Tue 26 Feb 2008 @17:05
For most of my life, vacation meant either working (lazing) around the house or going to visit family. A few years ago I started taking trips to see this big world of ours. There are lots of places I still want to see and I’m gradually working my way through the list. [Not that I have an actual written list anywhere....] And I’m getting a better sense of places that I do NOT want to go.
For example, I like being in mountainous areas but I really have no desire to summit a really high mountain. It’s just as well — at this point in my life I don’t think I could get myself into good enough physical condition even if I did want to do that. Another example: I’ve done some snorkeling [and almost got scuba certified once, but that's another story] but I doubt I’ll ever do any deep dives. So I’ve ruled out the really high and really low points on the globe.
When I travel, I prefer to visit natural sites. Culture can be fun, but spending every day in museums/castles/churches/etc. really isn’t my thing. So, while I want to travel through Europe I doubt I’ll take the “standard” type tour. And even if I could afford four-star accommodations [trust me, on a teacher's salary that's not likely to happen] I’m more comfortable in places of more modest means. Besides, saving a little money lets me get a little farther right?
I’m planning another trip for this summer and I’ll write about it eventually. There are places we considered visiting that didn’t make the final cut and I expect to get some blog fodder out of them too. Right now I’m wondering, do you have any trips planned for this year? And if you could go anywhere in the world for a week, where would you go?
February 26th, 2008 at 17:43
Florence, Venice, and Pisa in four weeks. . .and Prague and Vienna next fall. I do get a little “museum”d out at times, but seeing the countryside throughout Europe is breathtaking. And next spring probably Munich, Bavaria, and Budapest.
I’d really like to go to Montreal, and not just to “see it” from a distance like when I was fifteen and my father instructed me–on the way back to America, after gazing at its skyline from the back of the stationwagon–that I had requested with the wrong verb. This time I’d like to VISIT.
So, when your father demonstrated the difference between “see” and “visit”… is that when you decided to become an English teacher? ~Tim
February 27th, 2008 at 10:48
Italy or France would be nice but my beau only wants to visit places where he can surf, so it may be Mexico this year.
Your “beau” — I love that you use that term. I’ve never been to Mexico. I have a couple friends that go to Costa Rica to surf. I only went to the mountains, not the beaches, when I was there but I loved that country. ~Tim
February 28th, 2008 at 00:22
Sadly, I don’t have a vacation planned yet this year - but I will. I definitely NEED to get away for a little while. Right now, I can’t decide if I want to take a “do something” sort of vacation or whether I want a “do nothing, lay on my back in the sand” vacation.
As for anywhere in the world I’d like to visit…..Australia has always been my dream vacation but I couldn’t do it in a week - I’ve read and heard that you really need to go for 2 weeks or so to really enjoy it.
I’ve heard that too and considering how long it takes to get there from the U.S. going for just a week might not be worth it. ~Tim
February 29th, 2008 at 17:55
If money were no object, then I would go to Italy or Ireland. But, I’m waiting for the exchange rates to become a little more reasonable. Ted and I are talking about doing a long weekend in San Francisco this spring. We also want to do a week off somewhere, but haven’t really decided. We’ve been talking more about the “m” word and whether or not to do a destination wedding, and if so, we may wind up using our vacation to scout a site (like in Florida or some other type of sunny place).