Do you really want to travel? (Christmas Travel Stories)

Member Name: moronboy

Product:	Christmas Travel Stories
Date:	28/11/00 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Travel is great

Disadvantages: But you may find yourself wishing you were at home when you open presents in a hotel room

A short, but cautionary tale.

I am a great advocate of travel, but a yuletide adventure can be unwise. My sister (who I should point out is now very happily settled with a nice chap and a baby which is freakishly jolly and good-tempered) had exited a long relationship which had looked like heading for the altar. The first Christmas loomed, and she decided, rather than spending it with my parents (with whom she is very close), she would jet off with one of her more glamourous friends to glam European cities for the festive season.

The idea was to show herself, as much as anyone else, that she was a thrusting and independent young woman, who didn't need a reassuring festive family get-together.

She was wrong.She visited one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but (apologies in advance) it might as well have been Hull if you're not in the mood. The fact was, she didn't really want to be travelling the world, she wanted to be sentimental and safe; she just didn't want to admit to that. So she spent a lot of money, a lot of time, and all she got was a bit depressed.

So, if you yearn for an escape from the chaos of the festive season, think about it very carefully. Be self-aware, and even if you feel a bit wet, if you know you'd be better off having an utterly conventional Christmas, do that. What do you have to prove, you have the rest of the year to go trekking across Annapurna, and the festive season is loaded with associations you may not want to trifle with.

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