did the Round the World fare 6 or 7 times on Star Alliance when I was based in Singapore a few years ago. It really is a great deal if you have the discretionary time available.
Would be happy to answer any supplemental questions you may have after you've read the basic info on the Star Alliance website - there are a few strategies I picked up along the way that can help you achieve the maximum benefit from the program.

What about South Korea? Is it decent that time of the year? What about Southeast Asia?

I will look more into Star Alliance details on their trip

July and August aren't the best months to visit Korea or Japan - hot, humid with lots and lots of rain.
It's always hot and humid in Singapore and Bangkok but I don't recall that those were particularly the more rainy months of the year.
Asia in general is still doable that time of year, but you need to know what you're getting yourself into and plan accordingly.
Australia and NZ are nice in all seasons. In NZ I'd probably focus on the North Island which is more temperate than the South in July - they'll be skiing in Queenstown (South Island) while they're lazing on the beach in Auckland.

Hey SeaTraveler-
Besides general travel, you haven't said what you really like to do when you travel. Are you more cities or more nature? Even if both, how much generally of both percentage-wise? I was also going to mention OZ / NZ (I think they've opened up to US visitors now), but you're traveling mostly in their winter months. I hate hot weather so I found the Red Center (Uluru, etc) to be quite comfortable then (temps in the 60s, low- to mid- 70s during the day). In the northern part of OZ, you're getting closer to the equator so temps are more moderate (esp with humidity). Really friendly people in both countries wherever I went (solo travel). Don't know if you could get into Fiji or other islands to visit more places in that part of the world. Covid-related rules are ever-changing, as you know. Keep us posted on what you're thinking. Sounds like a fantastic travel opportunity!!!!

Idea 3: Oceania (Australia + NZ)

You do know that the seasons in Australia are reversed from what we have here in the USA?
Our summer is their winter.
Right now, Australia is experiencing the equivalent of what our December would be like here in the USA.
Temperature right now (middle of the night) 47 degrees F. Expected high tomorrow: 65 degrees F.
It would be colder by the time you get there; maybe would feel more like January or February in the USA.

We have friends who live in Melbourne, and they are wearing fleece jackets in the evening right now.
So if you choose Australia, know that they are entering their wintertime there, and pack accordingly.

Update: looks like work needs me to start earlier, now it’s 4-5 weeks.

Same advice or different now? I decided to axe out Thailand and Japan, and narrowed it down to Oceania, Big Europe, South Korea or South America, or an around the world flight trip?

If I did Europe, I found a cool GAdventures tour that does 7 days around the ring road in Iceland, then I could do Amsterdam, Berlin, go paragliding in Switzerland, and finish the trip in Budapest.

I’m thinking I might axe South America since I feel it needs more planning and I would do the trip in July 2022. There are also no intrepid/gadventures tours in July.

Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan

Let’s not add more options, I already have a tough time 😂

Idea 2: Big Europe trip (idk where exactly. So much of Europe that I still want to see: Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Croatia, Montenegro, more of France, more of the UK)

Okay, not wanting to throw new ideas (but google Uzbekistan), while you are young do the "difficult" and a bit extreme (but not much extreme really).

Off your list that would be Hungary, Croatia, Montenegro .......... then not on your list, but because you would be in the neighborhood add Bosnia & Herzegovina and Albania (almost in that order ... Bosnia comes before Montenegro) ........... maybe ending in Istanbul.

Even at my advanced age, my favorite place in Europe......

Cost effective too as the EAST is cheaper than the WEST, BUT public transportation is basically busses for the most part (I splurge and pay about $100 to hire a driver for the long hauls).

Seven days for the ring road in Iceland is way too short, IME. We had 12 days total last summer and felt that was rushed as there is SO much to do and see. That was our second trip too. We went back in the winter for a 3rd trip and have a 4th trip planned for next summer, to give you an idea of how much there is to see/do.

As for Idea 4: South America (Idk where maybe Peru, Chile, Argentina)

Having recently spent 14 days just in Paraguay for the more historical sites (e.g., the Paraguayan War 1864-70 & the Chaco War of 1932-35) and planning to return in March 2023 for the natural wonders (e.g., Salto Cristal, San Rafael Nature Preserve, Cerro Akati, Saltos del Monday, Iguazu Falls, Itaipu Dam), IF you want to go where FEW go, try Paraguay and Bolivia. Dollars and Euros go a long, long way in Paraguay and the Paraguayans are extremely friendly and desperate for tourists. But you'd be travelling more solo with few outsiders around. I had two UNESCO world heritage sites (Jesus & Trinidad) all to myself in late April.

Hi SeaTraveler,

You are so lucky to have this amount of time on your hands and you should definitely make use of it.I would highly recommend South America (Idk where maybe Peru, Chile, Argentina).I visited last year with my family during the same time and it was great.But as far my experience goes you really need to plan your South America trip well because its really vast.We actually got a travel advisor to customise our trip around hiking and nature.We had clearly mentioned them our budget and they totally worked around it.I had been recommended Voyagers Travel Company by an office colleague- I think their website is: "www.voyagers.travel" But will confirm the website from my husband once as its been a year.I might not clearly remember.But as far as my memory goes this should be it.

Have a great trip