Holidays Vacations, who takes them and where?

[coffeepotman]

We also travel as much as possible. In the last 12 months we've Louisville, Austin, Salt Lake City, New York City (twice), and New Orleans. I sometimes think we travel too much in the sense that it gets pricey and it does take away from other projects like stuff around the house, but I also feel like I can't live without it. New York City remains my favorite travel destination. I feel like I could never get tired of visiting. I just love exploring. I love having experiences. I want to look back on my life when I'm older and feel like I went places, did things.

New York City really has it all......oh yeah oh yeah!

[JennyB]

I genuinely envy all of you who travel and love it. I'm someone too wedded to routines to ever enjoy a vacation—by the time I'm out of routine, the vacation is pretty much done—and so I never quite feel right. I also tend to feel pressured to do all kinds of stuff when away. Lay around and relax? I could do that at home! I've gotten worse the older I get, so I don't even pretend to look forward to vacations anymore, hoping against hope.

Damn dude. I like traveling, I hate flying (its a size thing) but I love traveling. Have traveled a lot more for work than for pleasure but I usually would try to make the most out of the work stuff even if it was just getting drunk in a new place. Got to meet Flex, Spiff and Beaneater. Now that my youngest is grown and at college my wife and I have started taking vacations outside of the school vacation calendar.

I try to keep my mind open and if The Boss ever lines up a conference where I might match up with some of y'all, I could be persuaded. That one she did in Burlington last year, I probably would have gone but she was already going with someone else and our Fiat ain't good for road trips if someone has to be in the back seat. But, like, Burlington, Denver, St. Louis, Seattle, or the UK, I'd make a sincere effort to take a deep breath and join her. Before the pandemic hit, we were sincerely considering driving down to NC to catch up with some old classmates, meet up with Gene, and others along the way. But the Bill Gates/Chinese Communists/Big Pharma conspiracy kept that from happening.

Do it. I'll even buy you a pair of jorts and terrible pizza.

[Dr. Medulla]

I genuinely envy all of you who travel and love it. I'm someone too wedded to routines to ever enjoy a vacation—by the time I'm out of routine, the vacation is pretty much done—and so I never quite feel right. I also tend to feel pressured to do all kinds of stuff when away. Lay around and relax? I could do that at home! I've gotten worse the older I get, so I don't even pretend to look forward to vacations anymore, hoping against hope.

Damn dude. I like traveling, I hate flying (its a size thing) but I love traveling. Have traveled a lot more for work than for pleasure but I usually would try to make the most out of the work stuff even if it was just getting drunk in a new place. Got to meet Flex, Spiff and Beaneater. Now that my youngest is grown and at college my wife and I have started taking vacations outside of the school vacation calendar.

I try to keep my mind open and if The Boss ever lines up a conference where I might match up with some of y'all, I could be persuaded. That one she did in Burlington last year, I probably would have gone but she was already going with someone else and our Fiat ain't good for road trips if someone has to be in the back seat. But, like, Burlington, Denver, St. Louis, Seattle, or the UK, I'd make a sincere effort to take a deep breath and join her. Before the pandemic hit, we were sincerely considering driving down to NC to catch up with some old classmates, meet up with Gene, and others along the way. But the Bill Gates/Chinese Communists/Big Pharma conspiracy kept that from happening.

Do it. I'll even buy you a pair of jorts and terrible pizza.

Your second sentence really doesn't support your first. Are you drinking at work?

Seriously, tho, I've specifically told B that if she goes to a conference in St. L, I'll come with her.

[JennyB]

I genuinely envy all of you who travel and love it. I'm someone too wedded to routines to ever enjoy a vacation—by the time I'm out of routine, the vacation is pretty much done—and so I never quite feel right. I also tend to feel pressured to do all kinds of stuff when away. Lay around and relax? I could do that at home! I've gotten worse the older I get, so I don't even pretend to look forward to vacations anymore, hoping against hope.

Damn dude. I like traveling, I hate flying (its a size thing) but I love traveling. Have traveled a lot more for work than for pleasure but I usually would try to make the most out of the work stuff even if it was just getting drunk in a new place. Got to meet Flex, Spiff and Beaneater. Now that my youngest is grown and at college my wife and I have started taking vacations outside of the school vacation calendar.

I try to keep my mind open and if The Boss ever lines up a conference where I might match up with some of y'all, I could be persuaded. That one she did in Burlington last year, I probably would have gone but she was already going with someone else and our Fiat ain't good for road trips if someone has to be in the back seat. But, like, Burlington, Denver, St. Louis, Seattle, or the UK, I'd make a sincere effort to take a deep breath and join her. Before the pandemic hit, we were sincerely considering driving down to NC to catch up with some old classmates, meet up with Gene, and others along the way. But the Bill Gates/Chinese Communists/Big Pharma conspiracy kept that from happening.

Do it. I'll even buy you a pair of jorts and terrible pizza.

Your second sentence really doesn't support your first. Are you drinking at work?

Seriously, tho, I've specifically told B that if she goes to a conference in St. L, I'll come with her.

Woot!

[Flex]

I genuinely envy all of you who travel and love it. I'm someone too wedded to routines to ever enjoy a vacation—by the time I'm out of routine, the vacation is pretty much done—and so I never quite feel right. I also tend to feel pressured to do all kinds of stuff when away. Lay around and relax? I could do that at home! I've gotten worse the older I get, so I don't even pretend to look forward to vacations anymore, hoping against hope.

Damn dude. I like traveling, I hate flying (its a size thing) but I love traveling. Have traveled a lot more for work than for pleasure but I usually would try to make the most out of the work stuff even if it was just getting drunk in a new place. Got to meet Flex, Spiff and Beaneater. Now that my youngest is grown and at college my wife and I have started taking vacations outside of the school vacation calendar.

I try to keep my mind open and if The Boss ever lines up a conference where I might match up with some of y'all, I could be persuaded. That one she did in Burlington last year, I probably would have gone but she was already going with someone else and our Fiat ain't good for road trips if someone has to be in the back seat. But, like, Burlington, Denver, St. Louis, Seattle, or the UK, I'd make a sincere effort to take a deep breath and join her. Before the pandemic hit, we were sincerely considering driving down to NC to catch up with some old classmates, meet up with Gene, and others along the way. But the Bill Gates/Chinese Communists/Big Pharma conspiracy kept that from happening.

Do it. I'll even buy you a pair of jorts and terrible pizza.

Your second sentence really doesn't support your first. Are you drinking at work?

Seriously, tho, I've specifically told B that if she goes to a conference in St. L, I'll come with her.

How about a conference in Denver? Maybe Dave and Wattie will both be in town too!

[Dr. Medulla]

Damn dude. I like traveling, I hate flying (its a size thing) but I love traveling. Have traveled a lot more for work than for pleasure but I usually would try to make the most out of the work stuff even if it was just getting drunk in a new place. Got to meet Flex, Spiff and Beaneater. Now that my youngest is grown and at college my wife and I have started taking vacations outside of the school vacation calendar.

I try to keep my mind open and if The Boss ever lines up a conference where I might match up with some of y'all, I could be persuaded. That one she did in Burlington last year, I probably would have gone but she was already going with someone else and our Fiat ain't good for road trips if someone has to be in the back seat. But, like, Burlington, Denver, St. Louis, Seattle, or the UK, I'd make a sincere effort to take a deep breath and join her. Before the pandemic hit, we were sincerely considering driving down to NC to catch up with some old classmates, meet up with Gene, and others along the way. But the Bill Gates/Chinese Communists/Big Pharma conspiracy kept that from happening.

Do it. I'll even buy you a pair of jorts and terrible pizza.

Your second sentence really doesn't support your first. Are you drinking at work?

Seriously, tho, I've specifically told B that if she goes to a conference in St. L, I'll come with her.

How about a conference in Denver? Maybe Dave and Wattie will both be in town too!

I've also told her to keep an eye out for Colorado. But I'm glad you've put it in my head that I'll be consulting touring schedules if a conference pops up and I need to get scabies or something and can't travel.

[Kory]

I go to NY a lot, I wish I could live there, but that's obviously not in the cards. I visit England when I can, trying to cover big chunks of it while I'm there (next time is West Country). Aside from that, a lot of the places I've been have been for specific reasons—Calgary for the TNG reunion, Portland for various shows, Memphis for 311 Day, Hawaii for my birthday, etc.

[Low Down Low]

It's never too late to start, I only went to Japan after I turned 50 and that turned out to be one of the greatest things in my life, we made lifelong friends there and good connections also. We both got to perform there, it was and still is amazing. I am getting to the point where I really don't like the "traveling" part, I hate going to the airport, the lines, delays and crowds are wearing on me and there is also fewer places I'd like to go. But that's a first world problem nobody wants to hear about.

Been in Japan once, albeit a work trip, but a very ennobling experience nonetheless. The friendliness of the people could actually be a bit disarming, I found, to the point you wondered how sincere it truly was, but rather that than the studious coolness you might receive in other places! I do believe my long haul flight days are done now though, just really dislike them and all the stress of airport security and whatever else. I take the ferry a couple of times a year to the UK nowadays and this year i plan to take the Eurostar onto France. That will do me quite nicely.

[revbob]

It's never too late to start, I only went to Japan after I turned 50 and that turned out to be one of the greatest things in my life, we made lifelong friends there and good connections also. We both got to perform there, it was and still is amazing. I am getting to the point where I really don't like the "traveling" part, I hate going to the airport, the lines, delays and crowds are wearing on me and there is also fewer places I'd like to go. But that's a first world problem nobody wants to hear about.

Been in Japan once, albeit a work trip, but a very ennobling experience nonetheless. The friendliness of the people could actually be a bit disarming, I found, to the point you wondered how sincere it truly was, but rather that than the studious coolness you might receive in other places! I do believe my long haul flight days are done now though, just really dislike them and all the stress of airport security and whatever else. I take the ferry a couple of times a year to the UK nowadays and this year i plan to take the Eurostar onto France. That will do me quite nicely.

My experiences in Japan were all over the place. Always being given the worst seat in restaurants, people getting up from a nearby seat on a bus or train after I sat down and not trying to drag me into the nudie shows stand out on the negative.

Positives include being invited to a co-worker's home for a wonderful dinner and discussion, being invited out to dinner by a waitress at a pub I frequented. Just to be polite and to chat nothing extra. Having a woman at the bar make me some origami animals while we had a nice chat and then her inviting me back to her place when the bar closed. She was probably 40 something and me 20 something and also married so I would have declined regardless of the age difference. Chatting and laughing with some local Yakuza (and being happy they left me alone) while they were collecting from the diner/bar I was at. More great memories than bad ones.

[Low Down Low]

It's never too late to start, I only went to Japan after I turned 50 and that turned out to be one of the greatest things in my life, we made lifelong friends there and good connections also. We both got to perform there, it was and still is amazing. I am getting to the point where I really don't like the "traveling" part, I hate going to the airport, the lines, delays and crowds are wearing on me and there is also fewer places I'd like to go. But that's a first world problem nobody wants to hear about.

Been in Japan once, albeit a work trip, but a very ennobling experience nonetheless. The friendliness of the people could actually be a bit disarming, I found, to the point you wondered how sincere it truly was, but rather that than the studious coolness you might receive in other places! I do believe my long haul flight days are done now though, just really dislike them and all the stress of airport security and whatever else. I take the ferry a couple of times a year to the UK nowadays and this year i plan to take the Eurostar onto France. That will do me quite nicely.

My experiences in Japan were all over the place. Always being given the worst seat in restaurants, people getting up from a nearby seat on a bus or train after I sat down and not trying to drag me into the nudie shows stand out on the negative.

Positives include being invited to a co-worker's home for a wonderful dinner and discussion, being invited out to dinner by a waitress at a pub I frequented. Just to be polite and to chat nothing extra. Having a woman at the bar make me some origami animals while we had a nice chat and then her inviting me back to her place when the bar closed. She was probably 40 something and me 20 something and also married so I would have declined regardless of the age difference. Chatting and laughing with some local Yakuza (and being happy they left me alone) while they were collecting from the diner/bar I was at. More great memories than bad ones.

To clarify my earlier comments, i got the impression during my (shortish) stay that there was a generational divide going on, in that younger people were much more open and friendly while the older were a lot more circumspect and grudgingly polite (or at least that's how it seemed to me anyway). Maybe that's not so different to most places you'd go, though.

But like you, my experiences were mostly positive. What stands out mostly is taking a flight to the tip of the main island in a tiny 8 or 10-seater sardine can, which bumped and rattled the entire journey, scaring the absolute crap out of me and my companion while the other passengers looked on, laughing their asses off. Probably the best in-flight entertainment they'd seen in ages! Getting hopelessly lost in Tokyo central rail station on several occasions is another abiding memory.

[WestwayKid]

We also travel as much as possible. In the last 12 months we've Louisville, Austin, Salt Lake City, New York City (twice), and New Orleans. I sometimes think we travel too much in the sense that it gets pricey and it does take away from other projects like stuff around the house, but I also feel like I can't live without it. New York City remains my favorite travel destination. I feel like I could never get tired of visiting. I just love exploring. I love having experiences. I want to look back on my life when I'm older and feel like I went places, did things.

New York City really has it all......oh yeah oh yeah!

New York's alright if you like ... saxophones!?

[revbob]

It's never too late to start, I only went to Japan after I turned 50 and that turned out to be one of the greatest things in my life, we made lifelong friends there and good connections also. We both got to perform there, it was and still is amazing. I am getting to the point where I really don't like the "traveling" part, I hate going to the airport, the lines, delays and crowds are wearing on me and there is also fewer places I'd like to go. But that's a first world problem nobody wants to hear about.

Been in Japan once, albeit a work trip, but a very ennobling experience nonetheless. The friendliness of the people could actually be a bit disarming, I found, to the point you wondered how sincere it truly was, but rather that than the studious coolness you might receive in other places! I do believe my long haul flight days are done now though, just really dislike them and all the stress of airport security and whatever else. I take the ferry a couple of times a year to the UK nowadays and this year i plan to take the Eurostar onto France. That will do me quite nicely.

My experiences in Japan were all over the place. Always being given the worst seat in restaurants, people getting up from a nearby seat on a bus or train after I sat down and not trying to drag me into the nudie shows stand out on the negative.

Positives include being invited to a co-worker's home for a wonderful dinner and discussion, being invited out to dinner by a waitress at a pub I frequented. Just to be polite and to chat nothing extra. Having a woman at the bar make me some origami animals while we had a nice chat and then her inviting me back to her place when the bar closed. She was probably 40 something and me 20 something and also married so I would have declined regardless of the age difference. Chatting and laughing with some local Yakuza (and being happy they left me alone) while they were collecting from the diner/bar I was at. More great memories than bad ones.

To clarify my earlier comments, i got the impression during my (shortish) stay that there was a generational divide going on, in that younger people were much more open and friendly while the older were a lot more circumspect and grudgingly polite (or at least that's how it seemed to me anyway). Maybe that's not so different to most places you'd go, though.

But like you, my experiences were mostly positive. What stands out mostly is taking a flight to the tip of the main island in a tiny 8 or 10-seater sardine can, which bumped and rattled the entire journey, scaring the absolute crap out of me and my companion while the other passengers looked on, laughing their asses off. Probably the best in-flight entertainment they'd seen in ages! Getting hopelessly lost in Tokyo central rail station on several occasions is another abiding memory.

Yesh i could see the generational difference, and I was there 30 years ago. The other thing that stood out and that was how women in general tended to be treated, which is to say very poorly it often seemed. I certainly hope that is much less the case.

[Spiff]

It's never too late to start, I only went to Japan after I turned 50 and that turned out to be one of the greatest things in my life, we made lifelong friends there and good connections also. We both got to perform there, it was and still is amazing. I am getting to the point where I really don't like the "traveling" part, I hate going to the airport, the lines, delays and crowds are wearing on me and there is also fewer places I'd like to go. But that's a first world problem nobody wants to hear about.

By looking at your photo in the first post, I'd never guess you were older than 50! Likely due to staying out of the sun (as evidenced by your straw hat)?

I travel a lot for work, and I tallied it up the other day ... I've been to 44 countries. I can usually add a few days of sightseeing along to each work trip, so does that count as vacationing?

I've also been to about a dozen or so countries (some overlap with my work trips), with my family or solo.

Favorites are any of the Balkan countries in SE Europe. I've vacationed solo in Albania three times. I highly recommend that country.

In the U.S., a favorite is Hawai'i, been there about 7-8 times; it helps that I have a cousin who lives there who is also is a pilot for Hawaiian Airlines (= free tix!).

I've met quite a few of you lot, too, for some very enjoyable, albeit brief times. I think I tallied those up in the IMCT North America meet up thread.

I've enjoyed meeting all of you, but the standouts were a three-day weekend spent with Purple Hayes at a music festival in Minehead, and a 2-day visit with Heston in South Shields when I saw his band perform on a bill with Neville Staple. The post-show bar hopping was awesome; there were so many drunken mates in the small car that they made the drummer ride in the boot!

To get back to the topic at hand, I'm definitely not one to wait until I retire to travel, and the long-suffering Mrs. Spiff has the same attitude. Together we've travelled to Vancouver, B.C. (just last year), plus three prior trips to Europe that stretched from Iceland, to central and southern Europe. We even went to Réunion Island 4 years ago. Kinda like Puerto Rico, but with volcanoes and French cuisine!

[Flex]

Spiff, quite frankly, is being modest about his vacationing style. He doesn't just visit these countries, he tours them on a motorcycle. It's insanely badass.

[Dr. Medulla]

Spiff, quite frankly, is being modest about his vacationing style. He doesn't just visit these countries, he tours them on a motorcycle. It's insanely badass.

I like to imagine he also does Lone Ranger heroism while on his motorcycle. He's just this mysterious guy who comes into town, saves some people, kicks some villain ass, gives a modest salute, and he's off.