Katie just returned from a week visiting a friend in Singapore. She loved Singapore but the 88-degree days were not to her liking. I’ve encouraged both of my children to travel while they’re young. Patrick is headed to a conference in South Korea in February. In March, Patrick is attending a wedding in India (Art Scott is hoping it has elephants!). My traveling days are pretty much over, but I enjoy the travel stories my kids share. How do you consider travel? A blessing…or a curse?
We travel a lot but it is mostly in the US now. We are hoping for a trip to Cuba next year. And possible one to Quebec. But it is certainly more fatiguing than 20 years ago. Although now that we have passed a certain age, we get through the security much more easily.
Nice. I’m glad she survived those grueling flights.
Like you I’m glad we did our foreign traveling while younger before it was the incredible hassle it is these days. I dread it every tie I know we have to get on a plane these days what with the airport nonsense, taking off your shoes, idiotic “security” screening, etc. The only way to go on those long flights these days is business class. Of course Patrick flies so much he probably has enough frequent flyer miles to go that way every time.
The elephant idea sounds good. I just hope it doesn’t turn out like the Indian wedding on SEINFELD.
Patti, we’re pretty much limited to traveling in the U.S. As you point out, travel is fatiguing. And when I travel, it’s like a safari with all my equipment: CPAP, etc.
Jeff, flying has certainly become a Big Pain. But even driving to Boston to visit Katie is grueling for us. We break up the trip now by driving to Albany to spend the night (5-hour drive) and then drive to Boston (3-hours) the next day. An 8-hour drive would completely wipe us out now.
Flying is a pain, and I’m too old to enjoy it.
I don’t blame you at all. The day we leave for Florida was just a killer for us what with the packing and the stress of getting out of here. We now added an extra day by stopping in Bethesda (we were already stopping there on the way home) which breaks it up nicely. Now I don’t have the stress of having to be in North Carolina by a certain hour.
BULLETIN – Jackie says heavy snow is predicted in Buffalo Wednesday. It may be time to get Big Orange ready.
I’ve always hated to fly–although will do it out of necessity. It reminds me of a line in Tom Brown’s School Days describing British boarding school in the 19th century: Hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.
Suffice to say, we don’t do much traveling, except when reachable by car. I don’t even have an up-to-date passport. Oddly enough, my husband flies frequently for his job–although he doesn’t like flying any more than I do. I suspect any trip that requires overseas air travel is a thing of the past for me.
Bill, my flying days are numbered.
Jeff, you and Jackie have travel down to a science. I always forget something when I travel And the whole flying experience resembles torture for me.
Deb, I did plenty of traveling in the Seventies when I was working for a consulting company. I practically lived at O’Hare Airport. I traveled to Europe about a decade ago and, like you, don’t think I’ll attempted out-of-the-country travel ever again. Except for Canada which is about 20 minutes away.
I used to enjoy travel, though I’ve never been out of North America. The airlines and government have taken so much of the fun out of travel. It’s too bad. The airlines’ squeeze every penny, every passenger policies, plus TSA treating everyone like a criminal is too much for me. I’ll still drive, and that’s what we’ll do from here to Monterey for LCC next Spring, – it’s a two day drive – but if I can’t get someplace by automobile it’s going to be a very rare occasion that I travel.
As a Navy brat, travel was SOP for my family, and it grew old fast. I’m very comfortable at home and don’t have the travel bug anymore. And as everyone mentioned, taking a plane is too annoying and dehumanizing an experience to endure.
Rick, you’re right about the flying experience. It’s deadly. Hassles, rudeness, and stress. It takes a lot to get me out of the house anymore. I’m turning into Nero Wolfe!
Bob, I enjoyed travel when I was in my 20s, but as you said it gets old fast. I remember when I could walk into an airport 10 minutes before my flight took off. Gone are those days!
George, that is so true. I would never do that – I have a fixation about being on time (or, preferably, early) – but my sister would often show up for flights at the last minute. Of course, sometimes she was five minutes too late….
I’m still at the age-endurance-tolerance mix where travel is fun, but flying is not. If the flying experience still matched the golden era of the 20th century, I’d be doing a lot more ocean hopping. My wife and I enjoy trips immensely, though we have noted the adaptation time is getting longer upon arrival. Jet lag and elevation differences are harder to shrug off. The ordeal (in the strict definition) of flying doesn’t set us up fresh and ready to meet those climate differences either.
Still, young or not, I’m feeling a certain desperation to see actual foreign lands before they’re all homogenized into MacMartBucks.
Murray, I’m glad someone still enjoys travel. The flying experience has been completely ruined by the greedy airlines and the savage security protocols.