Bored With Travel. Thinking About Staying Home!

[mamiecarter]

Anyone else in this frame of mind? I just can't get it up, with all the hassles of air port security, high gas prices and general stress. Considering cocooning as an alternative. Anyone else ever have these impulses????????

 

[Karen G]

I've felt that way for the last year or so, ever since we moved to our current home. Everything I want to do is right here. It's hard to leave.

 

[UWSurfer]

After years and years and years of minimal or no vacations, we are now enjoying our "wings" T/S's have provided us. In the last two years we've traveled more than we likely have done in the prior 10, and to places we'd otherwise not attempted.

Between work and vacations I will have flown on 11 different airlines by year's end, with two of them no longer in business any longer and two others who have merged. I am a bit tired of airports and airport security however.

We're enjoying the opportunities this has provided us and plan to continue exploring these for the foreseeable future.

 

[anne1125]

Every time I watch the travel channel I add more destinations to my bucket list.

I don't see this changing until the day comes when it is physically too difficult.

Anne

 

[#1 Cowboys Fan]

All I can say is I look forward SOOOOO much to my vacations away. I love the planning, too; though I agree that higher flight prices, delays, etc. put a damper on things.

Pat

 

[Mimi39]

Every time I watch the travel channel I add more destinations to my bucket list.

I don't see this changing until the day comes when it is physically too difficult.

Anne

Me, too -- we're already booked up for 2009 and are starting plans for 2010! It's not only the vacations I love but planning them as well

 

[pointsjunkie]

TS"ing has given me and my family vacations that we never would dream possible. since 2008 i travel 1 week every month with the exception of june and july.

with all my FF miles and starpoints and TS's i travel without using an outlay of cash for flights and accomodations. we just pay for food and entertainment and a car.

we leave next week for williamsburg. then in nov the atlantis and nyc, dec fla and a cruise,..


jan aneheim, feb fla and maybe cancun. mar arizona, apr st john's ,may the atlantis, orlando over july 4th, somewhere in aug and then 2 weeks in italy. and then i start my planning all over again.

while we are still young and feeling great we are going. my list keeps growing and i keep crossing things off as we go.

life is good.

we down-sized to a condo which i love so i also love being home 3 weeks a month.

 

[falmouth3]

Nope. I only wish I had more vacation time - and someone to stay with my dogs.

 

[Ann-Marie]

Anyone else in this frame of mind? I just can't get it up, with all the hassles of air port security, high gas prices and general stress. Considering cocooning as an alternative. Anyone else ever have these impulses????????

Totally agree with you. My hubby and I are finding air travel a big pain in the neck. We just feel that we are always treated like cattle now. The days of courtesy and respect are out the door. We have traveled extensively in the past. This last trip did it in for me. We left NY on US Airways, on a 6AM flight. I pre printed my boarding passes, and was eligable for free luggage because the tickets were booked prior to the new luggage charge. My husband was not with me because he was parking the car. I take the 2 pieces of luggage up to the kiosk. The stupid machine would not scan my boarding pass. I asked the US Air ticket agent for help. She told me put in my credit card info. I told her, I did not need to pay, however, I put in the credit card info anyway, just to possibly get the machine to scan my boarding pass. NADA. It would not scan. She absolutly would not help me. So I rolled my luggage over to the paper ticket counter, asking for help. RIGHT! This person told me he would not help me becaue I have an e -ticket. I explain the machine saga, he does not care. So, I go back to the first person. She again tells me, just scan the boarding pass. I try again, and again tell her it will not scan. She then proceeded to ignore me. I was starting to crank, and about to really get mad, when some US Air empoyee appeared out of nowhere, and started to help me. I just said to him, thank God there are some nice people around here. He too, could not scan the boarding pass, and sent me back to the second person who was manning the paper ticket counter, and told him to check me in. He was so annoyed that he had to help me, that he barely had 2 words to say to me, of which he just mumbled under his breath. I have to say, at 4:45 AM, with a minimal amount of sleep, I was ready to loose it. Finally got my luggage checked, and really don't want to do air travel again for a while. However, give me a few months, and I'm sure I will need another vacation!!

 

[lprstn]

Tired of travel???

NOT However, I am tired of paying of flying...and now just can't afford it like I used to. So now, we are changing most of the trips for 2010 to be driving. We do plan on cutting back for financial reason but for 2009 though its hard to change trips as I paid for them, but the flying ones I just gave to friends and family because I can't afford the airfare for everyone.

We are actually taking a break as we havent traveled since August and won't until the end of Nov. due to having new jobs and trying to recover some savings. The break however is kinda welcomed as I have time to enjoy my home and do some of the things around the house I put off when traveling. Having a break is hard as my DH and kids love to travel and were upset when I was going to sell and cancel our Christmas trip.

 

[ownsmany]

getting a little tired.

I am also getting a little tired.

Too much stress at work, people been jeolous and envious of the trips (so have to keep them a total secret), work saving we shouldn't be taken vacations when not at quota, constant threats of layoffs,
high cost of air/ gas, and the economy,
kids that go on so many vacations - they complain about going, long waits at airports, etc.

I live for vacations and travel but getting really tired of the above.

 

[Passepartout]

I am sort of a homebody when left to my own devices, even though I have driven all over the USA for decades. DW, OTOH works inside an office all week and many nights, so she is always anxious to 'go' anywhere. Unfortunately she has to fit travel around client/court schedules.

We have been working on the casa to make it less labor intensive so we can leave at less notice.

With the recent economic downturn, we are taking less long-distance vacations, and more shorter ones within driving distance. We have been fortunate to have traveled extensively for 20+ years, so we can dig into photo albums and enjoy the trips all over again.

I'm thinking that after retirement, we may consider teaching English in Africa/Asia, or S. America. We already take an extra suitcase of school supplies when we visit 3rd world countries and drop them off at schools. Some of these kids have to share one pencil among several kids. Pens/ pencils/ colored markers mean so much.

We also try to take a cooking class wherever we go. These are skills one can bring home to enjoy and stretch out a trip.

Remember: No matter where you go, there you are.

Jim Ricks

 

[Dori]

We haven't been away since May, when we went to Palm Springs. I am having serious withdrawal symptoms from travel deprivation! Our next trip together (DH and DS leave on Friday for Ireland) will not be until February. Yikes, I hope I can hold out until then!

Dori

 

[pcgirl54]

For the 1st time I have nothing booked for 2009 and I have 4 weeks to play with. We are lucky to have been to many of the Coastal resorts/areas on my wish list. Part of the reason is my Dad's health being up in the air.

Thought about Yosemite/Napa and a cruise or trade to Bermuda or the beaches around Wilmington NC. Want to do a week or weekend with our adult sons.

Wished we lived closer to coastal Carolinas as it is 13-20 hrs away. There is no place with warm waters closeby that is a short drive.

We are not going away New Years to conserve funds.

 

[stmartinfan]

After many years of doing at least two major trips a year and some weekend jaunts, we cut back dramatically after I was laid off and decided to take early retirement. We still have done our yearly spring break trip to St. Martin, but cut out or cut back the big summer trip. Part of the reason was financial, but I also didn't feel the need to escape as much as I used to when in my high stress job. My husband travels frequently in the US and abroad for his job, so he still gets to see lots of places.

Another reason for cutting back was wanting our kids to recognize that all the trips they've enjoyed were a luxury many people don't get. My daughter's in college this year, and I wanted her to realize that the cost of her tuition meant we needed to cut back on other things (even though we have college savings). They had come to expect going to Europe or other amazing destinations, and needed to learn that this was something their parents could provide in the past - but not forever.

I also found with two teenagers who don't always get along that the "togetherness" of a vacation could be more stressful than being with them at home where they can be with friends or have their own space in our house.

Don't know what we'll do in 2009 other than the spring break trip to SXM. Part of it will depend upon what kind of summer job the college student can get.

 

[sfwilshire]

I've planned a June trip of nearly a month the last three years. Western Canada this year, England and Scotland last year and Hawaii two years ago. It is SUCH a hassle to plan flights (particularly if frequent flyer) and coordinate the various lodging for a long trip. I just don't have the energy to do it for 2009, though I would like to do Eastern Canada.

All four kids showed up for these nice long vacations until this year, so that isn't an incentive any more to do all the work.

I think we'll get season passes to Disney and spend four weeks there next year (a week at a time). We have a week booked on Nantucket and I'd love to find a second week adjacent. We also have a week booked in Michigan. I think that's about it for us next year.

Sheila

 

[DeniseM]

We are traveling more than ever. Recently I got the chance to meet DD in London for Easter week 2009 (because a lovely Tugger offered me an exchange for Allen House) so I'm going to do it. I wasn't planning on going to the UK in 2009, but I figure that when I get a chance to take a trip, I should! Right now we feel good and we can afford it, so we are going for it! You never know when age, health, or financial changes might put an end to it. However, we save ahead for everything and that makes a big difference to us - I would not "go for it" if I was having to charge travel on the CC.

At the age of 71 my mom was diagnosed w/cancer and died just 3 mos. later. Before that she was healthy, active, and fit and had no idea that her life would come to an end so quickly. During the 6 mos. before she died I took 2 trips with her, one w/DD and one w/DS, and twice we rented a cabin for a long weekend with the whole family in the mountains - when she was sick, those trips were some of her fondest memories. You never know how much time you will have - so you have to make hay while the sun shines! I am sure there is a time when we will slow down and cocooning will look good, but we aren't there yet!

 

[x3 skier]

Until I use up the gazillion FF miles I earned over 40+ years of traveling on business, we are still making one or two European trips each year along with one to Mexico to "warm up" after spending the ski season in Steamboat Springs CO.

Lots still to see and do before I am to old and decrepit to travel any more.

Right now in the planning stages is a 'Round the World or Circle the Pacific airline trip via FF Miles and Hotel points. :whoopie:

Cheers