Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Write to me and escape

Well, I've officially been 26 years old now for 10 days and I'm happy to report I feel about the same. No newly discovered grey hairs FTW!

I'm not only excited about my lack of aging, however, but also because Christmas is in 3 or 4 days! (I say 3 OR 4 because I'm kinda counting down to both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...I know technically Christmas as most people refer to it is the 25th but I'm never sure which one to count down to since they are both pretty cool...anyhoo...)

Ah, I love Christmas so much and reading all the other bloggers waxing poetic about it only serves to amplify this love. It's funny though, as excited as I am for relaxing family time, yummy food, opening and giving gifts, skating and sledding (or swimming, as that's all Halifax weather lately will allow), my excited thoughts have also been revolving around something else lately (not THAT kind of excited thoughts! Get your mind out of the gutter!).

I have SUCH an urge to take a trip somewhere right now, it's not even funny. Well, I suppose you could say it IS funny because there is some humour in the fact that I have this urge at a time when I am the most broke I've ever been in my adult life (haha...ya...hilarious). In fact, I probably want to travel even MORE right now since I'm broke - you know, in the spirit of that whole "wanting what you can't have" cliche. Regardless, I have been daydreaming about where I could go and the places I could see next year (that is if I find a permanent job in this lifetime) and it's kind of driving me nuts! I really really really want to take off somewhere and it's so frustrating to not be able to do that.

Wanting to take a trip is nothing new for me - I tend to get bouts of wanderlust fairly often and at regular intervals - and if given the time and money I would go on a trip pretty much anywhere. But there are a few specific places that I've been dreaming about taking off to lately:


NEW ZEALAND
I may have mentioned this on the blog before, but my brother and his husband moved here earlier this year and so have been listening to account after account of the beautiful countryside and climate, including the little gem he passed onto me the other day that they will be spending Christmas on the beach (bastards). To be honest, NZ was never top of my travel list, but since learning more about it I've changed my mind! It just looks like a very scenic, colourful place with lots to see and do. Plus, having a free place to stay is quite the incentive (which is good considering it would take 6 months pay + 20-some hours to fly there from Nova Scotia)


CALIFORNIA
San Francisco is probably top of my list, but I'd be fine going anywhere in the state. I don't know what it is that attracts me to it, but California just seems like somewhere that would really suit me. The warm climate is obviously right up there for a reason (can you tell I don't like winter? One of the only things I HATE about living in Canada), but there seems to be this outdoorsy, beachy, foodie, winey (like the drink, not bitchy) attitude that would suit me. The way I figure it, it's like Nova Scotia but with lots of sun and better-looking people with nice tans, so what's not to like! My mom and I have plans to some day take a road trip down the entire West Coast.


GREECE
*sigh* Doesn't that photo just make you want to sigh with pleasure and contentment? I mean it's so blue! So charming! Oh and what do you know, another warm climate destination! Aside from all of this, I am really drawn to all of the history and mythology surrounding these islands. Plus, how amazing would it be to eat Greek food all the live long day?! (I just drooled on my keyboard a bit, not gonna lie). This trip would be especially amazing to take next year because my mom turns 65 next December and Greece is her ULTIMATE dream trip. I would love to be able to accompany her and make it a joint inspirational trip or something, much like the ladies in this lovely book I read earlier this year. I guess we'll see...

In addition to these faraway, exotic destinations, I would also love to do some smaller trips closer to home - perhaps to Montreal or Quebec City, Maine or New Hampshire or even just to as-yet-undiscovered places in Nova Scotia. As much as I dream and hope to visit places like the ones above, I also think it's important to visit places in your own city, province or country if you can. It makes you appreciate where you live more (plus, lets be honest, it's a LOT more affordable).

You will notice that all of the places above are on my 30 B4 30 list, so I have alloted myself time to accomplish them. As much as I would like to, it would be damn-near impossible to visit all of these places in the next year or two. But, I can dream can't I? Plus, as I said Christmas is almost here and I'm pretty sure the Big Man will have something special for me come Saturday because I've been very good this year

.........except for those parking tickets...and the incident with the bootleg hooch and the neighbour's cat...............hmmm, perhaps there won't be a trip under the tree this year (if I start being good now, do you think my name could switch lists by Saturday??)

What places are you dreaming of right now? If you could take off on a getaway tomorrow, where would you go?

5 comments:

Kim said...

ahhhh wanderlust. You sparked a bit of that in me, I think.

Top of my list are Toronto (to spend some time with my aunt Janet who is a shopping afficionado), New York City, London (again), and Vancouver. I love TO for some unknown reason, and I would love to shop there at Christmas.

Wendy said...

Kim... Having just got home from San Francisco a few weeks ago, I'd have to say that it is one of my favourite cities. Many people tend to agree with me too. You'll love it. But right now I want to stay here for Christmas but as soon as the new year hits I'd give anything to be sitting on the beaches of Maui for a couple of weeks. Or maybe visiting friends in Australia, or Victoria, BC, or New Orleans, or.... heck I'd just like to spend time traveling!!

Allison said...

I'd love to go to Paris - and do the tacky Eiffel tower tour and stuff.

California is on my list too...I'd love to learn to surf. I don't really care about the whole LA scene that much - smog and "celebrities" and expensive EVERYTHING, but I'd love to just chill at Venice beach and relax.

Oh, and one of my dream trips is to either go to Northern Ontario or Northern Manitoba on a Polar Bear trip. I actually looked into one of these trips and they're really expensive. But I really want to do it...like so badly. How's that for cold, Kim! The freakin' arctic!

Joe said...

Whatever you do ... dont head to Europe :) There's apparently more snow there than here in Canada.

Unknown said...

Allison: Polar bear trip?! How cool is that, I didn't even know you could do that. Something similar I'd love to do is visit the Galapagos and my ultimate dream trip is to take an African safari. I went to Paris a couple of yrs ago, only for a couple of days, and really enjoyed it. I would recommend learning some french first and taking a buddy though bc they are rude if you don't speak their language.
Joe: I've actually been to Europe a few times, which is why I have non-European destinations on my mind for next trip. But yes the weather there is apparently really sucky right now - in Halifax it's been at least plus 4 like every day - it's awesome!!

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