March 27, 2017

Seriously hardcore resistance to travel.

In the "Muddy Boots Café," where I alluded to our recent sojourn in Utah, rhhardin said:
I can take the somewhat wind-sheltered daily bike route to the more distant Kroger or the exposed route to the nearer Kroger, for getting out of the house; and nice wifi at home.

What more do you need?
And:
It helps if you're repelled by travel, say from early exposure to world-spanning business trips. No exoticism is worth the hassle and motels. You're always looking forward to getting home.

24 comments:

wild chicken said...

Yeah, can't wait to get back home, but then feel disoriented when I do get home..And kinda miss those new haunts we found while visiting. Ya can't win.

Bob Loblaw said...

That's what did it to me. Business travel. At this point I have no desire to leave my zip code.

stever said...

In a good marriage there should be compromise and these western adventures seem clearly to point to Lawrence.

traditionalguy said...

I've been everywhere man. I've been everywhere. Crossed the deserts bare, man. I've breathed the mountain air , man. Hank Snow's song goes on. He sounds like Meade and Althouse, but he never mentions Bryce Canyon, man.

The famous traveling duo have out done him, man

ndspinelli said...

Since retirement, I notice more engagement w/ the little people[commenters], and more shilling Amazon.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

I can't remember who it was but I remember reading an interview with some MLB player where he said that after the season was over, he wanted nothing more than to stay home and sleep in his own bed, while his wife, who hadn't been schlepping all over the country for 9 months, was raring to go on vacation somewhere.

I like being someplace else - it's the business of getting there that has grown increasingly distasteful. Flying has become pretty awful for all the reasons people mentioned on the plane thread. And I don't enjoy road trips as much as I used to. After 2 hours, I'm sick of driving.

They really need to get cracking on that Star Trek transporter room.

Mr. Groovington said...

(Other than this family-related stay at home for a while) I travel full-time on an enduro-style motorcycle, exploring countries for as long as visas allow and I often extend them. For some, nothing makes sense of this short life like seeing this one-off miraculous event from every angle. If you get a chance to head out for a few years or more (five is perfect) do it without hesitation. In my opinion Europe countries are counterproductive so skip them.

I understand Ann's love of the desert. Would recommend the outback and the altiplano for easier explorations. Both are exquisite.

Solo is best.

Etienne said...

When I was young I enjoyed traveling everywhere in my old Buick.

That thing had the most comfortable seats ever. Had I known those seats would never be duplicated, I would have removed them from the car before I sold it at 125k miles. The engine was shot, but the seats were still ready for more.

The seats had about 12 buttons on them. It had hip wings, lumbar push, leg extenders, tilt, height.

I remember driving down the freeway and the cruise control was on, the seat buttons were set right, and what a ride. Every 50 miles or so I would adjust it for just a little different angle. Oh, I was relaxed.

Did I say relaxed? Oh my...

Anyway, traveling has been less enjoyable since then. But then that Buick cost me half my annual wage. It was obscene, and probably a sin.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I'm tempted to walk the 4.3 miles home after work Sunday nights. After public transportation has whittled down to the routes I'm not going.

But Uber has made those attempts end up in something less than total success.

So I start walking and checking the Uber price along the way at convenience stores where I can buy a one dollar mega ticket on account that I've saved that dollar walking to that store.

So far I've made it, walking, to 1.8 miles coming across 2 convenience stores still open after 10pm.

Next time, the plan is to make it to the third convenience store.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I guess the idea that I could win the lottery is enough to assuage the body's fatigue to keep me going just that much further.

jimbino said...

This year I took a round-the-world trip. Next year, I'd really like to go somewhere else.

Michael K said...

We might get the energy for one more trip to Paris, assuming it is not all Muslim by then.

I like the Cotswalds, too. New Years Eve there is great.

Close to home while the new house is getting its new clothes. Then we'll see.

Kathryn51 said...

If I didn't know better, I would say that rhardin is my husband. He hates sleeping in a bed other than our own. He's willing to take maybe one vacation a year. Our preferred mode is driving - I need to send him links to Meadehouse's recent National Park travelogue - that might inspire him to do more than one.

We are finally getting to London/Scotland this summer. Cashed in mega miles (earned from all of my business travel before I retired). This is in exchange for my willingness to go to the GOP Nat'l Convention in Cleveland (Cleveland!!) last summer (he was a delegate). Highlights of that trip were seeing many relatives as we drove back home (including great stay in Madison to see Doctors Nephew and Wife who are residents at UW Hospital).

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Roadrunner - The Modern Lovers

Mr. Groovington said...

Thanks Etienne, that was nice

Paul said...

We love to travel. While in our home (Class A RV).

Planes, motels, itineraries...no thanks.

Anonymous said...

jimbino: This year I took a round-the-world trip. Next year, I'd really like to go somewhere else.

National Parks Week USA is coming up in April, jimbino. Probably a little late to book a room at the Ahwahnee for that ultimate white privilege country club experience, but next year might be good.

Anonymous said...

Michael K: We might get the energy for one more trip to Paris, assuming it is not all Muslim by then.

Fly into Paris, but rent a car (or take a train and pick up a car where you end up), and see some part of la France profonde up close and personal, at leisure. While it lasts. Absolutely worth it.

Tank said...

No contradiction in enjoying both being away and coming home.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Heartless Aztec said...

We go and rent houses for months on end. We live there. We become locals. Our latest is Nova Scotia. Beyond beautiful. California-ish circa 1950. Bought a nice sailboat there. Joined a working mans yacht club on the South Shore. It becomes another home to go to. Friends to return to. A different life to live for as long as we stay.

320Busdriver said...

All I do is travel when I work. When I'm off I don't care to go anywhere, except maybe to the dog park where the pup can play. Looking forward to boating season. 6 or 8 weeks to go.

jaydub said...

Whether filled with wanderlust or stay-at-home-itis, the important thing is to find a partner who shares the same attitude, and my wife and I are both definitely the wanderlust types. We're probably going to move back to the US in year or so (currently in Spain), but we won't spend the whole year there - plan to rent a place somewhere in Asia for two or three months of the year and use it as a base of operations to get reaquainted with the Far East before the Chinese totally screw it up. Also, we want to hike in Yosemite and Yellowstone again before we get too old, plus make a few forays up into the Pacific Northwest and Canada. A lot of things yet to do, most likely not nearly enough time to do it all.

sean said...

I'm pretty much with rhhardin; I really don't see the point in travel. First of all, I hate flying, because the airlines do everything they can to make it unpleasant. Also, I hate driving. I don't mind trains, but they are very unreliable.

And I don't see the reward to compensate for the unpleasantness of getting there. Wherever you go, there you are, so you could stay at home and be the same person. If you want change, there is no frigate like a book . . . . In light of the last point, I do make an exception if there is a manuscript or rare edition that cannot be obtained in your hometown, but that is not a very common situation, at least when your hometown is New York City.