Traveling

[Tatyana]

I think it may be safe to say that my main passion in life is traveling.

Please tell me your travel plans, desires, favourite place or traveling stories.

[Morvis13]

Next week I'm off to Japan for 2 weeks. Going to be an awesome time as it is a group trip with 200 friends. Saying in Naha Shi on the Island of Okinawa.

I use to travel a lot. So much so that I've met myself. Or at least a guy with the same name and travel itinerary. This is how you know you've gone too far. 

[Tatyana]

200 friends, were they uni or military buddies?

Japan is one of my top three counties.

I wanted to move there to teach ESL and take a 1-2 year sabbatical to do so.

[Morvis13]

200 friends, were they uni or military buddies?

I haven't done either of these things.

[Soldier of FORTRAN]

Next week I'm off to Japan for 2 weeks. Going to be an awesome time as it is a group trip with 200 friends. Saying in Naha Shi on the Island of Okinawa.

I use to travel a lot. So much so that I've met myself. Or at least a guy with the same name and travel itinerary. This is how you know you've gone too far.

Nice!

Btw, if you like sharing travel photos then feel free to image dump!  I love travel photos, especially concerning food and geography. 

[daniel1948]

For 25 years living in rural North Dakota I was so content where I was that I had no interest in travel. I'd hear the whistle of a train on the tracks 1/4 mile away and think "I'm glad I'm not on that train."

Then things changed and I started to travel. Four years abroad (Mexico and Spain to learn Spanish). Two trips to Kenya while I was living in Spain. Snorkeling/diving in the Caribbean. Hiking in Scotland, Mexico, Canada, Arizona. Gallery-hopping in Santa Fe, NM. Then I discovered kayaking in Maui and that became one of my regular trips. For about 15 years I took 3 or 4 trips a year, in addition to spending the summer hiking in Canada.

When I decided that I was no longer able to hike safely (poor balance, mostly) I moved to Maui, where I am now. I belong to two canoe clubs and I can paddle nearly every day, year 'round.

And now I have no further need to travel. When you live in paradise and you can go out paddling in an outrigger canoe just about every day of the year, travel seems pointless: All the expense and hassle and delays and missed connections and lost luggage, just to get to a place that's not as nice as where you are.

Except that last fall I went to Tahiti to swim with the humpback whales, and that was so special that I may have to go back. Probably not this year because it would conflict with the Paddle for Life, a journey by canoe from Maui to Lana'i and back the next day, as a fund-raiser for the Pacific Cancer Foundation. I'm happy to support the PCF, but I'm really doing it for the paddling.

[The Latinist]

It's sad that when I see 'traveling' I think first of sovereign citizens / freemen on the land.

[Tatyana]

I guess that is a bit like travellers in the UK. They don't travel as much anymore and seem to have a lot of static caravan sites.

We are in Berlin right now for my partner's 40th. I think we might spend the first day wandering around and taking in the feel of the city, there are loads of museums but as we travel quite a bit, we are museum, mosque, church and templed'd out.

The Hermitage and Smithsonian are the only one on my list outside of London right now.

[Tatyana]

200 friends, were they uni or military buddies?

I haven't done either of these things.

LARPing?

[Tatyana]

For 25 years living in rural North Dakota I was so content where I was that I had no interest in travel. I'd hear the whistle of a train on the tracks 1/4 mile away and think "I'm glad I'm not on that train."

Then things changed and I started to travel. Four years abroad (Mexico and Spain to learn Spanish). Two trips to Kenya while I was living in Spain. Snorkeling/diving in the Caribbean. Hiking in Scotland, Mexico, Canada, Arizona. Gallery-hopping in Santa Fe, NM. Then I discovered kayaking in Maui and that became one of my regular trips. For about 15 years I took 3 or 4 trips a year, in addition to spending the summer hiking in Canada.

When I decided that I was no longer able to hike safely (poor balance, mostly) I moved to Maui, where I am now. I belong to two canoe clubs and I can paddle nearly every day, year 'round.

And now I have no further need to travel. When you live in paradise and you can go out paddling in an outrigger canoe just about every day of the year, travel seems pointless: All the expense and hassle and delays and missed connections and lost luggage, just to get to a place that's not as nice as where you are.

Except that last fall I went to Tahiti to swim with the humpback whales, and that was so special that I may have to go back. Probably not this year because it would conflict with the Paddle for Life, a journey by canoe from Maui to Lana'i and back the next day, as a fund-raiser for the Pacific Cancer Foundation. I'm happy to support the PCF, but I'm really doing it for the paddling.

I am going to be in Moose Jaw next month. I am familiar with rural mid west. There is something really romantic about the vast emptiness, but now that I have lived half my life in Canada and half in Europe (Nederland and England), I feel more settled in England, sort of like you and Maui.

Mind you, that might all change with Brexit. I almost wish I had immigrated again when we had open borders, but the partner was a more recent immigrant to the UK and didn't want to move.

At least we have two countries, potentially four, we can bolt to if things are really terrible.

[jt512]

I think it may be safe to say that my main passion in life is traveling.

Please tell me your travel plans, desires, favourite place or traveling stories.

I just returned from a 12-month trip to Europe, during which I visited Ireland, England, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany.  After returing home for one week, I went to Telluride, Colorado for 3 weeks.  I am now home for 2 weeks after which I go to San Diego for a week and then Israel for a week.  After that, I think I'll actually be home for a while.


In the mountains of Telluride:

[daniel1948]

In the mountains of Telluride:

I think Telluride is famous for skiing, but that picture looks like a place I'd love to go hiking. Except that I'm done hiking. And I won't get any more capable as I get older. There's hiking here, but the trails are either just walking paths, or are far too rustic for my ability. I can handle steep and long, but I need good footing. There are some waterfalls you can walk to on short paths (a mile or two round-trip) but the real hiking is on unmaintained trails with difficult footing, and often wet and slippery. Where I used to hike in Canada, the trails were good even in the rain. And I hiked in Sedona in the dry season.

[Noisy Rhysling]

Less than 24 hours after I graduated from high school I was at boot camp. Fuck Indiana. A few month later I landed in Hong Kong and then moved on south. During twenty years in the USN I slept in 72 countries (kept a journal from Day One) and passed through a few more. I loved being in new places.

[brilligtove]

Next week I'm off to Japan for 2 weeks. Going to be an awesome time as it is a group trip with 200 friends. Saying in Naha Shi on the Island of Okinawa.

I use to travel a lot. So much so that I've met myself. Or at least a guy with the same name and travel itinerary. This is how you know you've gone too far.

I didn't realize you were part of a cult.

ETA: You're very good at keeping it to yourself though, so no foul.

[bachfiend]

I’m going off the idea of traveling for travel’s sake.  Nowadays, I need a reason to travel, whether it’s to Duisburg for a Ring Cycle or Chile for the total solar eclipse.  Next year I’m doing a cruise in the Arctic hoping to see the Northern Lights.  Perth to Europe, or North or South America are such a very long way, taking around 24 hours in flight time, which is a major physical and mental torture.  I travel business class dlespite it being much more expensive than economy, meaning I can’t travel as much.  But it’s much more comfortable, and almost tolerable.

When I travel, I want to go to a limited number of cities, and spend many days in each, so I don’t have to frequently repack and travel to a new city.  The highlight of my last Europe trip was the 11 nights I spent in Duisburg.  I basically did in Duisburg what I do at home.  The cruise next year in the Arctic will be similarish in that I won’t have to repack frequently for the 11 days of the cruise.  And I don’t think I’ll be doing much before or after the cruise.

Home is the best place in the world.