The Idea of Travel

I’ve been reading about how money spent on positive experiences is well spent.  I agree, particularly when it comes to the experiences that occur while traveling.  For me, the fun begins with planning on where to go on a trip.  Even doing research about different destinations is exciting.  You get to imagine what it would be like to visit that place.

Next, you check for airlines that go to that city, that country, that place.  What is a good time of year to visit?  I really like traveling in May and September, months where the weather is usually good, not quite as hot, and possibly less crowded because the children are back in school and people are traveling less.  However this isn’t always true because there are plenty of people who have figured out that people travel less in the shoulder season and are out in force.

I think packing for a trip is always challenging, because you can’t be sure what the weather will be like.  But not to worry, you can always shop for what you might need or may have forgotten.  This also provides a guilt-free reason for an unplanned shopping expedition.

It usually rains a little when I’m on a trip, but you have to take it in stride because who can control the weather?  This much is true:  when the sun does come out, I am so appreciative that I enjoy the trip even more.  I think that the best weather is when you start the day with a light jacket or sweater, and later you can take it off and still be comfortable.  And if it gets warm, what better way to cool down than with a double scoop of gelato?  (At least one.)

Speaking of food, I really prefer to stop at an outdoor food vendor and then walk around with the food, or even sit outdoors and people watch.  At this point I just can’t really tell where anyone is from until I can hear them speak.  It’s a lot of fun guessing, though.

So when you’re ready board the plane for your destination, the anticipation of the trip becomes reality.  Now you want to remember how it feels to walk down the jet bridge to the plane, find your seat, look around at your “home” for the next seven/eight/whatever hours, and the adventure begins.