Do You Really Like to Travel?

[brett]

Yes.

First trip was between high school and university. Bought an old VW van, put a bed in it, and drove though Canada and the US. Second trip was the same. Quit a post university job/career that I disliked. DW and I bought a used VW camper van in London and travelled through Europe for months. Did the same, minus the camper van/camping routine when we retired but the standard was somewhat higher as was he duration of the trip.

We have been travelling every since. Everything to camping in the Pacific Northwest to touring parts in China in the mid 80's plus everything in between.
Bare bones travel to six star resorts. Loved it all.

We still have a list and we are getting to it. Trouble is that the list keeps growing. Hopefully that list will never be finished.

 

[Sunset]

Not anymore, I travelled every week for almost 25 years before I retired. That was almost 5 years ago. I have not been on a plane since. Only been to an Airport to drop off or pick someone up. The airlines do not make it easy. I have no FF status anymore, so I have to board with the masses. (That was the only REAL advantage of FF Status, early boarding). I still have 400,000+ FF miles with an Airline. For some reason I keep one of their credit cards to keep the mileage current and pay $90pa for the priviledge.
....

If you simply want to keep your air miles current, you don't need to keep the airline CC and pay the yearly $90 fee.

I do 2 things to keep my airline miles current when I don't have an airline CC, this may work for you.

1) go to the airline website,
click on redeem miles
look around for "Magazines for miles" https://subscription.points.com/magazines.htm?execution=e1s1&lp=American
This will you to mags for miles web site, where you pick a magazine, then enter your name and mileage #,

The act of using the miles to buy a magazine resets the countdown timer on your miles.
Do it a few months before your expiration date as the process takes about a month to show up on your mileage record.

2) I signed up for AA dining (https://aa.rewardsnetwork.com) You can get there again from the airline website so if you use United miles, the same thing applies.
At this dining website, you register your credit card(s) you use when eating at restaurants. It does NOT have to be an airline credit card. When you eat and pay at one of the restaurants on their list, you get points added to your airline mileage record which resets your countdown timer. It takes about 1 month for the points to show up.

 

[RobbieB]

I like the destinations just fine. New sights and sounds, new foods, people that talk differently, that stuff is cool.

I hate the mechanics of travel. The tickets, the airports and the rent a cars. The waiting in lines cued up like cattle. The baggage inspections. The hotels may be 5 star but I never sleep as good as in my own bed.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We thought we would travel more, but we've kept pleasantly busy in retirement with more local activities. There's a lot we've either never seen locally or haven't been to in years, so we're going to those places for now. I like keeping the calendar filled up so there's always fun events to look forward to. The planning and anticipation are half the fun for me. It doesn't have to be 10,000 miles from home for new experiences. We haven't been to places Angel Island or Santa Cruz in years so those are on our local bucket list. There's probably over 900 wineries within a 100 mile radius we haven't been to yet, but we're working on it. This weekend we're seeing two plays we've never seen before and going out to a new to us club with dancing and a band we've never heard play before. But I scoped the band out on youtube and they sound great so I'm excited to see them in person.

 

[brett]

We leave in mid Jan for two months in SE Asia.

Even though we are looking forward to that, we are currently shopping for a short trip in late Nov. early Dec. Perhaps an AI, or a week or so in Costa Rica if we snag a great fare. And I am now thinking about what to do for a trip next Sept/Oct.

I have the travel bug more than DW so the planning generally falls to me. Cannot get her over the hump to visit India though.

 

[googily]

I am an inveterate road tripper, and have been since I started to drive. I've driven through all the lower 48 states.

DH loved to travel, and during our years together we saw much of the US and most countries of Western Europe. I hated the process of traveling, but loved wandering new places with him. We had so many more places left we wanted to go.

But now that he's gone, I do wonder whether my bug for "grand" travel went with him. Not ruling it out, but it's not something that I feel like I've "lost" with his death. I loved doing it with him, but it apparently was not something I really wanted for myself.

(Plus, the places left to see are all pretty far away, which might have something to do with my lack of interest. I'll have to see how the nest egg is doing before I decide to ever go to Australia, since there is no freaking way I would fly there in coach.)

 

[Nemo2]

Cannot get her over the hump to visit India though.

File under 'Different Strokes'......we have no desire to visit most of S.E. Asia, (crowds/humidity), but I would go back to India/Sri Lanka, both of which have crowds/humidity, and DW has expressed interest in going there also.

 

[MichaelB]

I think it's not about the destination, it's all about the traveler.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I never got to travel when young and raising kids so now is the time. Actually we went to Europe a few times between 2003-2007 when a good friend of mine passed away at 59 months before her trip to Europe. I went to Thailand and what I realize is that I hate hot/humid countries where there is great poverty, bad air/water, etc. I am not sorry I went because it was beautiful. Having said that we do go to the Caribbean but we tend to go when it is not so hot and sometimes we see poverty but not always. I really love Europe. We have been to Canada twice and I loved that too. We take 2 trips a year for 10-14 days and that works for me. WE have 3 dogs so I miss them too much if I stay gone too long. I like what Twain had to say about travel. The flying part is never fun but it is the price you pay to travel. We also enjoy taking our RV on short trips with the dogs.

 

[athena53]

I'll have to see how the nest egg is doing before I decide to ever go to Australia, since there is no freaking way I would fly there in coach.

I did seriously consider Australia since my professional society is meeting in Honolulu in November, 2019 and it would have been a good interim stop. Like you, I won't go that distance in Coach and when I looked at Business Class airfare I decided that even though it wouldn't break the bank, it wasn't a good use of my travel dollars. All that money just to get there and then you have to pay for hotels, meals and activities. I'm most likely going to take a 7-day trip on UnCruise from Honolulu to Molokai instead that would be my 5th trip with them.

I also lost my travel companion about a year ago, but have been going to places that didn't interest my husband or were in warm climates (he didn't tolerate heat well) or were more strenuous than he would have been able to handle. I still miss him but I'm happy to say I'm still enjoying travel.

 

[O2Bfree]

Well, here in Washington now you can take a trip without leaving the farm!

 

[brett]

Washington State is one of our all time favourites. Beautiful state, wonderful people. Just like being at home for us!

 

[Sunset]

Maybe you could take a cruise ship in each direction to visit Australia ?

 

[Bamaman]

I traveled 1000 miles a week for business--on top of personal travel.

Chronic movement was in my head. I couldn't wait for Monday mornings so I could again hit the road.

I'm retirement, we seldom leave town except to go to doctors. But when we leave town, we usually leave the country.

 

[Katiek]

After my last vacation I made the comment that I enjoy having traveled more than I actually enjoy traveling. The travel itself can be uncomfortable and a lot of work - researching things, getting ready to go, driving in unknown locations, finding paces to eat etc.

But once I get back from a trip, the memories stay with me. On a hard day at work, I can sometimes mentally place myself back in a pretty location I discovered on a trip and take a short "mental vacation". I'm always glad that I've gone somewhere after the fact, although the actual travel can be hard.

 

[whatnot]

Yes! I love to see new places, try new food, see historical places of interest, art, architecture, etc. Getting there is not fun - but not that bad in the scheme of things. The benefits outweigh any inconvenience.
That being said, as I get older I can see slowing down. That is why I want to do overseas travel now while we still have the energy. Then focus on US travel which should be easier to manage as we age.

 

[6miths]

I go along with Mark Tain's comments"
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime

Almost totally agree with this though have known people to travel distantly and still not figure out that most people are all pretty much the same at heart and desirous of the same things by and large. I love to travel meet new people and be exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking. Definitely brings me back to ground. Kind of like looking up at the stars on a dark moonless night.

 

[kcowan]

We just got back from a month in Europe. Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Reims, Beaune, Annecy, Sisteron, Nice. Great memories. Is it worth it? Yes but we limit it to one trip a year. We travelled a lot when we first retired. Mostly US. And my last position involved 10 days every quarter in Malaysia and The Philippines. And a trip every year of 2300 miles to visit kids/GCs. And we also go south mid-Nov to end of April.

We enjoy the experiences enough to overcome the travel. Business class makes air travel tolerable. I just wish they had a business class security check!

I can foresee a reduction in our mid-80s because of the stress of travel and the reduction in our bucket list. Already we are tiring of inclement weather and that limits the times we can travel.

 

[googily]

Maybe you could take a cruise ship in each direction to visit Australia ?

Would probably end up doing this, yes, though if the ship had a casino on it, it might cost me as much as flying business class.

 

[Bestwifeever]

....Do locals in Barcelona want to meet some middle-age American? Of course not. If they are connected to a travel industry they want him to spend his money and get the hell out. If they have jobs unaided by tourism they just want him to get the hell out....

I love to travel (40 days out of the last 110 out of town/state/country in five different trips) but I agree 100 percent with this. Do we think no one will know we are not locals? Are we anthropologists investigating natives in the wild? Do we think the locals want their special restaurants/bars/other establishments written up on travel message boards? Maybe we are the special foreigners who the locals are dying to meet.

I love Mark Twain too but I don't think people who aren't able to or don't care to travel far from home are prejudiced, and I seriously doubt that everyone who travels has found it to be fatal to prejudice.

So why do we travel? Because we like it, like some people like the color hot pink and some like blue. We are nice foreigners I'd like to think--we try to always smile, we talk to anyone who will listen to us, and we tip generously and probably not appropriately (in London this past May we paid the $85 parking ticket for our airport driver)--but unless we are guests of a native, we stay out of the establishment-discovery business. I do like to get away from a sometimes mundane environment and there is probably a streak of the competitive traveler in me, so we can talk Swinbrook and Prague and Lake Atitlan too. We are looking forward to staying home pretty much for the next three or four months while we have some major house stuff done, though, so perhaps we are not true blue travelers.

 

[Sue J]

Travel is not a priority for me. I dislike flying although I'll do it if I have to. I don't mind a road trip but that doesn't make sense for the obligatory trip from Ohio to Denver to see DHs family.

I love to visit a beach so that's the kind of trip I'll make.

For my sister and BIL, travel is what they live for. They do 4-6 cruises a year, tours of Europe and trips to their timeshare. While on a vacation she will be browsing online and planning another trip a year in advance. For them it's all about the vacationing.

I am happy at home and leaving to go somewhere else just doesn't sound like fun. Once I'm there I do enjoy visiting somewhere else. But travel can get expensive. We've taken a few trips, spent some money and had a good time but we can't do it like they do. And we wouldn't want to.

That said, today I applied for a Passport. I've never had one, never needed one and if I had a desire to travel there are 50 beautiful states that could satisfy any travel need I had.

But if you've read some of my earlier posts our son married a woman from Beijing, China. They plan on living here but they have hinted that we may need to go there sometime and meet her extended family. They got married 6 months ago without a wedding celebration and I guess it can be held at any time.

The more I hear about Beijing the less I want to have to go there. The pollution, the crowds, the traffic, the lack of sanitation all sound awful. I acknowledge that I am only focusing on the negative. For someone who doesn't like to travel an obligatory trip to China is a BIG DEAL.

But my new Chinese daughter-in-law is family. If I need to do this I will. I couldn't find my birth certificate so I had to send away for a new one, now I've submitted the passport application and in a few weeks I'll be a real Official American Traveler.

DON'T MAKE ME GO TO CHINA!

 

[Nemo2]

Do locals in Barcelona want to meet some middle-age American? Of course not. If they are connected to a travel industry they want him to spend his money and get the hell out. If they have jobs unaided by tourism they just want him to get the hell out.

I agree 100 percent with this. Do we think no one will know we are not locals?

Just as one minor example; earlier this year in Krakow we explored outside what is 'the general tourist area', and encountered a teenager (maybe 16-17) on a skateboard. He spoke English, we chatted for a while and he gave us some pointers on places we could visit.

He took off, (it appeared he had somewhere he had to get to), and then turned around, came back, with some more ideas.

He was very friendly, helpful, and didn't appear to want us to get the hell out.

 

[kaudrey]

I love to travel. I love new experiences of all kinds, though, so it isn't limited to traveling. I want to grow as a person and expand my knowledge of places, people etc.


It's also why I love trying new restaurants, reading books on lots of different subjects, and in general doing new things.


Most recent case in point; my sister and I are going to Belize in January, or first "sisters trip" in 20 years - and we are both learning to SCUBA dive before we go. Because, why not?

 

[Meadbh]

Travel is not a priority for me. I dislike flying although I'll do it if I have to. I don't mind a road trip but that doesn't make sense for the obligatory trip from Ohio to Denver to see DHs family.

I love to visit a beach so that's the kind of trip I'll make.

For my sister and BIL, travel is what they live for. They do 4-6 cruises a year, tours of Europe and trips to their timeshare. While on a vacation she will be browsing online and planning another trip a year in advance. For them it's all about the vacationing.

I am happy at home and leaving to go somewhere else just doesn't sound like fun. Once I'm there I do enjoy visiting somewhere else. But travel can get expensive. We've taken a few trips, spent some money and had a good time but we can't do it like they do. And we wouldn't want to.

That said, today I applied for a Passport. I've never had one, never needed one and if I had a desire to travel there are 50 beautiful states that could satisfy any travel need I had.

But if you've read some of my earlier posts our son married a woman from Beijing, China. They plan on living here but they have hinted that we may need to go there sometime and meet her extended family. They got married 6 months ago without a wedding celebration and I guess it can be held at any time.

The more I hear about Beijing the less I want to have to go there. The pollution, the crowds, the traffic, the lack of sanitation all sound awful. I acknowledge that I am only focusing on the negative. For someone who doesn't like to travel an obligatory trip to China is a BIG DEAL.

But my new Chinese daughter-in-law is family. If I need to do this I will. I couldn't find my birth certificate so I had to send away for a new one, now I've submitted the passport application and in a few weeks I'll be a real Official American Traveler.

DON'T MAKE ME GO TO CHINA!

Sue, I think you will enjoy China more than you expect. First of all, it’s where DDIL grew up, so your visit will help you to understand her outlook on life. If you are nervous about meeting her family, think how anxious they must feel! Second, there is so much to see and do, particularly if you like history. Third, the food is wonderful. And the shopping.......

 

[ls99]

No traveling for me, except local, say 1 to 2 hrs.
Between airline and TSA BS and having lived nearly 20 years out of a duffle bag cured my travelitis.