Followdear fellow traveler – THANK YOU!
as i rushed from my late-arriving airplane from Barcelona to Zürich on Tuesday, i met a fellow traveler who was attempting to make the same ridiculously tight connection back to Boston. it was easy for him to discover we were in the same predicament when i started freaking out on the plane upon arrival in Switzerland. YES! i was one of ‘those people’ who jumped up before we even got to the gate and barraged the flight attendant with “will i make this connection?” “will they hold the plane?” she was all, “no big deal, you spaz!” WHATEVER. if my plane-mate and i hadn’t sprinted from the farthest terminal of A to E through the Zürich airport, i’m quite sure we wouldn’t have made our flight.
in any case, our race against each other on who’d get to the boarding gate first bonded us to an extent. then, when we arrived and as they were full on boarding the plane (no time for a bathroom break or to buy any coveted Swiss chocolates for us) we were then each individually given the ole “you’ve been pre-selected for extra screening”. READ you and your bags will now be molested. at least they had to deal with my sweaty self from my marathon sprint. HA – serves them right! this little incident made us laugh as the two of us, while we might be troublemakers, are far from sketchy looking terrorists.
so, after our half-day return flight from Europe to Boston, now the joke was whether our bags made the tight connection. my plane-mate, Adam, got his bag immediately – lucky bastard. but he kindly waited to see if i’d have the same luck. as we waited we chatted a bit and he asked me “what’s your favorite travel spots you’ve visited to so far?” SUCH A GREAT YET TOUGH QUESTION!!! i really appreciate him asking me this. it got me thinking and made me discover something new about myself. well, sort of.
i said to him that is difficult to answer and it depends on the type of travel experience you’re looking for. i know you all recognize i am a self-professed POSHAHOLIC. so my go-to answer is typically “heaven on earth is St. Barts.” it’s like the perfect place in my mind. AND while i do adore it and dream about it all the time, the question made me realize it’s not my favorite place anymore.
my favorite travel spots are the places that i know the least about and have no expectation of. like Budapest, Curacao and Cambodia to name a few. it’s NO SECRET that i love to travel. but i realized through answering Adam’s simple question that what makes me love a place is being pleasantly surprised in the unknown. the adventure of taking it all in and discovering it from my perspective.
i had already decided after my Cambodia trip that i need to travel at least once a year to somewhere i’ve never been. it’s good for learning and pushing myself and, let’s face it, i don’t have a lifetime of travel ahead so i gotta take advantage of the years i do have to discover all the wonderful places in the world that will touch me. BUT i didn’t recognize is HOW important this is to me. HOW i actually might love it more than the incredibly perfect and posh St. Barts. MY FAVORITE PLACE is quite possibly a place i haven’t been!
the takeaway?
1) this princess might not be so prissy after all since some of my favorite places are quite rough around the edges
2) it has to be top priority to seek this kind of travel out to keep me growing
3) i hope that Adam reads my blog as promised & comments because i’d like to say thank you for asking such a simple yet thought-provoking question
4) and THANKS for waiting with me until i FINALLY got my enormous bag off the luggage belt – phew
XO – lola
I hate that stress – it is actually painful!! Glad you made the connection
As for the question – I can’t answer, it is really difficult!
@mrsoaroundworld recently posted…Me gusta Madrid – my favourite places
i know. traveling really can be stressful at times.
i feel lucky to have several favorite places and i’m excited to discover more!
I really think this is my favorite thing you written, perhaps because it hits so close to home. I’ve never been able to pick a favorite place, so my answer is the international terminal at Bush Airport in Houston. It sends me off on great adventures and welcomes me home even if I’m not ready to return. There are certainly places that I love more than others, but I’m not convinced that I’ll ever find my “favorite place” because I just haven’t seen them all. And where’s the fairness in that?
Leah Travels recently posted…My Biggest Travel Mistake: Stupidity Runs Amok
I love the concept of the airport being a favourite place! This could change airport marketing forever!
@mrsoaroundworld recently posted…Photos of the Week – White
I like how you think, Mrs. O. 🙂
Pola (@jettingaround) recently posted…Photo of the Week: John Hancock Center in Chicago
Mrs. O – when you sort out the perfect marketing plan – please forward onto Logan airport here in Boston. they could use some help!!
Leah, it was a sad day when i really realized i will not go everywhere in the world. but…it’s fun to dream about the places that i will see in my lifetime. i get what you mean about the international terminal. there is a rush in that for me as well. BUT i hope yours is better that Logan’s. not too impressed so it is definitely NOT one of my favorite places!
com voce poderiamos irmaos para costas malfitanas italia que acha??
Jorb, are you from Amalfi? i’m headed there soon!!
Seville!
must go to Seville some day soon!!!
Glad you made the connection, Lola! I’ve missed some flights before (almost missed one from Toronto to Chicago after getting to Toronto from Europe, on NYE…). And I like how your favorite place is yet to be discovered by you. That should help your resolution to visit new places every year!
Pola (@jettingaround) recently posted…Photo of the Week: John Hancock Center in Chicago
i’ve had flights get delayed and canceled but i can’t remember if i’ve ever missed a flight. normally, i really don’t care. i just roll with the punches but on this return, i wasn’t interested in spending the night at the Zurich airport. that would have been just a wicked tease. if i’m going to get stuck, let it be for a few days!!
Cambodia… 🙁 It’s hard to answer the favorite place question. I love that quote about leaving pieces of your heart in all the places you’ve visited. And, I agree, not only are they there, but they are probably in the places we haven’t been yet too. Great post, and great question, Adam!
The World Wanderer recently posted…Chobe National Park, Botswana.
hahaha aww, erin. your camobodian fomo.
the lazy travelers recently posted…no travel required
oops, cambodian!
the lazy travelers recently posted…no travel required
thank you Erin! you will get to Cambodia one day & it will have been worth the wait. maybe we should go together 🙂
Glad to see that you liked Cambodia so much that it changed your perception of travel a bit. Southeast Asia has a way of doing that.
Traveling Ted recently posted…Fall foliage at Lake of the Clouds simply stunning
i look forward to discovering more of Southeast Asia in the future! i’m hoping it’ll be my next ‘place i’ve never been’ in 2013!
Gerard and I chased a train down in Barcelona to Paris.. I hate it when it’s THAT close. So stressful. As far as “what’s your favorite place” question, I agree, it could quite possibly be somewhere we haven’t been. Lately, I’ve been saying Japan because it truly is an amazing country. Who knows, it could be Czech in November. 😉
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted…Udaipur: Octopussy City
oooo have you two never been to the Czech Republic? i feel so honored to be with you on your virgin tour if that’s the case!!
need to go to Japan at some point too!
Great story… I don’t do travel stress very well. As in, I take the 3 hour layover over the 2 hour one hhaha.
D.J. – The World of Deej recently posted…A Day Trip From Napa To Sonoma County
hmmm…something for me to consider perhaps. when traveling internationally, i look for the least amount of time flying (which probably means short layovers) and your idea might be a good solution. unless i’m going to get stuck somewhere for a few days abroad, it’s not worth it to be stranded for less than 24 hours.
we totally hear you on this one! it’s such a hard question, but we love hearing people think through their answers. you’re right–it totally depends on what you’re looking for out of a trip.
the lazy travelers recently posted…no travel required
it’s a question i think i’ll start asking others. 🙂
I hope Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti in February get added to the list of places you are surprised you love!! 🙂
Raul (@ilivetotravel) recently posted…International Atlanta – A Food Story
hmmm…you know i want to. i wonder if i can swing it. i’m really only concerned about training for Kilimanjaro. when will i find the time!!
Whew, glad you made the connection! That stress can really get to me. I’m sure Adam is now hooked on Lola’s Travels… just like we are!
love you guys! i haven’t heard from Adam 🙁 but maybe he’s secretly reading ‘where in the world is lola?’ 🙂
great post…. and I couldn’t agree more with finding the excitement in a new place…a friend of mine texted me from Argentina recently, and said how it is so great to travel to a new place sometimes. (we were partners in crime through many Mexican adventures) and I couldn’t agree more… I am glad you are making that one of your new years resolutions of travel… and you know what – so will I.
stay adventurous, Craig
Craig Zabransky recently posted…Fall Foliage – Glimmerglass State Park in New York’s Catskills
YAY Craig! it is a great resolution to live by. maybe we can travel somewhere together that we’ve both never been to at some point soon 🙂
Good story lola. I love these random travel moments that cause you to totally reconsider something.
John recently posted…Strolling the Malecon in La Paz, Mexico