#traveling

There's some cool architecture and landscapes to see, but looking at cool old things isn't really very exciting to me, and I'm from the USA where we have every type of climate and geography, so there's not much gained by flying 9 hours to see a different mountain. I have to travel extensively for work, and before I had money I used to dream of being able to travel one day, but when I actually started doing it, I felt extremely underwhelmed. It's not that I don't like it, I'm just a little spoiled. I live near a major city, and my state is one of the biggest, so I have world-class museums, restaurants, and other attractions about 40 minutes away. I also like living/sleeping at home the best. Makes it hard to justify taking a trip to most places in the US, and places outside the US can be expensive and/or swarming with covid.
Sounds like you need a travel agent! Good travel agents today can do all the planning for you (flights, hotels, transfers, event tickets, etc.), and don't charge any fees since they get paid by the suppliers (i.e. the resorts or whatever that you book with). Most are hom online only so you don't need to go to them in person. Honestly there's really no reason not to book with travel agent these days, especially with all the insanity of Covid protocols, testing, etc. And they often have access to better deals (or extra perks) than you can find online, or can at least get the same pricing. Feel free to pm me for a recommendation (but full disclosure, it's my wife lol).
I personally LOVE to travel! But since having a family, I noticed that it’s way more work for me to take my family (with all their food allergies) away from home, where I know I can keep them safe and fed. The cost-benefit analysis has to come out in favor of seeing something special to take the risks.
I used to LOVE traveling but when I hit my early 40's I started getting super sick to my stomach every time I would travel. Add to that the fact that plane travel is horrible now it really discourages me. I still do it, though, just not often because I have to work myself up to it. I can only get by if I barely eat while traveling.
My SO is someone who just never felt the need to. It's not that he actively dislikes to travel, it's just that he doesn't have that strong I MUST HAVE SEEN X OR Y BEFORE I DIE feeling a lot of people have. I do like to travel, and he enjoys himself when he comes along, but he would've been just as happy had he not had those experiences, whereas I would've definitely felt I was missing out on something. People like to shit on people with no desire to travel (I used to) but honestly, if you'd ask me who is generally more happy or satisfied with life, him or me, it's him.
I get anxious when trying to navigate an unfamiliar place, and I don't like asking for help. That doesn't stop me from looking at maps obsessively and fantasizing about what life is like in other places, though.

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I prefer to travel alone. I'd like to do Europe alone again, but I have no idea how to tell my SO that without hurting his feelings. Not that I don't love traveling with him, I just find taking a trip on my own is infinitely more relaxing than going with another person.
With someone else. I might have to compromise on things I want to see, depending on the person, but I love sharing great experiences with people I'm close to. I love to be able to say, hey, remember that time we did that thing? Wasn't it awesome? and laughing about it together. Doing things alone can be formative, but I personally find solo travel to be less fulfilling.
For me it depends on the person and the experience I'm looking for. I also love to travel alone, in fact I usually prefer it. There's something so wonderful about not having to deal with another persons agenda. I also clothes shop alone for this reason. Lately, though, with my current SO I've enjoyed tremendously seeing the same thing through his eyes. We don't get irritable or annoyed with each other like I have with just about every other traveling companion, romantic or otherwise. I wish I could insert him into all those trips I took alone now, which is a crazy thought to have when those solo trips made me me.
Definitely alone! Best part of travelling is the freedom and the adventure and the being entirely immersed in a different life. And you meet the most incredible people when you travel alone because the travel culture is so open and you let yourselves be vulnerable. Travelling with my bf is nice but doesn't compare to travelling alone.
Definitely alone. It's less pressure on your shoulders and you can pretty much do and see whatever you want. I also prefer it since I usually go traveling in order to clear my mind and have a bit of alone time. It's really freeing to be in a completely strange city/country where you don't know anyone and nobody knows you. Traveling with other people can be fun too though, but only as long as you get along really well and have similar interests/habits. It really depends. Camping is more fun with people, urban exploring can be more fun alone.
I prefer to travel with someone else while still having days to explore on my own.
"Alone." I say that in quotation marks because you always end up meeting people while you're travelling anyways, but I would rather embark on the journey itself alone.
Definitely alone! Best part of travelling is the freedom and the adventure and the being entirely immersed in a different life. And you meet the most incredible people when you travel alone because the travel culture is so open and you let yourselves be vulnerable. Travelling with my bf is nice but doesn't compare to travelling alone.
Alone. The last time I traveled with a group, two out of four people that went don't speak anymore. I want to plan out my own itinerary.
Alone. My husband is the only person I can stand to travel with!

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But in all seriousness, in our modern society, especially in a city, there is very little outlet for that primal urge in most people for adventure, danger, pitting yourself against nature etc. Travelling gives you that sense of adrenaline the first time you see Kilimanjaro appear in the distance or that time that pretty Colombian woman smiles at you from across the bar in Cali. At least those are my reasons to travel. There is nothing quite like the rush you get from finally summiting a big peak, or dropping into the spectacular depths of a coral reef. Traveling takes away everything you are comfortable with, and lets you expand into your surroundings. I've travel all over the US and parts of Canada and when I first ventured out of the US to Western Europe I was hit by so many simple differences. All over the US our electrical plugs are the same, our toilets flush the same way, you use the same money, etc. In Europe, I would travel to a country that was an hour away and need different money (prior to the Euro), the plug might be different (UK to France), etc. I came back from first trip with a new perspective....just because you did it differently doesn't mean its wrong...its just different. I love that feeling and I love finding it again when I travel along with the wonder sights, sounds and tastes. For me, it's a fascination of how people of other cultures live their lives, what they talk about, what they see on a daily basis. I also love seeing history up close and personal. For example being in the Colosseum in Rome, a couple of thousand year old building, still standing. That, to me, is breathtaking.
I've been traveling domestically since I was 6 weeks and internationally from 9 months. It's honestly how I grew up. Even if we always went to the same places to see family. It's what I know. Plus I love discovering things about history/Archeology.
I enjoy traveling for the ultimate sense of freedom. I have less things with me so I need to worry about less things too. The constant new things that happen and unfold around you make you feel like a child... everything is new and interesting. And by constantly meeting new people and making new friends you are always the person you are right at that moment.. It makes one grow so much! By seeing the same people over and over again (colleagues, friends,...) you don't grow as much... you have unconsciously created a role with those people that you keep following. I also love how travel makes you read between the lines.
When I travel it's always in conjunction with going on holiday, so my primary reason to travel is to relax, get a change of scenery, break my usual routine; I also enjoy seeing, doing, eating and drinking things that I can't see/do/eat/drink at home.

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Probably streaming and making a living off of it. Enough that I don't have to worry about myself financially. A loving wife (would be cool if she was into streaming/gaming as well), maybe some kids someday. Family to be a part of my life. Actual friends to do stuff with sometimes. Traveling a bit, going to conventions. Oh, and being able to attend at least every Patriot home game. Would love to not be anxious about stuff. I feel like once I get to a point where I'm really happy, maybe it'll just go away, but who knows. I feel like the constant nagging of my family over different things I've chosen to do or not to do in my life so far just broke me. That on top of the general uncertainty of the future, and my overall unhappiness with my life situation make all of that seem like a distant dream. Living with my (most recent) ex (in a universe where he still wants to be with me). We have a good sized apartment and a cat and a pug. I'm working at a non profit specializing in adult education/literacy. I'm far enough from my family that they don't drive me insane but close enough to still be...close. My debts are paid off and I have a solid chunk of savings.
Living someplace warm, in a house with a yard so I can get like three HUGE dogs. With someone I love. And having money enough not to worry too much about things, but not so much that it becomes a stress in itself. And lots and lots of free time on my hands which I could use for travel and hobbies.
Loving people surrounding me, a job I love (Working on that, gonna be a tough one), and enough money to not have to worry about money.
Working as a world renowned programming/web developer freelancer with enough money for multiple houses in different environments (Beach, urban, suburban, country) that I can casually switch living at throughout the year with a vacation private island that I can spend a few months a year on hunting deer with my bow & arrow while riding my biggest wolf of the pack. And at the moment, I'll know I made it.

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“Relax and Enjoy the Ride” by Alex

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In October of 2011, my wife and I traveled to Los Angeles for one month so that I could donate one of my kidneys to our oldest son who was in the final stage of kidney (renal) failure. Our daughter, who was 5 at the time, temporarily stayed with her aunt, uncle and cousins in Georgia. Once I had recuperated from the surgery, we flew back to Georgia to reunite with our daughter. Our reunion was heartfelt by everyone involved because this was the first time we had ever been separated from one another and to be honest, I harbored unexpressed feelings that I might never see my daughter or family again, because of the high risks involved with the operation and the fact that I was 58 years old at the time.

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But, as God would have it, we all returned home safely and slowly began the task of regrouping, rebuilding trust, and living as a family once again. We tried to normalize our family as quickly as possible, but it was obvious that our adopted daughter was experiencing some emotional trauma related to separation anxiety and trust related issues. To comfort her and rebuild trust, we allowed her to sleep with us for as long as necessary, until she was comfortable sleeping by herself again. After a month, we encouraged our daughter to return to her own bedroom with the door left open and a night light turned on. The truth was that neither of us had ever experienced anything like this before and therefore, we were all traveling upon unchartered water… so to speak.

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As for me, I never lost hope because I knew that whatever was meant to be was out of my control and in the capable hands of a team of world renowned surgeons. And in a strange sort of way, the entire experience felt like a rollercoaster ride that I did not really want to experience due to fear of the unknown and yet, my guardian angels held my hand and assured me that everything would be alright. And as I lay on the operating table buckled up and gripping the hand rail with all my might, the rollercoaster slowly began its ascent until it reached its highest point and as I looked down at the 90 degree 400 foot drop I thought to myself, what the hell am I doing here? Have I completely lost my mind? And at that precise moment in time, as I fell asleep, I realized that I was not in control of my life and all I could do was relax and enjoy the ride. And when I awoke, I was greeted by a large group of smiling doctors, nurses, and medical students, dressed in white gowns. The operation was a success.

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I woke up from a nap on Sunday evening to find that we were being voluntarily evacuated. I considered sending my wife and daughter ahead so that I could watch over our home, but found that only my vehicle had a full tank of gas. Thus, my truck was packed with the few things we felt comfortable grabbing, plus our three cats packed into bankers boxes, my wife, and daughter. We were too hurried to grab any food. We found ourselves on the highway traveling south at about three miles per hour with about 150,000 of our closest friends. We left at around 7pm and arrived in Roseville about 1:30 AM. It’s normally a 45 minute drive. I saw more than one person open carrying a firearm. Still, with the exception of a few people who were caught looting, we did okay. The storm passed, the dam stayed intact, and we went home the next day. What did I do? Aside from driving, I eventually read books, slept, etc. Second, we had the Camp Fire (2018). I think most people have heard about it. I’m not sure if it counts as “weather,” but it certainly should. The Air Quality Index sometimes read well over 400. School let out a day early for Fall Break because we were worried about kids breathing in the very visible ash falling from the sky. What did we do? We spent as much time indoors as possible. We waited for rain. We cursed PG&E. We watched TV. We read books. We watched the news. We grieved for our friends and neighbors to the North who had lost homes and lives. Living in the Midwest cold weather sucks period but a remember back in 2001 being on a job site where the weather was -5 with a windchill of -23. There comes a point where you’re so bundled up in under armor cold gear and carhardts that you cannot stay warm or move effectively where you just need to get in your can and go home.
Back in 1991 I had to run away from Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. In the same day, we had a typhoon, a volcanic eruption, and earthquakes. I was smart and ran to my then-wife’s family in Pangasinan, then went to Wallace Air Station in San Fernando, La Union. I have had the unusual experience of seeing 2 mushroom clouds over the spot where my house used to be! Most of my friends, however, went to Olongapo, the home of Subic Naval Base. There, they got whacked with a direct hit by the typhoon, the earthquakes, and the ashfall from the eruption. At the height of the typhoon, while it is raining black mud, the recall siren goes off and all the military people need to go stand out in the falling mud. Best part? The recall siren went off due to a short circuit!
Power was out for nearly two weeks, school was delayed, three people had been killed by flying debris. My sister and I spent a week at our grandparents’ house as roads were cleared. When power came back on, I heard whoops of delight along the street. The storm was a “derecho” a rare event where several thunderstorms merge together into something like a mini-hurricane.

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Before I got married, I absolutely avoided dating the opposite sex for that very reason of avoiding shitty relationships. From age 20 until age 25 when I got married, I did not get involved in any meaningful relationships with women because I was afraid that I would get hurt again. For me, the pain and suffering of being manipulated and deceived, wasn't worth my time or effort. So I avoided it like one avoids cancer.

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I participated in activities that I enjoyed (music, tennis, chess, 5k road races, traveling) or activities that developed my skill set to prepare for a successful career as an engineer and musician. To that end, I performed with bands, earned two degrees (music and engineering), and worked with the developmentally delayed, where I met my wife. After my first and only girlfriend and I broke up, I decided to try something different. Instead of worrying about dating or falling in love, I simply lived my life enjoying every moment while also hanging out with my male friends who loved to compete, laugh and have a good time. Occasionally family and friends would question me about my sexuality, but I chose to ignore their rude comments because I knew that eventually I would meet the woman I was destined to meet, which is exactly what happened. My future wife was also working for the department of mental health as a pool supervisor and she was also a recent college graduate. The great thing about meeting her was that I was able to observe her, before we dated, working with young adults with severe handicaps and I could see that she was a kind, compassionate and loving person who actually cared about people and was not into playing head games, cheating or basically being a horrid person who would intentionally break my heart. This woman became my loyal confidant, supporter and best friend.

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I do not want to bore you with all of the details of our relationship, but suffice it to say that the decision I made at age 20 to simply live my life and not worry about people and events that I cannot control, was the best decision I ever made. Why? Because it forced me to focus on what is important in life: "living each moment to the fullest and not worry about the future or live in the past"

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As I recall, I was 10 years old when a friend of my fathers came to visit. During their friendly banter, he mentioned to dad: "I have these kittens that someone placed in a bag and threw on my front lawn and I do not know what to do with them." So I expressed my interest in obtaining one of the kittens as my own pet. My father hesitated, but I persisted and promised him that I would feed the cat every day, clean up after the cat, play with the cat and care for the cat. I assured dad that the cat would be my responsibility. Sensing that he could not win the debate, dad caved.

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Of course my mother had a few house rules concerning the cat. The rule that most displeased me was that the cat was not allowed in the house except in the basement. And arguing with my mother was not going to end well for me, so I kept my displeasure to myself. Hey, I reasoned, at least Puff is alive, right? And yes, my cats name was Puff.

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Puff was the love of my life and for the next 10 years, until her death in 1974, we hung out together. Since I do not like cages, I use to let Puff play outside during the day and I brought her into the basement at night. And it is interesting to note that whenever I came home, Puff would always greet me and rub against my leg as she purred, which was her way of let me know how much she loved me.

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Puff had blue eyes and was a gray cotton ball. She was an elegant angora. But she wasn't just your average run of the mill cat. Because of her intellect, she was able to outsmart and defeat her most powerful opponents. Allow me to recall an event that still brings a smile to my face after all these years.

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Our neighbor had this large male German Shepherd, we named Yuemmy, who was also intelligent and friendly to humans, but had this propensity to attack and kill smaller animals such as Puff. One day I was washing my car when I heard Yuemmy yelping. Upon investigation, I witnessed one of the funniest scenes in my entire life. There was Puff sitting on top of Yuemmy like a determined cowgirl breaking in a wild stallion. Puff was smiling ear to ear, her claws borrowed into the dogs skin like a tick preparing to eat, as Yuemmy jumped, twisted and turned to no avail. Puff was determined to teach this dog a lesson once and for all. I could not contain my pleasure at watching my beloved 2 pound cat defeat and humiliate a 120 pound german shepherd. And the best part is that Yuemmy never bothered Puff again. Puff... my queen and knight in shining armor had defeated a vicious opponent who through his arrogance, sense of entitlement and superiority, believed that Puff was simply another tasty treat. This male learned the hard way not to mess with Puff.

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During Puff's last months, I was on the road traveling with a rock band and was away from home for 6 months. It was the only time Puff and I were ever separated from each other. When I returned home, I learned Puff had died. She was heartbroken by my absence. :(

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What an interesting question. I will be honest with you, most of the people who asked great questions and wrote well and were actually able to inform as well as entertain, left askfm by 2019. I remember between 2015 and 2019 being entertained on askfm reading poetry, short stories and thought provoking questions, and being able to debate with people about politics, religion, traveling, education, etc. Now if you even mention the word God or express an opinion that offends a woke activist, askfm will suspend your account. I've had at least 10 accounts suspended since 2015. So now I keep my head down and seldom discuss anything controversial. Two days ago I posted something that referred to human life being valuable and mentioned the word God and immediately received a direct message accusing me of being a "brain dead Christian" and within 24 hours my VIP status was revoked. Lol
As if I give a shit. The point being that any thought provoking question or challenge to the cancel culture will result in an askfm complaint and eventual suspension of account. And that is precisely why all of the great writers have walked away from askfm.

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Now whenever I send a thoughtful shoutout I receive mostly an I don't know (IDK) or askfm users will get rude and tell me to get lost or worse. So I don't know what to tell you. I have a few people on askfm who like to read my writing and sometimes we say hello or I might ask them a few general type questions. Askfm is not, in my opinion, as interesting as it once was before the reporting, censoring, blocking and account suspensions. I'd be surprised if askfm is still in business in 2024.

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