Update (9/15): Hmmm…maybe I should rethink this living-in-Britain idea. So sad, the decline of Britain. And yes, I do think the adoption of sharia in any Western country indicates a decline.
Public executions, rolling heads, the continuation of government-sanctioned racial discrimination, immigration raids, murdered babies – good grief! It’s Friday, time to lighten up.
After three years of working for myself, I haven’t mastered the art of taking a vacation, a real vacation: going offline and going somewhere fun that’s not work- or blog-related. I’m always online, and traveling typically involves conferences or something I have to do. It’s been so long since I packed a bag, left work and the must-do list behind, and just…jetted. Somewhere.
My ideal vacation spot is not the Bahamas or Jamaica or the mountains or Disney World. It’s the United Kingdom. Starting point: England.
Except for what I’ve read, seen on TV, and heard from British exchange students I once knew and the occasional Brit with whom I’ve crossed paths, I don’t know much about England. All I know is I want to go.
Our own dear country is only a couple centuries old. But behind England lies more than a millennia of recorded history, a country that still retains evidence of a Roman presence, a country whose monarchy remains a curious fascination even among people who claim to want to do away with it. I want to stand among all that history, the land and its people.
Last year I mentioned a desire to live in Britain for a year or two, and I still aim to do it. It wasn’t blog fodder! The plan is two-fold: take advantage of my writer-in-residence status at Biola University and catch a ride (and room and board) to Biola London and live there for a semester or two; if that’s not possible, visit on a book tour. 
Escapism can be good. If you get bored at work today, answer the following questions:
When and where was your last real vacation?
What is your ideal vacation?
Rest easy, everybody.
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Lashawn, when you go to England be sure to bring lots of money for cab fare. Don’t eat at your hotel especially if you are in London. Last year I went to our hotel for breakfast and it ended costing me $50.00. What a shock. Find the places where the locals go. Avoid eating at the “tourist” traps and hang outs unless you are having a cup of coffee. By the way, they have a coffee house chain called “Neros”. Excellent coffee and pastries. And you’ll also discover that the Brits know more about our politics and events more than we Americans know about ourselves. That’s because their news media presents the world news unlike ours which can only handle one or two stories at a time. Possibly the Euros can multi-task when it comes to reporting world events. Other wise have fun.
Mine ideal is pretty much the same as yours. Except I want to go over there and see where Jane Austin and other British writers wrote about. I grew up reading and watching british books/TV, so I will be reliving part of my childhood. my work has an office over there, but so far no opening for me.
of course, one place I have to visit would be 221B Baker Street.
Tech Hubby and I own a condo in Caba San Lucas MX. Let me know if you want to rent a week, let’s make a deal. lol We won’t be going this year but we did manage to get to a friends lodge in the mountains, and spend a weekend at my sister’s condo in Keystone, CO. You can google Bubba’s lodge (yes, Bubba!) it’s called, The Lost Stirrup Lodge.
We are making plans to get out of town for Christmas. We’ve decided not to be in bondage this year to what our families may want from us, but rather to enjoy one another.
I hope you make it to England. There is a tea tour next year. I think it’s called Tea in London or something. At least you’d have nice ladies with whom to travel.
Have a great day.
I accompanied my daughter’s French class to London and France. It was my first time out of the country since I was a baby (My dad was in the Army).
London was wonderful, although they have a particular tree there – the plane tree – that gave me the worst allergy attack in 30 years. We only had one day, but managed to see Hyde Park and Kensington Palace, Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London (way cool!). We stopped at Stonehenge and Salisbury on the way to Portsmouth and the ferry to France. After a 6 hour ferry ride (also cool to this landlocked Coloradan) we landed in Normandy, saw the American Cemeter and Pont du Hoc, Mont St Michel (probably my favorite) a couple of castles in the Loire Valley, and then Paris.
Although that was a fascinating vacation, my ideal vacation would be Ireland/UK and Italy. I’d love to follow my genealogy in those places and others. History is one of my favorite holidays so I much prefer Europe to some beach vacation – boring!
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for your trip to England LaShawn!
I rarely comment but this is right up my alley. Ideal vacation: long, long road trip with family. My dad took our family on an over two-month vacation across much of the Western US and north as far as Banff, Canada. It was the best of times! Great bonding time and a chance to seem some things most people don’t get to. I’d love to be able to do the same for my family only go see the Eastern US. Might be hard to pack it all in, though, since I would imagine we’d want to spend at least a week at the Smithsonian alone
I visited Peru and Bolivia many years ago, and I’d love to go back with my husband and son.
My husband wants to go to Scotland and play St. Andrews golf course.
Ahhhh, my favorite topic!!
My ideal vacation would be to Los Cabos, Mexico. It’s the one place I’ve always wanted to go, but have never been. I am actually already in the beginning stages of planning a secret getaway for me and the hubby after he takes the bar next July. He has no idea! Here is the resort we’re going to, if all works as planned: http://www.caboazulresort.com
I LOVE the smell of salt water and the sight of Palm trees…it instantly relaxes me. And nothing beats taking a dip, then sitting in the sun sipping on a cool drink while reading a great book. We are actually planning to retire somewhere a few miles from the coast once the kids finish college. This was a great mental getaway, La Shawn!
My most recent vacation was a trip driving around the country with my mom and her little dog Scooter in my mom’s RV. We left June 2007 and finished up this past February (with time off for good behavior over the holidays). The West in the summer, the Northeast in the fall, and the Southeast (and a Caribbean cruise) in the winter, with a drive through some of the Midwest on the way to the Northeast. I blogged about it, so my friends could follow along.
Ideal trip (now that I’ve seen the US with my mom): I rode around Europe on bicycles with my then-husband in 1983 (pre-kids), and some of the places we saw (the Apocalypse Tapestry in Angers, France and Chartres Cathedral) stirred my dormant faith. I would love to go back and see Europe (maybe even lead tours) through Christian eyes.
There was a (not “the”) Pieta statue in an alcove of a church near (I think) Dover, England. Where The Pieta has Mary holding Jesus’ lifeless body and looking sad, this Dover-ish Pieta had Mary touching her cheek to the back of Jesus’ hand, and it brought me to tears. I want to find that statue again and get a picture.
I think that you have to define what constitutes your idea of a “vacation.” I have traveled and lived in Europe and I see too many American tourists/visitors rushing about from place to place. I define that activity as a “trip to Europe” or “tour of Europe” and not a “vacation.” The words “trip” and “tour” imply work and I don’t go on vacation to work.
The word vacation implies leisure and rest to my thinking. This means staying in a location way off the beaten tourist track, in a rented house or apartment, sleeping in late, seeing neighboring locales, doing my sightseeing at a strolling pace, eating and drinking where the locals like to hang out, mingling with the locals and finding out about the rhythms of life in that location.
Typically I invite friends to accompany us (my wife and I) on these vacations. It cuts down on expenses and everyone is free to pursue their own agenda. Some vacations are more fun when done in a group, skiing vacations for example. We have had memorable vacations with and without friends by pursuing this strategy.
Our favorite destination is southern Italy. We especially like Sicily and staying in hilltop villages that are close to the ocean. Ahh…springtime in Sicily…sigh. I’m an especially lucky fellow. My wife is a wonderful traveler and shares my love of the perfect vacation.
I want to go somewhere cold, crisp, clean, and beautiful where I can just be alone and think. I’ve been living in the humid South for long enough and just need to get away somewhere with pristine snow and awe-inspiring beauty. Alaska or Canada might fit the ticket.
I don’t think I’ve ever taken a real vacation, either. I live at the beach, for crying out loud, so I guess it’s never been needed.
Israel! My plan is to go sometime before I leave this world. I have to see the holy land and the places that Christ walked the earth. It will be a very moving experience for me I’m sure.
The only place in Europe I’ve ever wanted to visit is Spain and maybe Portugal. In the states, anywhere down south is good for me (south of KC that is).
Jay – take that trip to Alaska. Best trip of my life. Go in summer and as part of your trip, take the Alaskan railroad from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Also, hit Seward.
Breathtakingly beautiful.
Dianne – Noted. Now I just need to graduate college and get the money to go!
My last REAL vacation was my 4th trip to Brazil, Xmas of 2004.
I went to Bahia for the 2nd time, then down to Rio de Janeiro for the 4th time.
I had thought about retiring to Brazil and living in Bahia — but I don’t think that I can risk my limited retirement saving on such a move (don’t trust the real estate law/lawyers). I think I’ll try Costa Rica and Panama as possible retirement locations — I simply don’t think that I will be able to retire in this country.
My last vacation was taking the kids to Disneyworld, which is always fun.
Another favorite family destination is Taverse City, MI and the surrounding area. The bays up there are gorgeous, with none of the polution you see around Northern Indiana and Chicago. The small towns of Charlevoix and Petosky are beautiful and friendly, and if you like to shop, that’s the place. Of course Northern Michigan is also great for outdoors enthusiasts, with wonderful dunes, magnificent forests, and lots of blue water. If you like industrial sights, stop in Souix Ste. Marie and check out the Soo locks. It’s fun to watch the big ore boats go through on their way down the St. mary’s river.
LaShawn, if you do get to England, the Lake District is a must visit. It’s a great place to get away from the city bustle, and to take a long afternoon walk. Public waling trails abound.
La Shawn, you might recall that my wife is from Costa Rica. While we don’t as yet own any property there, we do plan to retire there. (As it is, we visit there every two years for three weeks at a time … and best of all we have a free place to stay — my in-laws’ house!)
The beaches there are FANTASTIC, the prices cheap (property, food, drink) and the people friendly as can be. Not to mention some of the best nature on the entire planet — 6% of the planet’s biodiversity, with only about 1/1000 of the world’s landmass.
I have to inject a note here about the idea of taking a house out in the country somewhere and just hobnobbing with the locals. If you do that, you’ll likely miss out on everything that is special about a country. I doubt most Peruvians have ever seen Machu Picchu, and I know most of the Chicagoans I know have never been to most of the sights. Yes, it’s a good thing to know how local people live, although people are really just people everywhere you go. But there’s a reason for tours and tourism: they show you things that are worth seeing.
I would love to go to Dresden for Octoberfest again. Beautiful, cripty cold weather, the beer is so great its like liquid bread! Kraut. Swein haxwn. Little cobbley streets. Cheap excellent restaurants. Saxon castles.
I spent 20 years in the Navy, did six deployments and saw so many countries in Europe and the Middle East…
My top three that I want to go back to or see for the first time:
Israel-Could easily spend a week there cycling and seeing where Jesus walked.
Greece-The food and the music
Ireland or Korea-Mainly because I want to go back and see my familes Celtic heritage and the other to see the birthplace of TaeKwonDo
What a fun post! We’ve lived in Wyoming for the past 6 years and it’s beautiful here. Our daughter has attended college in upstate NY for the last 3 years and I’ve had the opportunity to go there 3 times — getting her settled into school. Of course, May 2009 will be graduation and another trip out east for us.
We really couldn’t afford to travel much our first 15 – 20 years of marriage and just never had jobs that allowed enough vacation time to do fun things. Our daughter is enjoying education opportunities neither of us really had, and we’re banking on her taking us places when she grows up.
She went to Israel for the first time over this past summer and loved it! She promises to take us there in the future. Other than that, Scotland and Ireland seem like romantic destinations.
Have fun on whatever vacation you choose La Shawn.
A vacation…I have heard of those. If I had one it was so long ago that I forgot about it.
Last “vacation” (as defined in #9): My wife’s three days off between school and summer school this year; across the metro area to a motel near the ocean–just in time to miss a 100+F weekend inland. No plan, a little travel/sightseeing (drive along the coast a ways), eat out, sleep in.
Last “travel”: 6000 miles, 23 days, coast-to-coast-and-back in 2007. Really fun to see people we hadn’t seen in decades, but definitely no “vacation”.
Europe: My “uncle” (Sam) paid my way for a 3.5-yr tour. Loved it, learned A LOT (e.g. St. Aug. FL is not an old city). Toured for 3 wks when my mother visited, incl. 6 days in London (staying with a family friend). No tourist places except Rotenburg before it burned.
Micro-travel to England: We are devoted viewers of the “Brit-coms” on PBS. My wife and I, and my sister, even tend to use some Brit sayings, we watch so much. Generally funnier and more intellectually challenging than U.S. sitcoms (we avoid the ones which are not). Favorites: As Time Goes By, Keeping Up Appearances, Good Neighbours, My Hero, Chef!, The Thin Blue Line, A Fine Romance, ‘Allo, ‘Allo, To the Manor Born, Jeeves and Wooster, Wodehouse Playhouse, Freddie and Max, No-Honestly, Fresh Fields/French Fields. Unfortunately, some of these had very short runs, and/or are not seen here but occasionally. (Different stations air different shows, up to a half-dozen in any one season.)
I’ve been to London. It was a great experience, the history, museum, etc. You’ll have a great time.
I should add that the traditional English food wasn’t so great in London. I sought out and ate mostly at American restaurants as a result.
My last real vacation was about 4 years ago when I got together with my first Dungeons & Dragons gaming group! It was a total geekfest where we each ran something based in each of our campaigns. We also had a couple of cookouts and the one itme we ate out was at a diner that was similar to one we had often gone to at 2 AM after gaming for hours. It was good.
An ideal vacation would be to travel in Europe and show my wife and daughter some of the places I saw when I was in the Navy. One time I took a train raide from Taranto, in the ‘instep of the boot of Italy’ up the Adriatic coast and on through the Alps to Munich, Germany. The only time I’ve ever skied was in the Bavarian Alps!
That tea tour sounds like fun but I’d also enjoy a pub tour –
The following list shows the most common pub names and their number in a data base.
Red Lion 902
Crown 808
Royal Oak 728
Railway 577
White Hart 546
Plough 541
Swan 503
White Horse 471
Bell 445
Kings Head 421
Ship 409
Rose and Crown 408
Other popular names, listed generally in their order
of popularity, are:
Kings Arms, George, New Inn, Queens Head, Wheatsheaf, Black Horse,
Prince of Wales, Victoria, Greyhound, Cross Keys, Star, White Lion,
Castle, Rising Sun, Anchor, Chequers, Sun, Bull, Coach and Horses,
Fox and Hounds, Angel, Hare and Hounds, Three Horseshoes,
George and Dragon, Nags Head, Globe,Fox, Lamb, Golden Lion,
Masons Arms, White Swan, Beehive, Green Man, Travellers Rest,
Foresters Arms, Waggon and Horses, Black Bull, and Cricketers.
There are a few fun names in that lot!
Been pretty much around the world and the US thanks to the US government and work along with my own travels. I.e. Try geting to diago garcia. Retired now and live in NJ but built a vacation home in the west of ireland. Quiet scenic as long as it is not raining, friendly people who still care about one another and no property taxes.Worth a trip just to visit.
Last week, I began hoarding money for the perfect vacation. It is going to be expensive, but I think that it will be worth it. I want to take my parents to England.
This trip will also require a lot of coordination and organization, as my dad is a dialysis patient. That is also why it will be so expensive. I can’t take chances on a substandard hotel, as I am trying to improve my dad’s quality of life, not make him sicker. Also, tourist class is fine for me, but I think that given all of the health issues, I should make sure that they are flying business class, which I know that they are too frugal to consider doing for themselves.
My vague plan starts with a few days in London and a train trip to Grantham. Then to Edinburgh. Then to York. Or Bath. Then back to London.
I am a bit of a dreamer, but I think that this trip will be worth it.
I worked in England. I saw:
Stonehedge (not big at all and at the time, RIGHT beside a highway).
Wales (OK, not England but the UK)
Strafford on Avon (Shakesphere country)
Buckingham palace.
Many other castles. I actually lived on the grounds of a castle being restored. The land owners rented out buildings on the grounds to help pay for taxes and to get money to help restore the castle and grounds.
Partied in London.
Tried to get to the White Cliffs of Dover, but didn’t have time.
Want to visit: The Ivory Coast, Ghana (where people think my ancestry lies), Australia, and take the wifey to Paris. (I’ve been there and it was nice, although dirty).
La Shawn, You should definitely come and spend some time in England and get to know it. Scotland is very fine, too. In fact, the whole country is worth knowing though, I agree, cabs in London are very expensive. Transport is, in general. But no, the country is not becoming sharia. Don’t know where you get that idea from. Yes, there are stupid decisions and instructions by local politicians. As far as I can see every country has those. Our politicians, in general, are rubbishy but is that so unusual? Anyway, when you do decide to come let me know for sure. London is my city. It is great. May not have a Manhattan sky-line but, hey, there is St Paul’s and the Tower.
Lashawn, do you realise sharia law is also practised in the USA? Even Texas of all places.
As for your comment regarding “Public executions, rolling heads, the continuation of government-sanctioned racial discrimination, immigration raids, murdered babies – good grief!” You could easily be talking about the USA. Think about it, those blood thirsty Texans who readily kill, the poor, minorities and mentaly ill criminals on a regular basis aren’t that far behind.
You could easily be talking about the USA. Think about it, those blood thirsty Texans who readily kill, the poor, minorities and mentaly ill criminals on a regular basis aren’t that far behind.
You left out executing elderly barefooted and pregnant cross-gendered women in wheelchairs who are gay single Bible-thumpin’ welfare soccer moms with funny-sounding names and who are lapsed atheist Arabic and Spanish-speaking community organizers of oppressed Feeemason polar bears from Area 51.
These dastardly enemies of the people can be found hiding next to the bloodthirsty Texans under your bed.
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