Anonymous wrote:I've had the opportunity to travel to Asia quite a bit and I've seen so many temples and shrines that it would have to be pretty impressive for me to go. Same with art museums - it would have to be something very special or interesting to me to bother going.

Gets old once you've seen a handful of places. Cities, countryside, islands, beaches, mountains, tourist attractions, places of worships, bus rides, trains, cruises. Etc. You have to really be into that topic/culture/city/country to keep visiting those places.

Anonymous wrote:My wife likes to say that we don't go on vacation, we travel. By which she means that our trips are very active, and we don't often go to places where we just rest.

Mostly I'm happy with this arrangement, but every so often I think it would be nice to go somewhere with pleasant weather and do a lot of sitting, sleeping, eating, and drinking.

AMEN

I think shopping has gotten really global most places: same trinkets, same chain stores, same beauty products you can also get on Amazon. So that isn't so exciting unless you find artisan-owned places.

I kind of don’t get the “the churches all look alike” theory. I agree they can get very similar but that’s also true of sunsets, waterfalls, pasta dishes, operas ancient ruins, golf courses, beaches, coral reefs. .. Pretty much everything you’d do on vacation. I just try to balance it all out and mix it up and absorb the beauty of what is at hand. I guess one thing I’ve given up is seeking out novelty because at the end of the day nothing is really that novel.

Our trips are now centered on food and wine with leisurely culture stops. I stopped chasing Michelin stars. Especially in Europe, we tend to stay in the country Their casual cafes are the way to go for us. Now Asia, I still need to do some research.

Anonymous wrote:There's really nothing I won't do when it comes to travel. Sometimes I need/want a beach vacation (I love to swim in the sea for hours) to decompress. Other times I'm excited to explore a new city and learn about its history, including some time in museums and churches.

These days I'm most drawn to hiking vacations. I'm almost 54 and would take 5 hiking vacations a year all over the world if I could. We hiked the Dolomites last year and will hike out west this year. I love being exhausted at the end of a beautiful hike, eating delicious food during a stunning sunset.

I’m about the same age and also loving hiking vacations now.

Anonymous wrote:There is no single thing I used to do that I don't do anymore. What I have done, is pare back my itinerary. There is no need to see and do all the things. A few things on the agenda are pre-arranged/booked, and more are 'Oh, that looks interesting!'. There is a lot more down time to walk around, eat all the foods, talk to more people, follow their guidance.

This is sort of what I was going to say. I worry less about checking off all the things to see in an area and try to make some time to do nothing really.

Anonymous wrote:I get a pair of locally made earrings. Helps me remember the trip when I wear them.

❤️

There's really nothing I won't do when it comes to travel. Sometimes I need/want a beach vacation (I love to swim in the sea for hours) to decompress. Other times I'm excited to explore a new city and learn about its history, including some time in museums and churches.

These days I'm most drawn to hiking vacations. I'm almost 54 and would take 5 hiking vacations a year all over the world if I could. We hiked the Dolomites last year and will hike out west this year. I love being exhausted at the end of a beautiful hike, eating delicious food during a stunning sunset.

I get a pair of locally made earrings. Helps me remember the trip when I wear them.

There is no single thing I used to do that I don't do anymore. What I have done, is pare back my itinerary. There is no need to see and do all the things. A few things on the agenda are pre-arranged/booked, and more are 'Oh, that looks interesting!'. There is a lot more down time to walk around, eat all the foods, talk to more people, follow their guidance.

I'm a non-beach person whose child is a beach person. So, I started snorkeling, and our beach vacations are in places with decent snorkeling from the beach. I can spend hours face down in the water, just watching the fish do fishy things. At some point, I'm going to get dive certified, so our beach vacations can be dive vacations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t really do big churches. I got dragged into them a lot as a child during European trips. No interest now.

They look alike after a while.

To people who don't care what they are looking at.

I agree. In this case, people are just looking instead of seeing. Big difference. The same as hearing vs listening.

I find all historical and geological places fascinating - because it does provide an understanding of the anthropological and cultural history of the region and connects it to what is happening in the present - be it in geopolitics, ecology or the quotidian life of people.

Empty nesters. Our vacations are so different now.

In some ways, it is more simplified because of age and being able to afford luxury, convenience and comfort, and in some other ways it is more complex because there is more mindfulness and we are more purposeful. Our mortality is staring us in the face.

Also, travelling with kids when we were younger was a totally different experience. The logistics was totally different, what our kids wanted determined where we stayed (hotel must have a swimming pool, no more than 4 hrs of driving, must dig in the sand, are we there yet, can we buy that tchatche ) and we were not that lavish in our spending. We also ate a lot in mid-level stuff (fast food, olive garden, stopping for ice-cream, going to bakeries etc) and bought a lot of crap that our kids wanted.

Now - no beach vacation and baking in the sun, sand and salt. We will visit a beach for scenery, taking walks, parasailing, sunsets-sunrises, cruise, collecting sea shells but no desire to go swimming etc.

Now - we do a lot of research on everything we want to see weeks before our trip, watch documentaries and travel blogs, have the right gear for whatever we want to do, rent 4-wheel drive vehicles and stay in most convenient and comfortable places. Use a lot of AI assistance in planning as well as understanding what we are seeing.

Now - we will go to $$$ and well rated places for dinners, but eat super-healthy for breakfast and lunch. My DH cooks our breakfast and packs our lunch and snacks. No longer going for ice-creams and baked goods.

Now - no AirBnB. no cooking, no cleaning, no dishes, no doing laundry.

Now - will absolutely book a massage in an expensive spa if it is on the property.

Now - no shopping unless it is magnets and something that I will use in daily life. No buying gifts for others.

Now - clothes are simplified, and I am vacuum packing every goddamn thing in our suitcases.

Now - I will use the lounges in the airports, I will take hot showers if I can, I will upgrade whatever comfort I can.

No, I figure there’s a reason for tourist attractions. But I’ll try to experience it in a different way eg attend Mass to see the inside of the church rather than standing in the tourist line to see it off hours. I don’t mind the universality of some of these experiences.

What’s changed is what I buy. I like keychains, they’re useful and they always fit into the carry on.
I’ll also buy something I can actually use that is made there for its uniqueness and lower cost. In Japan, I bought some titanium camping kitchen items and a Japanese made tenor saxophone that cost less than 1/3rd of what I would have paid locally.

I’ll also spend more for experiences. I recently saw the ballet Giselle at the Palais Garnier in Paris, it was cool to see what the audience wears to see the ballet and what was on the menu during the intermission.

I also like to shop at the grocery stores and local department stores to see what’s available. Usually there are unique potato chip flavours etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t really do big churches. I got dragged into them a lot as a child during European trips. No interest now.

They look alike after a while.

To people who don't care what they are looking at.