What's my Ideal Trip?

Most people think I am a little weird because I always want to go somewhere off the wall, or somewhere that I will most likely never go again. In a conversation with Maggie, we talked about this very idea; the idea of heading off to Thailand, the jungles of South America, or some other random place. Choosing a destination for me is as easy as throwing a dart at a world map, wherever the point sticks, I’ll go. Most people who know me would say that I have a certain knack for foreign languages and an extraordinary curiosity for culture. I have a certain way of melting into my surroundings, not just a mere a spectator but as a participant. I would say that my love of culture has even made me want to pursue my master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology … see I told you I was a weirdo.

So, now that we understand a little bit more about me, my answer as to what my ideal trip should be simpler to understand. I have no ideal trip. I have no one place in the world that I want to go to, or a certain statue or monument that I have to see before I die. I just simply want to travel. I have no expectation of anything when it comes to traveling, and that is just one of the many things that I love about myself. Some people might think it’s a cop out by saying that I do not have an ideal trip, but in reality, the nonexistence of my perfect vacation is in itself an ideal trip. Unless you have experienced going to every place in the world, you cannot really say that you choose one over the other … that’s my opinion.

Bringing it all together, and by that I mean using the Twain reading as an example, we can see the consequences of expectations. “By the door of the station-keeper’s den, outside, was a tin washbasin, on the ground. Near it was a pail of water and piece of yellow bar soap […] From the glass frame hung the half of a comb by a string – but if I had to describe the patriarch or die, I believe I would order some sample coffins.” (Twain 21/22) This is just one of the many examples Twain uses to show us that his expectations of heading west with his brother were not what he thought. Unfortunately for him, the circumstances turned out worse instead of better.

This is why I do not have an ideal trip. Having an ideal trip means having expectations about what you might see, hear, smell, or even eat. I am not sure if it was the way my parents raised me, or some genetic malfunction, but I do not travel with these kinds of expectations. Let’s be real, I expect it to be hot and sunny when I go to Belize this summer, but I hope that you understand what I mean. I cannot have an ideal trip that happens by chance: meeting a local on the street, finding that fabulous hole-in-wall restaurant, or even just accidently finding a hidden waterfall… these things cannot be expected but are the most rewarding. So, what is my ideal trip? Your guess is as good as mine, as long as we get there by plane.