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Old 08-09-2011, 08:14 PM
 
Location: Portlandia "burbs"
10,229 posts, read 16,266,427 times
Reputation: 26005

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Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover View Post
Int'l travel a luxury? Dead wrong! To do it really well? It's hardly necessary to stay in 4-5 star hotels in foreign countries. I never paid more than $25 for a 2-3 star hotel in South America, (oftentimes with a rooftop deck which you won't find in this country) and for that price, it's far more comfortable/enjoyable/cheaper than a poorly-built Motel 6 or Super 8 here in this country.

Excuses! Excuses! Which I see right thru like a pane of glass!

Americans averse to crossing the Atlantic or Pacific or Caribbean reminds me of someone who has always owned/driven a Honda Civic. Never been behind the wheel of a Ford, Toyota, Chevy, Hyundai or Mazda, but they go on proclaiming the Honda Civic is the best car in the world!

Laziness, fears, now we're getting some place!

Americans don't get enough vacation time? Please! Just one more flimsy excuse! What's wrong with flying to Mexico City or Bogota for a long weekend? Ain't even going to cut into your precious 2 week vacation time tooling around same-ol'-same-ol' in your Honda Civic!

Well, you need to do a better job of convincing some of us that foreign travel is "all that". I've read several CD forums of criticism towards people who don't want to travel abroad, but I'm just as happy with domestic travel as those who want to travel foreign lands. I particularly don't understand why people pay money to stay in resorts and not experience the culture of where their resort is. I'd rather just go to Palm Springs! Never understood why people go to Mexico, either.

Last edited by Bluesmama; 08-09-2011 at 08:24 PM..
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Old 08-09-2011, 08:45 PM
 
Location: Tucson/Nogales
23,143 posts, read 28,910,546 times
Reputation: 32494
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluesmama View Post
Well, you need to do a better job of convincing some of us that foreign travel is "all that". I've read several CD forums of criticism towards people who don't want to travel abroad, but I'm just as happy with domestic travel as those who want to travel foreign lands. I particularly don't understand why people pay money to stay in resorts and not experience the culture of where their resort is. I'd rather just go to Palm Springs! Never understood why people go to Mexico, either.


I've got eyes and ears, and I can identify a brick wall when I see it!

Last edited by tijlover; 08-09-2011 at 09:32 PM..
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Old 08-09-2011, 08:49 PM
 
2,053 posts, read 4,807,431 times
Reputation: 2410
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluesmama View Post
Well, you need to do a better job of convincing some of us that foreign travel is all that worth it.
I don't think traveling within one's country and traveling overseas have to be incompatible ideas. One might have a great time in one's home country and also enjoy traveling to other countries.

Imo the nicest thing about traveling overseas, other than the obvious - visiting some very cool places! - is learning about other people's history and culture. And I also enjoy learning about different lifestyles, languages, food, etc. and sharing the way I live. A little combination kindness + manners + respectful attitude goes a long way.

Traveling is a wonderful thing, once one starts it is quite easy to catch the "travel bug"!

I also don't think it is about "convincing" someone to travel overseas or not; with the amount of travel information easily available today, this is something one is perfectly capable of deciding on one's own, it is a matter of personal choice and taste, that is all.
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Old 08-09-2011, 09:46 PM
 
Location: Portlandia "burbs"
10,229 posts, read 16,266,427 times
Reputation: 26005
Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover View Post


I've got eyes and ears, and I can identify a brick wall when I see it!

You must stare at the mirror an awful lot.
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Old 08-09-2011, 09:55 PM
 
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,606 posts, read 55,914,193 times
Reputation: 11862
Foreign travel is certainly an experience that will open your eyes, but you have to be in the right frame of mind to be able to adapt to a foreign place; leave all your pre-conceptions behind and be well prepared as to language, culture, logistics etc.

While foreign travel is greater I can't stand those people who turn their nose down on domestic travel as if it is inferior or second best. It can be just as enlightening to explore new parts of your own country!
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Old 08-09-2011, 10:11 PM
 
Location: Tucson/Nogales
23,143 posts, read 28,910,546 times
Reputation: 32494
I've been to all 50 states, some once, others 2X, 3X. Enjoyed a great deal of it. I've been to 25 of the 31 states of Mexico. 3 of the Canadian provinces. 7 South American countries. 4 Central American republics.

But this is a big, big world, so much yet to see. And just about the time I am tempted to return to a paradisical place I once visited, I venture on, and, in many cases, found some place even more paradisical.

That's what keep me plunging forward and resisting the temptation to return to places I've already visited. Yet another paradisical place I may find on my next trip.

How many times have I said it: I must, must return here some day, this is heaven! And do I? And will I? And with my boundless curiosity about new territory, unlikely!

Last edited by tijlover; 08-09-2011 at 10:11 PM.. Reason: edit
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Old 08-09-2011, 10:14 PM
 
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
39,031 posts, read 22,983,871 times
Reputation: 36027
Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover View Post
Int'l travel a luxury? Dead wrong! To do it really well? It's hardly necessary to stay in 4-5 star hotels in foreign countries. I never paid more than $25 for a 2-3 star hotel in South America, (oftentimes with a rooftop deck which you won't find in this country) and for that price, it's far more comfortable/enjoyable/cheaper than a poorly-built Motel 6 or Super 8 here in this country.

Excuses! Excuses! Which I see right thru like a pane of glass!

Americans averse to crossing the Atlantic or Pacific or Caribbean reminds me of someone who has always owned/driven a Honda Civic. Never been behind the wheel of a Ford, Toyota, Chevy, Hyundai or Mazda, but they go on proclaiming the Honda Civic is the best car in the world!

Laziness, fears, now we're getting some place!

Americans don't get enough vacation time? Please! Just one more flimsy excuse! What's wrong with flying to Mexico City or Bogota for a long weekend? Ain't even going to cut into your precious 2 week vacation time tooling around same-ol'-same-ol' in your Honda Civic!
*ahem* As much as I'd love to explore other countries and cultures, I am not in a position to where I can travel abroad at this time. I'm reposting my reasons for not traveling abroad, which are valid ones and applies to many other Americans.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chatteress View Post
I don't think anyone is saying that the US has everything ... but the US is far from a bland country to visit with its diverse states and scenery. To each his own. I would love the opportunity to travel abroad but haven't done so for several reasons:

1. Too expensive: Many countries have currency exchange rates that do not favor Americans
2. Lack of travel partners: Although I've been to Canada and traveled domestically solo, I think it would be a bad idea for a single female to travel on her own abroad.
3. Political unrest in many countries makes me desire to stay close to home
4. Language barriers: Although many non-English countries have English speakers, I don't expect them to always accommodate me in the language department. I would feel more confident if I knew the language of the land prior to making a solo trip. Unfortunately, being a hearing impaired person, learning new languages have been difficult for me.
5. Length of time spent in an airplane: The longest I've been in a plane was the 5.5 hours traveling to the East Coast US ... Traveling abroad requires a much longer time inside an airplane and much of that is over an ocean. That is not very appealing to me right now unless I had someone traveling with me.
6. Concern about being a potential victim of a tourist scam due to my unfamiliarity with the country.

These are my specific reasons for not traveling abroad. If the first three weren't issues (I can deal with the last three), I'd book a trip ASAP to Europe and Australia ASAP as I've been dying to visit and would love to experience different cultures, food and scenery.
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Old 08-09-2011, 11:29 PM
 
Location: Tucson/Nogales
23,143 posts, read 28,910,546 times
Reputation: 32494
Bad idea for a single female to travel abroad alone????????????????????????

I was on a Lonely Planet forum, and my mouth fell wide open, reading the adventures of a single female who just spent a month roaming around Colombia a few years back, alone!

Now I'm a man, and I'm not tough enough to pull that one off!

A good friend, 10 years ago, invited me to go along with her to Europe.
Sorry, I had already seen those places, don't particularly like going back to places I've already visited.

She went alone, for 2 months, even rented a car on her own, no problems!

Keep the defensive excuses coming!
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Old 08-09-2011, 11:55 PM
 
4,534 posts, read 4,918,322 times
Reputation: 6327
Believe it or not, there are people all over the world that know how to do some things better than Americans do. The claim that you don't need to travel abroad because we have everything here is complete and utter bullsh*t
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:01 AM
 
Location: Westcoast
313 posts, read 449,509 times
Reputation: 407
Damn! This thread fascinates me with its cockiness. So what if some of you have a passion in globe trotting? Why do you imply that others need to be like you? I know someone who travels by joining missionaries. Now that's one heckuva way to become acquainted with the so-called REAL world, and I'd bet that most of the voracious globe trotters on here haven't given that one consideration.

There are people without a pot to **** in who can't go take a modest vacation in their own country.

No excuses here; I DON'T WANT to travel abroad. Don't need to.
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