Mile high club anyone? (Why (not) travel?)

Member Name: TheDrowningMan

Product:	Why (not) travel?
Date:	09/12/03 (119 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: get away from all the stress!!

Disadvantages: miss eastenders. ( thats a joke, btw. i dont actually like eastenders. much.)

this challenge does not compete or interfere with the official guides` challenges.
_______________________________


q: how many times a year do you travel?

a: well, what counts as travelling? if getting the northern line to kings cross does, then everyday! but as for abroad, not very regularly. im either too broke, or im too busy with uni :( last time i went away was august 2002!
_______________________________

q: for how long do you go away?

a: depends on whats going on. ive got a really good friend in america, and if i visit her i usually stay for a looooong time (i stayed my full quota of 3 months last year, but i thought i better leave before they kick me out.) but if its just a 'normal' holiday, about 2 weeks. i think i almost prefer going for a shorter amount of time, that way when you leave its not such a drag getting home. i went to paris for the weekend a few years ago and loved it!
_______________________________

q: do you stay in your home country or do you go abroad?

a: i like england, but its nice to get away from the norm for a while. theres so much stuff i havent got around to doing in london, let alone the rest of the uk, that i dont think ill ever get bored of driving around england. But the weather is always so crap here!!! so its a bit of both, home and away. (with you each day)

Q: Do you organise your holidays yourself or do you go to a travel agency?

A: i so dont trust travel agencies to get everything right, the flights, trasport, hotel, theres just too many parameters for them to mess up. im lucky cos usually when ive been away ive stayed with people so i havent had to arrange hotels etc etc. ive been thru an agency once and everything worked out fine, but all the time i was thinking 'what if our tickets arent booked properly, what if the hotel isnt booked' and it was just annoying me all the time, so to save the stress i think ill d
o it myself. unless of course its wicked cheap!
_______________________________

Q: Do you prepare your holidays in advance by reading guide books and studying maps?

A: yeah right! wheres the fun in that??? youd be suprised how much interesting sutff you come across when youre lost! its more fun to just rely on your instinct, a few road signs and the local knowledge. just make sure youve got enough petrol for every eventuality!
_______________________________

Q: Do you travel alone/with family or friends/with an organised group?

A. i used to travel with my parents, and ive traveled alone and with friends. it all depends. i think i prefer travelling with other people, the flights tend to get pretty boring. but having said that, if you're travelling with friends, dont let any of them bring their girlfriends! urgh, its enough to turn the whole thing into a domestic nightmare!!!
______________________________

Q: Do you prefer the sea / mountains / plains / cities as destinations?

A: i dunno why but i think im a bit of a city person. i LOVE london, i loved boston, i loved new york, providence, paris etc. i think its the bustle of cities that attracts me to them. i like being around people. i dont think thats the reason actually, but i cant put my finger on the actual reason. i dont mind secluded places, but whenever im there all i can think is 'id rather kill myself than live here', its ok to drive through them, but i wouldnt wanna stay. theres just so much to do in towns and cities, and nothing but rambling to be had in the country, and thats fine if you're bill oddie, but im not!
__________________________________

Q: Do you mainly relax or are you an active holidayer?

A: neither really. i like to chill out a lot, but at the same time, if theres good times to be had, im there! i dont think id ever go on a holiday just purely to relax, but beacuse i want to go t
o that place, and enjoy myself, take in the atmosphere and the culture, you know? i dont think id like to go on one of those 'activity holidays' where you have your week planned out, waterskiing on monday, archery......i think that'd be pretty much hell, i like to be a lot more spontaneous than that. just jump into the car and go somewhere.
__________________________________

Q: If you go abroad do you learn at least some words of the foreign language?

A: i would, but american is just such a hard language to get my head around! nah, i learnt german at school, but thats about as far as my multi-lingual skills reach. thats too much like research, youve gotta go there and wing it, comprende? most places speak english now anyway, you know. i challenge you to go to any city and not find someone there who speaks the queens. id love to learn another language fluently for myself, but not specifically so i can go on holiday and not look like a twat.
_________________________________

Q: Are you interested in the cuisine of a foreign country?

A: yeah, but you can get it all in london anyway! of course its like a zillion times better in their country, but you know what i mean. if im in another country ill always eat their food. theres nothing worse than an englishman going into a french or spanish restaurant and ordering sausage egg and chips!
_________________________________

Q: Which means of transportation do you prefer?

A: to get places?? i like to fly, its an awesome experience as long as you dont get interrogated at immigration, which i have been >:o( (i dont look THAT dodgy do i?), but once im at the place, its either the car, or a taste of their public trasport. i have to say, although we moan, londons puplic transport, especially the tube, is the best ive been on in the world, and would be unbeatable if there werent so many delays! but its all good.
_________________________________


Q: What kind of luggage do you take with you? Have you got problems packing? Do you tend to take too many / too few things with you?

A: i tend not to take much, but return with an awful lot less! i usually just take clothes and a couple of bits and pieces, but im always amazed at how much i lose! im the worst packer(?) in the world! i just shove things in, and then sit on it, zip it up and bobs your uncle. but i pay the price when i look like im wearing a screwed up paper bag for the next 3 weeks!
_________________________________

Q: Do you send picture postcards to your family and friends?

A: no, i always think its a bit of a waste of time, unless theyre rude/funny, in which case ill probably just bring them back rather than send them. you cant write anything personal on them cos im sure mr postie has a good read when he sees one, and i usually call people anyway, so i havent got much to say on them. plus the fact that 9 times out of 10 you arrive back home before they do!

Summary: