Have you ever felt the need to get away?
I’m not talking about taking an afternoon or a day off (though that would be nice).
I’m talking about jumping in the car or onto a train or plane and going away.
Railroad tracks
Far away.
Far from the aggravations of your job. The demands of family. Routine.
One of my blogging friends did that recently, and I think it sounds like Heaven.
No schedule. No plans. No self-orchestrated parameters.
Just you. And your thoughts.
Another blogging friend had a destination in mind but no concrete goals once she arrived.
That, too, sounds good.
And both types of trip made for some wonderfully interesting posts.
Because these writers took the necessities along — a notebook and a camera.
To record their journey, of course.
Since the rest of us want to live vicariously through others’ travels.
Now I’m the first to admit I’ve never done this.
I don’t travel without an itinerary. Yahoo Maps. Hotel info.
My destination uppermost in mind, I fasten myself in the drivers seat and GO.
No stopping along the way to take in the sights.
Museums. Exhibits. Restaurants. Shops. All left unexplored as I zip past.
I suppose I learned this behavior from my late dad, who wouldn’t have stopped at all if the car hadn’t needed gas!
One of these days, I’d like to travel impromptu.
Well, maybe not completely impromptu. I need to have a destination in sight, kind of like carrying a security blanket.
But meandering along our country’s byways and highways might be just the thing to satisfy my desire to get away.
How about you? Do you travel spontaneously or purposefully?
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
We usually have ideas/plans for what we’d like to do, but subject to change at any moment by not adhering to schedules.
That sounds interesting, Suzi. Plan part of the trip and leave room for spontaneity — I’ll have to remember that!
“How about you? Do you travel spontaneously or purposefully?”
I do both. I make a plans when it comes to traveling arrangements (bus, train, plane, hotel reservations), however, once I GET to my destination…it’s a free-for-all. I don’t like guided tours or plans/schedules once I get there. I like to explore, by allowing my intuition to take me. To be honest, I like to travel on my own because I seem to cover more ground and am more spontaneous.
Funny you posted about this because I once went on a day-trip with a friend of mine. We simply took a train about 20 minutes out of the city to a place called, Chestnut Hill. When we got there, this friend of mine whipped out a piece of paper with an ENTIRE itinerary planned on what we were going to do. Well, to say the least, I don’t travel with her anymore – HA!
GREAT post, Debbie!
X
Ron, I imagine your mouth dropped OPEN when you saw that list with a complete itinerary included!! Something tells me I wouldn’t like that kind of adventure too much either. And you know, you’re right about traveling solo. I’ll bet I’d “cover more ground” that way, too. Thanks for weighing in, and have a splendid day!
The professor has never done such a thing, but it sounds like it would be a great adventure.
Ah, Professor, do you travel with a plan, then? I suppose that, too, can be fun. I mean, if you know where you’re going and how to get there, you should arrive, shouldn’t you?!
You should, but usually the professor doesn’t get where he wants to. It’s vexing, you know. Perhaps if you navigated for me, it would be better. (Even Dallas could do a better job than I can!)
HaHa, you know poor Dallas does nothing for free — his general requirement is at least a cookie. More, if he can get away with it while Mama’s back is turned!
We usually have a destination but we leave lots of room to stop and explore if it suits our fancy. Consider giving yourself more time, taking a different route and looking for local places to stop the next time you visit your favorite Domer. Decide to do one small thing you have never or would never do. and go for it. Spontaneity is easier for some people than others—baby steps will insure success. I’ve always wanted to be one of those people that was flexible enough to meet people “somewhere at sometime” without a plan, I tried a few times and decided that while the idea sounded like fun, I hated it :-D. To thine oneself be true. But by own means satisfied that lust.
I DO feel a need to get away right now, perhaps because I fear the cold weather is nearing and a warm beach is calling my name! Thanks for your good, sensible advice. Part of me wants to do the spontaneous thing, but I need to know the particulars before taking off (where, when, etc.). It’s probably just my Virgo sun trying to take charge again!
My traveling really is a combination of both. On this last trip, I knew I would be visiting my aunt, and I knew I would be staying near the Tallgrass Prairie. And, I knew I had to be home by November 29, to get bills paid at the end of the month. Other than that, I just had some ideas, some books, some hiking boots, a couple of phone numbers and nearly three weeks to spend messing around. So I did.
Three day weekends are great, but there’s something about a longer trip – minimum ten days, for me – that sets up a different rhythm. If I’ve only got a couple of days, I often stretch it out with reading and research, so I really know what I want to do and what I’m seeing.
The first time I traveled by myself for any extended period was when I left Liberia. I’d made plans to meet someone under the big clock in Victoria Station in London, so off I went. I traveled overland through Africa for a while, then flew up to the Canary Islands, then Spain, then London. It was quite an adventure, and really gave me a taste for hitting the road.
The one thing I’ll say is that slower traveling and more poking around allows for meeting and interacting with more people. That’s the best part for me!
Excellent suggestions, Linda, and I thank you for sharing them. I just can’t see myself hopping in the car and going anywhere, with NO thought beforehand as to destination. I tend to be more of a planner, taking more than I need but prepared for whatever comes my way. And it’s SUPER hard to slow down and wander — I’m pretty tightly wound, and have never been much for enjoying the traveling (it’s more about the destination in my mind!)
My husband and I once had to fly to Arizona in order to drive my parents back to Minnesota after they’d spent the winter in the warmer climate. Our drive home was limited by the constraints of time, but it was enough to tell me I would enjoy a road trip. Like you, I’d need to have some things mapped out, some sort of schedule and destination in mind. But I’d love the luxury of just stopping along the way to check things out. One of these days…
Traveling with older parents isn’t easy, Terri. There’s way more stopping for bathroom breaks and stretching one’s legs; but I think going by myself (with Dallas along, of course) might offer more of an opportunity for exploring. I’ve never been to Arizona — I’ll bet it was warm and beautiful!
I can’t do spontaneously, Debbie. That’s hard to do when you’ve got two dogs to consider. First I’d have to find a friend to care for them while I’m away. I’d have to wrap things up at the office, tell the post office to hold my mail. Too much to do to leave on a whim. Believe it or not, these days my preference is to stay home where it’s nice and cozy.
I totally “get” that, Monica — staying home sounds better and better, when you consider all the work involved in just getting away! Most trips, I like to take Dallas with me, but he’s not exactly a little dog; thus, I have to factor in his crate, food, medicine, grooming equipment, leash, etc. And travel during the winter months means I end up packing *everything* because the weather is so iffy. Sigh.
We always have a final destination in mind (how else would I know what clothes to pack?!) Whether or not we stop along the way depends on how much time we have. I always thought it would be fun to rent a motor home (don’t want the expense and burden of owning one) and take several months to meander across the country, visiting all of the states. I’m afraid by the time I retire (I wouldn’t have several months to take off work before then) I’ll decide that it’s easier just to stay home, so this idea will never happen 🙂
I used to think traveling via mobile home would be fun, too, Janna. And I’ve known people who swear by it. Personally, I think maneuvering something that big and bulky would be more challenge than I’m up for, though! Thanks for dropping by.
Barb here – we travel in our RV – extensively – have now since May of 2012. Loving every minute of it. And I don’t maneuver it – the hubs does. We’ve been staying put for a while in Oregon just because it’s so beautiful and there is SO much to see
You’re lucky to have a competent driver and best friend, Barb — that gives you ample time to take photos, read, enjoy the ride! I imagine you’ll see more of the country traveling that way, as opposed to hopping on a plane and being where you’re going in a matter of hours. Y’all have really been on the road that long??