Karen once worked for a travel agency, and travel is on her mind for this Weekend Assignment:
I really don’t have big ambitions to see the world, which is pretty sad when I think about it. There are a few European countries I’d like to visit some day – Italy, Switzerland, England – but if I never get there I don’t think I’ll have any lasting regrets over it. I’ve been interested in Australia for a long time, and am one of the many people who have wanted to see New Zealand ever since The Lord of the Rings movies were filmed there. But I read – I can travel anywhere in a book, right?
Still, my own home country has an amazing variety of landscapes, history, and local cultures to explore, and I actually speak its language, so I’ve felt for awhile that I’d be quite content if my travels never took me out of the USA. The #1 place I’d like to visit has only been part of the USA since the mid-20th century, but it’s far enough away and exotic enough to feel like it could be somewhere else entirely.
photo credit
I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii. My parents went there on their honeymoon, and so did my sister and her husband; everyone I’ve known who has ever been there has insisted that I must go there one day. I really hope that I will. I’d particularly like to visit Kauai, Maui, and parts of the island of Hawaii itself. I think there’s actually a decent possibility it could happen – one advantage to living in California is that the flights to Hawaii are fairly plentiful and (slightly) less expensive than they are from other places. My husband would also like to go there, which obviously helps the case. As with most things, it’s a matter of time and money, but I hope we’ll have enough of both to make that trip before we’re too old to enjoy it to the fullest.
It depends on where “home” was at the time.
I’ve made several cross-country trips in various directions, sometimes by plane and sometimes by car: New York to Florida and back (several times) when I lived in New York, New York to California and back, and next year we’re planning to go from Los Angeles to Washington, DC and New York City and back. I’ve traveled by car from California to Wyoming and back. I’ve flown from Memphis to Miami then and sailed around the Eastern Caribbean for a week, stopping in St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Bahamas before returning to port and flying home; I don’t know the exact mileage for that trip, but it was definitely a different world from Memphis.
Memphis was also “home” when I went to Alaska ten years ago, on a trip that also involved a cruise. We flew to Vancouver and departed from there to sail the Inside Passage, stopping at Skagway, Haines, and Juneau. Of course, Alaska is far from just about everywhere. I’d love to go up there again, though.
I’m not sure whether Alaska or Hawaii is further away from my current home. But speaking of my current home, there are times when I don’t have to travel very far at all to see something different and exotic. I work just a few blocks from Hollywood Boulevard.
If this inspires you to do some armchair traveling of your own, it’s not too late to participate in this Weekend Assignment – the details are here at Outpost Mâvarin.
I suspect that Memphis to Alaska wins the distance prize – and I'm jealous! Alaska is high on my list of unexplored I.S. destinations. I hope you make it to Hawaii. Our too-brief trip to Oahu made me want to see much more.
Karen – I think you're right about the distance, but I was lazy about getting out a map or Googling it.
I'd like to go back to Alaska, but I'm not sure how it'll play out; my husband gets motion sickness, so it won't be another cruise (the one ten years ago was during my first marriage), and Alaska is not especially road-trip friendly.
I hope we get to Hawaii, too!
I would love to visit Hawaii or Alaska!
I've never been one to want to travel the world – I hate to fly- but last year my husband forced me. Told me we were leaving our continent for vacation, but I got to pick the place. We spent 10 days in Italy and it really whet my appetite for travel!
Stacy – Italy is one of the international destinations that interests me. I'm of Italian descent on my mom's side, but there are also the two reasons my husband wants to go there: the art and the food!
Yes, Hawaii is great. We are hoping to go there in 2011. I'm already looking forward to it.
I'd like to go to Alaska sometime, too. Jenn and I had talked about taking a cruise up there, but we haven't talked about that recently. Maybe when the kids get older.
Mike – Is that the year of your 10th anniversary or something? I remember your mentioning you went to Hawaii for your honeymoon.
Yeah, you might want to wait a few more years for the Alaska cruise. Most cruise lines are family-friendly and do provide activities for kids, but the Alaska crowd tends to be a little older.
No, 2011 will be our 16th. it's just the plan for a big family trip including Jenn's parents and sister. She came home from their house one day and informed me we are all going. Sounds good to me. 🙂