Choose your own adventure
March 5, 2011
PiC and I are going on our first honest to goodness vacation this spring. It may or may not coincide with ye olde Springe Breake. Having never been on one, I wouldn’t know what a real one comprises but this isn’t a plan to cram several years of drunken debauchery into one hoopla filled trip. Though you never know what might happen …. 😉
Cue a lot of chatter about why we probably shouldn’t go over: Are we serious about this because if we go overseas, that costs money and takes time and I can’t imagine taking a 15+ hour flight each way to stay for only a week…? And then, uh, are we paying for a trip and a wedding-thing-of-some-variety in the same year? How can I take time off from work I have so much to do?? You know, all the sensible stuff.
At the end of all of it: we decided to go.
When are we next going to get the opportunity to meet up with a good friend in a random country just to explore, eat and adventure? How much longer can I work at this pace without an enforced break? PiC likes long flights. We so frequently do things for each other: me for his sports and him for my geekery but never make time for a shared interest. So really, why not? We’ve never gone on a vacation together and this would be fun! (D’ya hear that, cerebral cortex? Can you access what that means?) And the wedding may or may not happen this year.
For all my naysaying above, (you knew that was me, didn’t you?) on the off chance that we might decide to go, I’ve been hoarding any windfall money and all my vacation time so we won’t be running up any debt and the time off will be covered.
From the list of probable stops Friend scribbled on the napkin six months ago, we negotiated Must Sees and Nah, I’m Not That Interesteds against the calendar and ended up with our compromise destination. PiC was strongly in favor, and though Thailand was never on my list of Must See countries (no reason), it’s not on my list of Not in This Life so that’s where we will be headed for nearly two weeks!
What do you think? Have you ever been? Any recommendations or suggestions if you have been?
I’m so glad you are going!!
try this blog http://themissadventurejournals.com/
Why don’t you get married in Thailand?
BTW The title reminds me of those old Infocom games. On a Commodore 64. I miss those games (yeah, I’m dating myself saying this).
Wow that’s great!
Travel is such a great experience. I’ve never been to Thailand, but my friend has, and she loved it.
Yes, I’ve been to Thailand 3 times but only to Bangkok and only for 2-3 days each time on stopovers between Australia and Europe. Our last visit was in October last year. Snork Maiden’s first visit there on the way back from her first visit to Europe and a certain Middle Eastern country (CMEC) (she’s from the PRC). It’s great, very cheap (certainly for Australians) but for me it is incredibly hot and humid (but you know that – though this time Bangkok felt more bearable but I think it was just our luck to get slightly cooler weather). I would love to go other places in Thailand outside of Bangkok. I’m thinking mountains and rainforests rather than beaches and islands though the latter could be good too. Snork Maiden didn’t find it as interesting as the CMEC because to her it was less exotic. We know all about 15 hour flights 🙂 Not good news for me as I can’t sleep on them. SM can.
I’ve never been to Thailand. Definitely on the list of must-go to spots before I croak.
On vacation – If you don’t go on a vacation, you’ll probably burn-out. Even if it isn’t to Thailand, just taking some time off to have your mind function differently for a change will do wonders for your productivity.
went to bangkok, chiang mai and phuket for ten days in 2003 (a year before the tsunami). hated bangkok–too too busy and smoggy and smelly and hot, but loved the wats there. chiang mai was gorgeous mountainous country–fed and rode the cutest elephants there–and so was phuket (although i got food poisoning there so was out of commission for a few days). the food, of course, is amazing. the people are incredibly nice and the culture is neat–i even went to a lady boy show! i highly recommend thailand, it’s so different from everywhere else i’ve been.
aside from mexico, it is the only non-english speaking country i’ve ever spent a decent amount of time in, so take all this with a grain of salt (and don’t drink any smoothies in thailand…it was either the yogurt/unpasteurized milk or the ice cubes in the smoothie that made me sick!). now i may have to go watch brokedown palace and the beach again… 🙂
sorry, didn’t finish my phuket sentence–that was gorgeous too, but beach instead of only mountains. 😉 snorkeling was great there and I thought the beaches were beautiful. and that is saying something, because i lived in hawaii during the time I visited thailand!
Okay, here’s the plan: You win the Crate & Barrel Wedding Package. Instead of spending the hundred grand on the wedding per se, you arrange a very simple wedding on the beach in Tahiti, and you use the cash to send all your friends and family to Tahiti!
I’ve never been to Thailand, but one of my friends who has says it’s a great place. It will be a wonderful experience for you.
Interestingly, some time back a study showed that when it comes to spending money, people derive the most long-term satisfaction from spending on experiences, and the least from spending on things.
Fantastic! You deserve a vacation and I’m sure you won’t regret it.
Also, LOL at ‘Not in This Life’ places. My BF and I discuss that a lot, usually while or after watching Globetrekker. 🙂
@Karen: That link is great but at the same time, a little scary!
PiC has sort of vetoed the elopement idea. (by which I mean, he won’t actually say no, but he definitely won’t say yes.)
And that is PRECISELY what I was referring to when I titled this! 😀
@Daisy: I’m really hoping to have a good trip – no really specific expectations other than to relax, eat without getting sick and play with elephants.
@mOOm: Each time I go back to Asia, I’m a little less adapted to humidity but I hope that this time won’t be too big a shock to the system.
We’ll take lots of pictures, I love the travel pics you guys had been sharing.
@Investing Newbie: I may not come back …. 😉
@Sense: Ok now we’re even more excited!!
And we’re totally avoiding milk/ice. There will be no getting sick on this trip, darnit.
@FaM: You are a mad genius. GENIUS, I say. I really do enjoy giving gifts and going on trips more than acquiring things because I don’t like having too much stuff.
@Bonnie: We could have a very lively discussion on where you’d never want to go, I think. 🙂