Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Travel Your Own Way


I will be honest, I think recumbent bicycles are silly looking things, but the people who ride them, seem to love them. And it is their ride, their way of traveling, not mine. 

I love to fly, there is still a moment of magic for me when the plane gains speed and lifts off, and when coming over the perimeter fence on landing. Sometimes flights are uncomfortable, sometimes those sitting around me are annoying, but I still love the experience.  It is my thing, it makes me happy.  If it is not your thing, that is fine. Go your own way. 

I have a dear friend who has been known to drive from the midwest to Portland, Oregon and back in a week.  Driving is his thing, he enjoys it, he is really good at it.  He has been driving since he was about 14 - that is okay he was flying airplanes unsupervised when he was 15. I tolerate driving in short spurts. Two or three hours, and I am ready to check into a Hilton and start again tomorrow. I like my little car, Jay's Mercedes is certainly comfy and elegant, and we can drive 800 miles in a 12 hour day, but I prefer not to.  It is not my thing. 

A dozen years ago, my boss and I were going to a conference in Boston, I rode the train up, and flew back.  He couldn't understand why I would take a 10 hour train ride, when I could fly it in little more than an hour.  It was one of the most memorable train rides of my life, north of New York City, along the coast the train moved through a coastal fog for two or three hours. It was pure magic.  The only reason I flew home was I couldn't get a train out of Boston to return home, late enough in the day.  

A Sunday five a few months ago, made it clear that most of my commenters are not interested in a cruise ship.  I understand. It has been 15 years since my last cruise, I rather enjoyed them, we will see how the next one goes. 

I am in a digital detox, without access to the internet for a couple of weeks.  Please comment, but I won't read or reply to comments until about May 12th.   

5 comments:

  1. I love to be in the air but no longer enjoy much of the airport experience. Train travel is my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The take off and landing are quite exciting but the rest of the experience is not goo. "I should have caught the train" comes to mind. The train from your city to NYC is quick and competitive with flying and much less stressful than airports, I'm sure.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Flying has become such a pain; the crowds and such. It's convenient but no longer easy. I wish the US would high speed it into high speed rail.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My sister has one of those bikes and it does look silly to me but that's her thing, not mine - like you said! My Dad loved to drive and so I do too! Of course, it depends on where I have to go and the traffic, but usually it doesn't bother me, but that's my thing. You have a good attitude about peoples' choices - to each his own! Hope you are having a fabulous trip! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Of course you won't be able to read or reply if your cruise ship hits an iceberg during the first two weeks of May. Can you swim and did you check that it had sufficient lifeboats?

    ReplyDelete