I think this bug is contagious and it is incurable. I think this started when we were very young. We have lived in different countries, different states, and different cities. This made us (all the siblings) very easily adaptable to new environment. One of the “symptoms” of this travel bug is the more places you go, the more places you WANT to go. I thought by now, I would be tired of it. Apparently not!
Every year, I am still looking forward to the planning of vacation trips and extension of business trips. I still browse the auction websites for luxury travel, the ever changing timeshare environment for addition and deals, the weekly top 20 from Travelzoo, etc. My conclusion: the urge hasn’t gone down with time. But rather modified with the different stage of life I go through.
There are a few categories of people when it comes to travel. I am one not used to group itinerary bound travel. Yes, I have been on organized tour and I don’t really care for it. I would do it again, but only for places where there is a true language/cultural/political barrier. Otherwise, I enjoy the planning process. I like to choose my own itinerary and lodging. I like to evaluate my options, rather than having everything planned out for me. Bottom line, I am a hands-on planner. It is very much a personality type. I think Vanessa is more like me in this area, whereas Brenda and Dennis are the one that rather have someone else does all the planning.
I am going through a bit of internal struggle right now. I will be in Australia for 3 weeks soon on a business trip. I have spent a lot of time in Australia the last few years and I love every moment of it. This trip, I will be going to Brisbane and Perth. Both places I have visited before. In my old self (before marriage), there would be no doubt that I would extend my trip with a backend vacation. I even know where I would visit. I have not done Northwestern Australia. This is the outback, off beaten path destination. It is all nature, all wild. It would not be inexpensive, but definitely worthwhile. The other option is New Zealand. I have not been anywhere in New Zealand. Since my flight would make a stop there, it is soooooooo logical (and no additional expense on airfare) for me to stop over in New Zealand for a backend vacation.
But it is different now; Tom is leaving on a business trip to Paris a few days before my own departure. So, the back-to-back travel from both of us would pretty much add up to being away for an entire month!!! If he can come and meet me in NZ or Australia, that would be the best solution (for me)!!! But he can’t due to work commitment. That is really really too bad. And I would feel a bit guilty of not going home to be with him, but roaming around the world on my own…for now, my return is fixed to come home after the business trip. That self control is working hard at high gear at the moment!!!
Anyway, I still have a few other trips to look forward to for the rest of the year. Yes, I already did a few bookings in the beginning of the year and then some addition/edition throughout the year.
- Long weekend trip to Yosemite with Tom’s sister Michele in April
- Trip to Cannon Beach/Portland in June
- Annual girlfriend trip in Spring/Summer (no clue where or when yet, probably May)
- Family trip to Los Cabos in August
- I want to fit in a trip to take mom to Egypt this year in the Fall (October?)
- Not so sure about the holiday travel at the moment. I have concluded that I don’t like being away from home on Thanksgivings or Christmas after couple times being away around that timeframe. Trust me, I have done Thanksgivings in HI, and yes, I cooked a turkey, but it is NOT the same as at home.
This is the plan for now; let’s see where the second half of 2009 would end up to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment