Category Archives: General Travel Thoughts

General Travel Thoughts, Troy's Blog

Do You Travel for Now or for Later?

Traveling for Now

Well now of course! What kind of question is that? Let’s think about this for a minute. Is the purpose of your vacation to just relax or are you looking for an adventure or two? If all you wanted to do was sit around the pool and sip refreshments you could do that in any hotel with a pool and save the expense of traveling to some exotic destination. Most of us want to get away from our daily routines to rejuvenate which involves traveling somewhere exciting. While on those trips often people will find and excursion to take and something new to explore. During those adventures how often do you stop to enjoy the moment? Sure, you are enjoying it but do you actually take a minute to take it all in or is that what pictures are for? For many people, the adventure is over before they realize it. I often forget to take a few minutes just to consciously enjoy the moment and what I’m doing, where I am, and who I’m with.

Re-living the Memories

Thankfully there are memories and photos to go over. It helps for me to share the memories with others who where there with me. This is one of the reasons I like to travel with a few people. Solo travel allows a lot of freedom but is not as meaningful for me as sharing the moments both during them and afterwards are. It can be interesting to share the different perspectives each has as well when talking about a past adventure. As time passes, it is interesting to find out which experiences where the most memorable. The memories from these adventures last a lifetime while the actual vacation may only last a few days or weeks. This is why I ask “do you travel for now or later?”. While on a trip to Mexico this realization occurred as I was traveling with someone who had never been there before. We began talking about how nice it was to escape winter and work and relax on the beach while exploring some of the highlights of that area. During the conversation I mentioned that it was nice at that moment but really the trip is more meaningful afterwards.

Yes, I travel for now but enjoy the memories and pictures more as time goes by. So, do you travel for now or later?

General Travel Thoughts, Troy's Blog

Traveling for the Holidays

Driving Towards a Holiday Celebration

People all over the world travel at this time of year to share holidays together whether it is Las Posadas, Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. Additional time off from work allows us to travel further to enjoy the company of others and celebrate. A large percentage of those will be going by way of the automobile with the price of gas 8% higher than the previous year. While this may not be the highest that gas has cost it does add to the cost of traveling when you are going 50, 100, 200, or more miles away and back. Automobile travelers are not the only ones to feel these effects. Other modes of transportation feel the impact of higher fuel prices passing that on to travelers.

I’m sure that higher fuel prices has caused some to re-think their holiday travel plans but for most of us, we’re still going to get in that car or board a flight to see family and friends. We may just have to be a little more efficient in that travel to make up for the added cost of fuel. Maybe a change in the hotel room (go from king beds to queens) or spending a little less at restaurants. The kids might have to watch a movie they already have seen instead of renting or buying one they have already seen while traveling. Each member of your family could wear three layers of clothing to save on checking luggage while flying. Comfort is really not all that import while traveling is it?

For those that are unable to travel can try the next best thing. You can video chat with programs such as Skype or Facetime. It is almost as good as being there. You can be engaged in conversations and watch as others open gifts to see the smiles on their faces. This is an option many people who are unable to travel for whatever reason use. Not that many years ago we would talk on the phone and now the technology of video chatting has allowed us to feel a part of a celebration.

Water and Light Show at Longwood Gardens

If your looking for some places to see during this holiday break here are a few ideas. For many families a trip to Disney World is in order where you can enjoy lights, fireworks, and of course Mickey. For the older kids Las Vegas can be a big hit. This city is full of light all year long but for the holidays they add even more as each casino puts its best efforts forward to dazzle visitors.  A leisurely stroll through Longwood Gardens can be very relaxing as well as intrigue your creative side with all of their holiday displays. If your interested in staying overnight at a place fully decorated for the holidays check this page out.  There are holiday celebrations at many destinations however enjoying some peace at home can be satisfying as well.

Whatever your holiday plans are, we hope they are the best they can be!

General Travel Thoughts, Troy's Blog

Would You Travel for Months at a Time?

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For a lot of people their immediate answer is “YES!”. I prefer to travel for a week or two and then return home. What do you think of when imagining traveling for months at a time? There is a wide range of thoughts anywhere from constantly on the go living as a nomad like Gary Arndt of Everything-Everywhere or Matt Kepnes of Nomadic Matt to traveling in Europe for six weeks and returning home.

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My personal preference depends on where I’m traveling. If I’m traveling in or near the United States I like to go somewhere for up to two weeks and then return home to re-group and comprehend the recent experience. Also, I like the comforts of home in between new experiences. If I’m traveling overseas to Europe or Asia than two weeks is the minimum. My general guidelines come from the length of time it takes to get someplace.

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Ideally I would like to go someplace new once every other month. There can be a lot involved in planning and executing a trip such as places to stay, air, passports and visas, ect. so some downtime in between is often helpful. There are some limitations to traveling like this. Trips are packed with more to do in less time because time is limited and it is more difficult to say I will do or see that tomorrow and stay in a location for a few extra days. This is of course an assumption since I have never really experienced the nomadic lifestyle. The costs are higher due to traveling home and then off to another destination as well as the expense of keeping a home which means maintaining a job.

nomad map

I use to believe that traveling from one destination and going to the next one would be great. Now… I would have to give up a lot of things I enjoy with having a home, family, and work so I choose to travel on occasion. Another belief of mine is that travel is a great lifetime of adventures. Traveling for a few years straight can lead to getting burned out after a year or two reducing the enjoyment of the next adventure. Getting burned out is something I have read from travelers who have been on the road for an extensive amount of time. I know, many of us would like to give it a try.  There are many new experiences and adventures that I look forward to from completing the National Parks Monopoly Board to diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Keeping that travel excitement and anticipation is part of exploring a different area.