My kids would say if you didn’t use your passport then it is not a trip.
D1 is 30+ now. She said she doesn’t consider a day off is a vacation day (from work) unless it is a week.
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I have 4 trips planned for this year and 3 of them are in the first half of this year. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Covid is not going to interfere with my travel.
FYI - I checked with my credit card (its a premium card) and it will cover travel insurance for me. Before they had Covid exclusion, but now they treat Covid just like other illnesses. If I should get sick before the trip then they would cover all trip charges. They won’t pay for quarantine at a hotel, but they will pay for changing of flight back. You may want to check with your CC before you buy additional insurance.
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I love to travel and would all the time, but… In the old days, we neither had vacation time or money. I only got 2 weeks/year for years 0-5, then 3 weeks for years 6-15, with no flex time, and we technically couldn’t use sick time for the kids’ illnesses. And H would never take off, so every errand, appointment, etc. was on me. But we didn’t have any $$$ anyway.
Now, I have the time, but money is still a limiting factor. We can do some things, but we have to prioritize. And even if we won the lottery, we would have issues leaving our cats. Or H would. He is not comfortable with strangers in our house. It was easier when the in-laws could do it, but now our nephew is the only person H trusts. And we don’t want to burden him with 2 little kids but so often.
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It’s funny to think back to 2020/21 when we/I REALLY did not feel good about traveling. Another thread made me think back to how summer of 2020 we did rent an AIRBNB for like 5 days and all the obstacles of that trip. The packing of all kinds of disinfectant materials. No eating out but we “splurged” and got take out pizza which was a big deal - and being so thankful that we didn’t have to enter the restaurant, they had a front window they would pass through. Even at the beach we were concerned about where we would sit, would people not sit close to us, etc. It was great to get away but also it was so, so very weird.
Our travel budget has never been very generous though until recently we did have a cottage (home away from home) that was basically our “travel” and where our “travel” $$ went. And it was perfect because yep, we are pretty much homebodies. I love a home, love being home. Really content in home space. Or short explores. Two kids live 2 hours away and spending time in their homes is a great get away.
There is so much to see. But I’m ok if I don’t get the chance to see it all.
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I love to travel, but when we are in our home town, I’m definitely a homebody! Nothing makes me happier than puttering around my beautiful/comfy house. DH likes to get out and about much more so than I.
I wonder if any of you are the same: I always make sure my house is immaculate before I go on a trip. I love LOVE coming home to a clean house rather than face the evidence of a chaotic prep for a trip that I waited to late to prepare for! And I usually completely unpack the minute we get home! When I was young, I wasn’t like that at all. As I’ve aged, I’ve gotten to appreciate order and neatness and get anxious in a messy or cluttered environment. It’s so nice to not have a lot of work to do when I arrive home from a trip.
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There has been many a trip when I’ve insisted to be the last person out the door and am sweeping the kitchen floor as I’m exiting - I do need order when I return home!
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Ha! Definitely here, though I’ve been relaxing as the years go by. Pre-kids everything had to be perfect for even a weekend to see my parents. Once kids were here, I didn’t have time/energy to do a deep clean the night before, so the tasks would be split up over a few days prior.
Now I just do a regular cleaning as much as possible. We aren’t that messy/dirty with 2 people. But I always have to vacuum/Chom Chom the furniture and that takes almost 2 hours. But the sad part is I still have to do it right when I get back (for a week trip) because the cats didn’t go on vacation! I am allergic to them, so a weekly vacuum is a must
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I think one of the best parts of boards like these is seeing how different humans are - and all in a good way, not just good vs evil as is portrayed on the news.
Not the same here. We’re so eager to go that I don’t worry a bit about what our place looks like other than dishes and laundry are all done, plus the table is cleaned off. Since we’re often gone for a week or more, I hate to think what would grow in our absence if we left those, though the table is for the newspaper and mail.
Our farm sitters aren’t the neatest when they’re in the house getting critter chow or watering plants, etc, so I see no need to sweep or vacuum prior to going. Dust bunnies are ever present anyway. It’s a farm.
I don’t actually want to sell our place (we’ve had offers). When we can’t be traveling, I love it here. The land/location is gorgeous (not so much the house). If we were to sell and go on the road 24/7 I know we could never get this or anything similar back again. We also want to keep the place long enough to be certain none of our boys want to move here later in their lives - just in case.
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When we do go away we always arrange for our monthly
Cleaning service to adjust the schedule so they come the morning before we get home. Love coming home to a freshly clean house.
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I love traveling and am retiring early (50-55) so that I can roam the world for 9-10 months a year while I’m healthy. Before that, I will get at least 3 international trips in per year with plenty of local travel.
Yes, I always make sure the house is very clean before traveling.
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When we worked I never had the house orderly before or after- that would require vacation days that I did not want to use.
Now that we are retired the house looks great before we leave.
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I don’t think about my house one way or the other.
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Meaning whether it’s clean when you return? Or that you don’t really get pleasure from being at home ?
Interesting thread! Am genuinely curious what people are getting out of so much travel these days? I’ve lived and worked abroad for periods of time, but travelling just to “sight-see” doesn’t sit that well with me, especially with global warming and all the jet fuel required. My desire to see the world does not justify polluting it. Plus all that money that could go to other causes. Plus covid.
Maybe it’s just me but I feel there’s something almost immoral in tourism, especially to parts of the world that are not especially pleased to have you there. I often felt quite ashamed. Would be curious to hear if others had that same feeling.
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Interesting hearing your perspective.
I grew up traveling extensively thanks to my parent’s job. I feel like it broaden my world view, helped me feel more connected to other cultures and traditions, and helped me see people all over the world through a more compassionate lens, and not stereotype. Also made me appreciate my privilege.
I love to travel and it’s been the one thing I’ve missed the most with Covid. We’re happy to be returning to Europe this Spring to explore new countries, learn their histories, and gain an appreciate of the cultures.
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I don’t care if it’s clean or not.
If I don’t eat, drink, wear clothes and never leave my place then this would be a better world.
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But not for the people who grow your food, make your clothes, build your car and the plane you travel on, work in the airlines and hotels you stay in, etc.
The sentiment that the world would be a better place if there was no economic development (or in some extreme cases if we weren’t in it) is a bizarrely anti-humanistic vision, held by far too many privileged people (especially amongst the young) who have no idea of how for most of history, life was as Hobbes put it “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” The saying 'Nasty, brutish and short' - meaning and origin.
Just to add, this is also connected to the idiocy of Paul Ehrlich, who still gets unwarranted attention for his nonsense, including a recent 60 Minutes segment, when he’s been utterly wrong for 50 years:
https://www.newgeography.com/content/007685-still-wrong-paul-ehrlich-interview-cbs-s-60-minutes
Sadly, some people took him seriously, including this very poignant letter in the WSJ:
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I agree and have had friends who grew up in this way, who also seem to have a broader perspective and deeper sense of the world as a result. You’re fortunate to have had those experiences when you were young! I like your idea of travel allowing us to see the world and other cultures more compassionately - I think this is one of the true gifts of travel.
I guess I just see the idea of travel (tourism that is) as a kind of scale, with one end weighted with good things and the other with not so good things. It tips different ways depending on how we look at it.
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Perhaps!