Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 11:32     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
Anonymous wrote:

OK then. Humor us. How much do you spend on (a) hotels and (b) food for an entire family when you go to Brazil? Because we will need to add that to the $2,000 in airfare for 4 persons that you cited earlier. And then we will need to compare that TOTAL to the Delaware beach house.


Then after you've provided some "real" costs instead of the very limited costs you mentioned earlier -- then you can explain why you started this thread. To make yourself feel sophisticated?
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 11:29     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
It is expensive!

Some people do not have the desire.

Really OP are any of these responses surprising?
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 11:06     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

In conclusion: a $900/week beach house, four blocks and across a busy street from the beach, still makes a lot more sense for people on a budget than $2000 in airfare to Brazil (and don't forget the hotels that you don't need, but most of us would need).


That's a "helluva" assumptions. Who said I have family there?


OK then. Humor us. How much do you spend on (a) hotels and (b) food for an entire family when you go to Brazil? Because we will need to add that to the $2,000 in airfare for 4 persons that you cited earlier. And then we will need to compare that TOTAL to the Delaware beach house.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 11:03     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
So far, all I've heard that makes even the slightest sense is is Costa Rica. We could probably add Mexico to this. But the Vietnam and Brazil examples just don't work for a family vacation involving 3-4 people, both in terms of total cost, and in terms of timing during the summer when most families are able to travel.

So are we to conclude that anybody who hasn't taken their kids to Costa Rica (or Mexico) is an unrequited philistine? I don't think so. I'm dubious about even the Costa Rica person, who didn't provide prices. I'm guessing that $900 beach house is still a lot cheaper than $1,500 for 4 tickets to Costa Rica, plus hotels a step or two above the fleabags you stayed at in college.

FWIW, we have taken our kids abroad twice, and also to Canada. So this is coming from somebody who likes to travel.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 10:58     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Expedia????? LOL Seriously???? Is that your "to go" place for deals?????

That's why you're all stuck at that filthy beach house with your ILs! ROFLMAO

BTW, we don't celebrate Thanksgiving so that was an example. Just a tip if you want to visit Brazil.... July and August is expensive, also December, January, February and sometimes March is too depending on when Carnival is.

And to the lady saying that's when she heard is the time to go I'd say: pelase reconsider your sources! Would you like to go that far to see a whole country like New Orleans during Mardi Gras? No, I didn't think so...


Sorry I didn't feel like spending several hours on 10 travel sites, in order to prove your silly example wrong. (And are all Brazilians as rude as you? Never been, although I've traveled overseas a LOT, but you're not a good advertisement for the place.)

You forgot several things in your silly comparison:
(1) You get to stay with your Brazilian family. The rest of us would have to include hotels in the price.
(2) Thanksgiving is a time Americans spend with their families. You travel abroad to see your family over Thanksgiving. But the rest of us would have to sacrifice Thanksgiving dinner with our extended families.
(3) Brazil is a helluva long trip - I've done Bolivia, which is similar. You need at least a day for travel at each end, what with transferring at Miami airport and all.
(4) So you'd need to take your kids out of school to do a Thanksgiving trip, during the period you say is cheaper, in order to spend more than a few days there. In theory I'd take my kids out of school to see my family overseas (I do have family in Britain), but I've never done this. However, it's hard to justify taking your kids out of school, even for a fabulous learning experience abroad -- most parents wouldn't do this, and most schools wouldn't excuse it.
(5) So families that want to go to Brazil (or other places where the trip is long and the tickets are $1K plus) need to go in July or August, or over breaks in December or spring. Which, as you admit, is expensive.

OK, is it clear now?

In conclusion: a $900/week beach house, four blocks and across a busy street from the beach, still makes a lot more sense for people on a budget than $2000 in airfare to Brazil (and don't forget the hotels that you don't need, but most of us would need).


That's a "helluva" assumptions. Who said I have family there?
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 10:54     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I just checked expedia for tickets from Washington to Sao Paolo leaving tomorrow. You know, in the summer, when most people can take a week or two off. Because who goes to Brazil for 3 days over Thanksgiving, unless you mean we should pull our kids out of school.

The tickets started at $1,382 per person ($5,500 for a family of 4) and that's with a stop in Miami.


Doing price comparisons based on leaving tomorrow isn't quite fair since airlines jack up the prices shortly before the departure date... and most people don't plan their vacation on a days' notice. For my search (I'm the PP who used the Costa Rica example), I picked a week in April since that's far in advance but also likely to correspond with school breaks for the children.

Don't get me wrong -- indeed taking a vacation, wherever it may be, is expensive and surely other priorities come first. The point I was trying to make (not that you were disagreeing, but seems like others were) is that a domestic vacation versus a trip abroad may not be drastically different in price if planned well.


Yeah, I realize that leaving tomorrow would be expensive. It's just that if we're trying to get a figure for people on summer vacation, all the flights for July and August have been taken down, and next years' aren't posted.


Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 10:48     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
Anonymous wrote:Expedia????? LOL Seriously???? Is that your "to go" place for deals?????

That's why you're all stuck at that filthy beach house with your ILs! ROFLMAO

BTW, we don't celebrate Thanksgiving so that was an example. Just a tip if you want to visit Brazil.... July and August is expensive, also December, January, February and sometimes March is too depending on when Carnival is.

And to the lady saying that's when she heard is the time to go I'd say: pelase reconsider your sources! Would you like to go that far to see a whole country like New Orleans during Mardi Gras? No, I didn't think so...


Sorry I didn't feel like spending several hours on 10 travel sites, in order to prove your silly example wrong. (And are all Brazilians as rude as you? Never been, although I've traveled overseas a LOT, but you're not a good advertisement for the place.)

You forgot several things in your silly comparison:
(1) You get to stay with your Brazilian family. The rest of us would have to include hotels in the price.
(2) Thanksgiving is a time Americans spend with their families. You travel abroad to see your family over Thanksgiving. But the rest of us would have to sacrifice Thanksgiving dinner with our extended families.
(3) Brazil is a helluva long trip - I've done Bolivia, which is similar. You need at least a day for travel at each end, what with transferring at Miami airport and all.
(4) So you'd need to take your kids out of school to do a Thanksgiving trip, during the period you say is cheaper, in order to spend more than a few days there. In theory I'd take my kids out of school to see my family overseas (I do have family in Britain), but I've never done this. However, it's hard to justify taking your kids out of school, even for a fabulous learning experience abroad -- most parents wouldn't do this, and most schools wouldn't excuse it.
(5) So families that want to go to Brazil (or other places where the trip is long and the tickets are $1K plus) need to go in July or August, or over breaks in December or spring. Which, as you admit, is expensive.

OK, is it clear now?

In conclusion: a $900/week beach house, four blocks and across a busy street from the beach, still makes a lot more sense for people on a budget than $2000 in airfare to Brazil (and don't forget the hotels that you don't need, but most of us would need).
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 10:46     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I just checked expedia for tickets from Washington to Sao Paolo leaving tomorrow. You know, in the summer, when most people can take a week or two off. Because who goes to Brazil for 3 days over Thanksgiving, unless you mean we should pull our kids out of school.

The tickets started at $1,382 per person ($5,500 for a family of 4) and that's with a stop in Miami.


Doing price comparisons based on leaving tomorrow isn't quite fair since airlines jack up the prices shortly before the departure date... and most people don't plan their vacation on a days' notice. For my search (I'm the PP who used the Costa Rica example), I picked a week in April since that's far in advance but also likely to correspond with school breaks for the children.

Don't get me wrong -- indeed taking a vacation, wherever it may be, is expensive and surely other priorities come first. The point I was trying to make (not that you were disagreeing, but seems like others were) is that a domestic vacation versus a trip abroad may not be drastically different in price if planned well.


Some people prefer to spend time vacationing not traveling. Most who I know that are just too cool like you have never been poor as dirt. It's like the school community service trips that cost 2 to 4 grand. I hate these frigging families who scoot all about then apply for financial aid. Had years of it at xxx school.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 10:24     Subject: Re:Why never been out of the country?
Anonymous wrote:I traveled six continents when I was single and poor as dirt. In Vietnam, I stayed in beautiful inns that were $12 US dollars a night. Equador was mind blowing, and family friend. Very dirty and not like anything I had ever experienced. Maybe that is why I liked it. I got to experience it.

I have done the math, and it would cost us more to do Disney than it would for me to take my now young family to some of these places. Costa Rica is AMAZING for families, and if you do it right (I also get emails about travel deals), it can be done *cheaply*.

That said, I realize that most family budgets right now can't include travel. But if it does, don't feel you are limited to the continental United States.


Sorry, but if you were truly "poor as dirt" you would not be able to afford an airline ticket to Vietnam. You'd think that you'd have a better idea of what it really means to be poor and unable to afford something, with your extensive travel and all.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 09:45     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
Anonymous wrote:
I just checked expedia for tickets from Washington to Sao Paolo leaving tomorrow. You know, in the summer, when most people can take a week or two off. Because who goes to Brazil for 3 days over Thanksgiving, unless you mean we should pull our kids out of school.

The tickets started at $1,382 per person ($5,500 for a family of 4) and that's with a stop in Miami.


Doing price comparisons based on leaving tomorrow isn't quite fair since airlines jack up the prices shortly before the departure date... and most people don't plan their vacation on a days' notice. For my search (I'm the PP who used the Costa Rica example), I picked a week in April since that's far in advance but also likely to correspond with school breaks for the children.

Don't get me wrong -- indeed taking a vacation, wherever it may be, is expensive and surely other priorities come first. The point I was trying to make (not that you were disagreeing, but seems like others were) is that a domestic vacation versus a trip abroad may not be drastically different in price if planned well.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 09:43     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
Anonymous wrote:I have no desire to go to Brazil. It is right up there with any of the -stans.


What do you mean?

And you can go to any other country, you know? It's not just US and Brazil in the entire world.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 09:13     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
I have no desire to go to Brazil. It is right up there with any of the -stans.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 09:12     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
Anonymous wrote:To me it is about priorities. My child learned more about this world from seeing that children in India don't have the same things in India she does than at the fancy beach house in Delaware or at private school. But we all care about different things.

I care about giving her a world per


You could have saved some money and taken her to Appalachia where there are Americans living in extreme poverty as well. You don't need to fly your child to India to teach her that people don't have the same as her. Take her into the projects. Take her to volunteer at a Soup Kitchen. The money that you used to fly to India could have been put toward helping out some people here.

While travel is nice (I personally love to travel), your justification for travel has fallen short. You can learn about poverty right here in your own backyard AND have the opportunity to actually help them out.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 09:04     Subject: Why never been out of the country?
Expedia????? LOL Seriously???? Is that your "to go" place for deals?????

That's why you're all stuck at that filthy beach house with your ILs! ROFLMAO

BTW, we don't celebrate Thanksgiving so that was an example. Just a tip if you want to visit Brazil.... July and August is expensive, also December, January, February and sometimes March is too depending on when Carnival is.

And to the lady saying that's when she heard is the time to go I'd say: pelase reconsider your sources! Would you like to go that far to see a whole country like New Orleans during Mardi Gras? No, I didn't think so...
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2011 08:56     Subject: Re:Why never been out of the country?
I traveled pretty extensively when I was younger, and spent a year abroad in college and traveled a lot then. It was a big priority for my parents too, and I have gone on several trips with them before college and in my 20s. Also got to travel abroad for work a few times, as has my husband. It is a great experience and opportunity - to travel.

That said, it's not a priority for me anymore at all. We both work and have little kids and I've not felt the desire to leave the country for a while. I'm sure once we are done with this phase I will get the urge again, but right now I can't imagine finding the money or energy or time - many, many more priorities ahead of travel right now.