In the past weeks I've found myself in the midst of people who travel but in a different way. These are the people of extreme wealth who have others make the arrangements. They simply have a destination in mind and someone else makes it happen. They strongly believe there are people paid to do this. Why should they ever have to deal with the stress of planning their own vacation? It doesn't stop there. They don't want to check in. They don't want to claim bags. They don't even want to see their accommodations upon arrival. They have it just so that all checks and balances are already in place. All they have to do is "vacay" but I don't know what that has to do with the art of traveling. What title do you claim if you are barely a tourist and you don't even want to stay a while? I guess you are the affluent pseudo traveler, eh?
Imagine telling someone you spent the summer of 2013 abroad. It wasn't for school. It wasn't for work. My grandmother didn't pay for it. I wasn't with a rich boyfriend. No. I quit my job, took the majority of my own hard earned cash and went for no good damn reason. Just think about the luxury of being able to own that despite everything that happened. It all rolls off the tongue because you are proud and full of a memories. You then go into detail of how you were someplace new every 3.5 days and you arranged it all. There was no agent or tour guide. There was no chapter or group. There was only a few planes and a lot of trains. There were no rental cars and you only took a handful of taxis. You feel like you can conquer the world.
"Well when I went to Rome it was with my travel group and everything was taken care of. We arrived at the airport and took a bus to the city. Then we simply pulled up right in the city center and we were allowed to wonder. We then found a bite to eat and came back to our hotel when we felt like it. Our bags were already in our rooms and everything was arranged going forth!" - Blind Date/Alpha Male
Well must be friggin nice!?
I'm sorry I couldn't even begin to challenge the notion that his time was nicer than mines. Logistically, he had an amazing trip! He didn't touch anything - not even his own bags! He didn't sign anything. He barely even walked anywhere. What a way to travel in style! However, after that two hours of freedom you were slave to a tour guide and the fifteen other weirdos in the caravan. You went everywhere they did and if you tried to wonder off you'd be left behind. Not like you could figure it out on your own when that happened because all your shit was left at the hotel you yourself didn't check into. In all honesty, you are brave. You allowed someone and many others to hold your life in their hands all the while in a strange country you've never sat foot in before.
Is my wonderful story being challenged because I pulled my own 360 carry on? Really?
Just when I thought that would be the last of that. I just assumed he would be the one in a million. I started collecting my bosses trashed "Destinations" magazines which not only advertises but highlights luxury tour trips. There are a zillion of them and they are all over the place. I saw ones from the South of France all the way to the Phillipines. Now if I could go to Asia I'm not sticking with a group of pasty retirees from Florida. I want my own experience of eating whole fish and oyster omlettes. I want to ride a bike. I want to surf. I'm not going to have someone teach me to make a Singapore Sling in an hour long course or visit "shoppes" for one hour. The audacity of taking all my money - all that money and making me stick to times!? No way, Jose!
It made me wonder what is most important to the wealthy and independent. Is it the idea that you can say you've been there or is it the opportunity to immerse yourself? I'm beginning to think it is all about what little I had to do versus all the things I could do. There's so much more to it and that is another or several blog entries. But why would you pay for a cruise experience while being on dry ground? Frankly, there is no one to ask these questions to. They are all too busy tromping my lil hillbilly excursion to Europe and throwing away really pretty travel mags.
Must be nice….
