Sunday, June 27, 2010

Road Trips

The travel junkie in me absolutely relishes road trips of any kind. Unlike many others who find such trips tedious and a drag, I revel in them like a compulsive addict. Taking off from my familiar haunts and driving on towards areas unknown, with the long, winding ribbon of the road ahead of me and the never-before seen vistas spreading outside my window is an experience that never fails to energize me. The family and I take mini road trips of sorts whenever the opportunity arises, and I'm really thankful for these small mercies in life. They are a welcome break from the monotony of our humdrum lives, and that's what I find fascinating about them.

To be able to take off somewhere on a whim is a blessing, and more so when time doesn't dictate your schedule and you're free to go on side explorations and mini adventures from the beaten path. I hate to march to the beat of time on such occasions and childishly long to do as I please and stay for as long as I want to wherever I please. Impossible for now, but it's my dream to do so one day. I always say that if I ever won the lottery or ended up with a big windfall, my career be damned ... I would just take off to parts unknown. I would stay for weeks or a couple of months at some given place, experience the culture, see the sights, and then take off for another part and do the same all over again till I 'd travelled to the ends of the world. Wishful thinking, but perhaps it's that primordial wanderlust in me talking!

Another simple thing I enjoy about these road trips is staying at a hotel without any timetable, lolling around on the bed mindlessly switching the television channels, getting up late in the morning because there's no particular rush, sampling the food at the local eateries, stopping and moving on as I please. There's no drill sergeant barking out orders to get going, and THAT I absolutely love. One thing I hate about a planned vacation is that it's so strictly regimented, with as many places to cover in as many days, thus robbing me of the spontaneity of the entire vacation. It's GO-GO-GO because sightseeing is the first priority in such a planned vacation. That's why I prefer the impromptu road trips where I can march to my own beat and do what I (damn well) please. I have decided to explore beautiful, British Columbia this summer, and am eagerly looking forward to many more road trips in the days to come!

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