GTKY: what was your all time favorite vacation?

[nikolie93]

Hey ladies! I haven't been around much, sorry I was on vacation and then when I got back to work I was drowning trying to get caught up. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth going lol I hope you are all are doing ok...well as good as you can in your situation  

I thought that maybe we could all use some happy thoughts so I was wondering what your all time favorite vacation was. 

Bonus question, what vacation do you really, really want to take one day? 

[nikolie93]

My all time favorite to this day, and I hate to say it because it was with my XH (ugh) but it was our trip out west. We flew into New Mexico with no plans except the flight and the rental car. We got a Trooper and just started driving. We drove for 2 weeks and just explored. We hit Las Vegas on the 4th of July, and went to Utah and Colorado. Utah was beautiful but by the time we hit Colorado I was so ready to see green! lol

One night, in Utah somewhere, we stopped in the middle of nowhere and drove into a field area. We turned off the car and the stero. It was so damn quiet and dark it freaked me the hell out. There was not ONE noise. It was so crazy and unlike anything I've ever heard (or not heard) before.

We had a map and we wanted to take a shortcut to the Grand Canyon. Well, I didn't realize that the shortcut was all dirt road and it took us FOREVER to get there. It was so damn bumpy and we had to drive so slow. I kept thinking wtf we would do if we broke down lol. That was the day I learned that shorter roads on a map don't always means the faster route

I LOVED Colorado. We stayed the night in this little town called Ouray. It was all dirt roads and there was a band playing in the middle of the street. Straight up Mayberry from the Andy Griffith show haha.


Ever since that trip I love to just got. I hate to be bogged down with schedules or having to be at a certain place because a hotel room was booked. It gave us the freedom to stay longer in places we found we loved and move on when we wanted to.

Bonus question: what is my dream vacation? No freaking idea...there is so many things! I think maybe Ireland. Somewhere that is outdoorsy and can be explored. I am definitely not a beach resort kind of gal.

[hollyberry]

Love this nikolie93! Sounds like a great trip! I love road trips!

* sorry, long

my favourite vacation was also before MH. But it did end up with me meeting him, so I guess he was a part of it, however I am sure it would still be my favourite holiday even if we didn't meet.

So for me it was my Eurotrip! It was my " once in a lifetime trip" seems funny now since I live in Germany. Anyway I went to Europe for 6 weeks with a pair 8f friends on mine, however I stayed the longest. We travelled all around for 2 weeks, the one of he girls went home then my 2nd friend left after 3 weeks.

We started out In London. ( the one girls cousin lives there, so we stayed with her when we were in London) we went to Italy, tons of city's really, Venice, Verona, where we watched a italian opera, in a theater that reminded me of a mini collesum, Florence, where I went into my first art museum! It actully brought tears to my eyes, I love art! Pisa and siena which was just added bonusus! And of course Rome! The funny thing about going to Rome was the day before we left we bought our train tickes. And the next day the rail went on strike. So annoying! However we were lucky because the eurorail was still working, so we got on it, it costs more money which is why we didn't use those trains in the first place, but at that point we didn't care we just wanted to get there! I was in heaven in Rome! We were just there for 3 days but man, was it amazing.

After that we headed to Paris for a couple days, and then back to London. We went to Dublin for the night a few days later. Then the first gal left and we just explored London a bit more.

Once the last gal left I just explored London on my own. I took my time and saw everything. Then MH (this is how we met) came to London to visit my friends cousin for a few days and then the 3 of us went back to Germany together and he showed us around Hamburg.

Then my trip of a lifetime was over!

just to finish the story; nothing really hapeend with MH and I while I was there, but we all did get drunk one night and we ended up holding hands. When I came back home I facebooked him, regularly and well history is history. He came that Christmas and then again the following summer to Canada, and then that Steptember I moved to London so we could be closer! And now we have been married since 2011!

Needless to say that vacation changed my lifè, but just all in all was a amazing time with friends!

Bonus, I really want to go to Greece! We couldn't get there on that trip and would love to see it. MH and I are hoping to do a Mediterranean cruise that has it included!

[nikolie93]

hollyberry, I had a huge grin on my face reading that story! What an amazing time and even more awesome you met YH there!

Did you guys have any plans for the 6 weeks or did you just play everything by ear? My BFF is going for a month at the end of June and I am so envious!

I can't imagine any vacation being 6 weeks but I know I would so love it

[hollyberry]

nikolie93, well the time travelling around Italy and Paris was pretty much planned. We booked our hostels before time, and organised how to get there so we didn't have to deal with figuring it all out in foreign languages and what not. We also had the opera booked before hand. And then as far as what we saw we all had different cities that were important to us so we each took the lead as to what we saw in different places. For me I organised Rome, because I wanted to see it the most, and had so much on the list that I HAD to see. many of the other places we took it as it came. I went to most museums by myself, since the others weren't into to it as much as I was. I think it worked out really well, not all friends would be able to travel like that.

On the whole my time was more free especially when I was alone, I just spent one sunny day reading in a park in London, that was great. But things like when we went to places that needed tickets we usually got them ahead of time, like Buckiham, its only open Aug and Sept. So we got tickets for that. And other things like that. Bust sice I was living with a person who lived in London, we also just had bbqs and party's and hung out with her friends. It was great. In fact the cousin and I became really good friends and I lived with her whwn I moved to London, she was one of our witnesses at our wedding.

Ya well since I was living in London rent free for that time I wanted to go for as long as I could, and at the begining my friend was going to stay the whole time too, but she got a new job and had to leave early. At the time I was a teacher at a private school and they were on summer holidays. So I wasn't working then anyway.

I wish we had more money to explore some more now, but such is life. I did go in a bit of dept for my "once in a lifeime trip" but it was so worth it. Just we don't really want to do that now thatnwe are " responsible adults" some just take short trips for now. But maybe Rome in October. MH has never been. We will see.

I am sure your friend will have a great trip, is she planning it all out? we usually plan our road trips, we are both too nervous not to get a hotel or something like that. But the days between are semi flexable. MH loves organising trips so he knows always before hand what he wants to see. Me, I could just see what I see, but he gets excited and wants to know the history of places and that kind of stuff. So I just follow.

Have you thought more about coming over, or is the house the new plan for now?

[teenybenoit]

My favourite vacation of all time was St Lucia, we went there for our honeymoon and paid big bucks!! Which is why it was so luxurious.
We had our own villa with a private pool overlooking the peton mountains.
The sun was so hot and the tropical landscape so beautiful we could see the sunset from each window in our villa and it took forever for the sun to go down.

We had room service every morning and we tried every restaurant in town at night. I think we fell more in love there then we already were.
Every day after we came back from the pool, they had robes, flowers and chocolates laid out on our bed. It was perfect! Never found a place that compares to that.
My second favourite would be our road trips to the east coast every other summer. My husbands family are from Newfoundland and so we make the road trip from where we live just outside of Toronto, it's just about 30 hours in the truck with great tunes, coffee, snacks and just each other for company. It's a treat. We are supposed to be going end of June and I'm really hoping this week off hasn't messed with my ability to go.
My future wish list includes Ireland. We actually were planning to celebrate my 40th birthday there next year.

[nikolie93]

hollyberry, that vacation sounds wonderful and although there was some debt involved you have the memories...and meeting YH! Sometimes I have to wonder what life would be like if different decisions were made in our lives. Like if you didn't go due to money constraints. You may have not met YH! Crazy how things work out

For now the house is the first thing on the plate. I still want to do the vacation but I will have to wait to see how renting my townhome goes. I will still be ok for the vacation if I get good renters and I am not paying two mortgages lol

[nikolie93]

teenybenoit, your honeymoon sounds amazing and it's awesome you guys may have fell even more in love

I hope this week doesn't mess up your plans for your Newfoundland trip because you could use it! I will keep my FX for you.

I always thought I would bring my 40th in with a big bang but instead I kind of want to curl up in the fetal position in my cold, dark, bedroom. lol My 40th is in 16 days and I have yet to make any plans

[hollyberry]

teenybenoit, that honeymoon sounds so wonderful! Wow!

nikolie93, my fingers are crossed it all works out getting to come! And I totally agree. It totally blows my mind of all the things that had to be aligned for MH and I to get together. Its crazy really! I have always believed everything happens for a reason and all that stuff. ( now with the losses, it's kinda feels different) but I love our story!

[teenybenoit]

nikolie93 I don't want a big blast, I would be happy to take 6 of my closest friends, rent a cottage, walk the moors, kiss the bilarney stones and then drown my sorrows in a couple of pints. Lol
I dread 40 because I don't have a child...how sad is that.

Otherwise I would have no issue with it and would grow old gracefully.
Sadly I've come to the conclusion that nothing is going to work in my time table it seems. Whether we are able to conceive still or end up adopting, I don't think 40 looming in the background is going to be any more exciting or inviting until a clear path is made on this journey of children.
And if by 40 nothing is still clear, those pints are going to be needed more then words can say.

[nikolie93]

teenybenoit, renting a cottage with close friends and kissing the blarney stones sounds nice! And your reason for dreading 40 is sad...and it's reality. I am sorry you're in that same boat as me *hug*

I hope you find out soon what your path will be so you can begin paving it!

[hydrangea1019]

My favorite vacation was in college when DH (BF at the time) and I went on our first cruise with a group of friends. We were broke college students who saved all of our money for this thing. We had a blast!! We all got lost in Grand Caymen just wandering around. We were looking for the beach and ended up on some private property lol. We eventually found the public beach.

Then the second stop was Jamaica. DH and I split from the group and went ziplining through the forest. OMG it was fantastic. Terrifying at first, but such an amazing experience and it was BEAUTIFUL!

All of our great vacations since have been cruises. DH had an 'i told ya so' moment on our honeymoon. I convinced him to go to an 'all inclusive' hotel in Mexico. It wasn't ideal, but it was great just being together. However, we learned out favorite way to vacay is on a giant boat

[nikolie93]

hydrangea1019 I can't believe I've never been on a cruise!

[hydrangea1019]

May 28, 2015 18:03:20 GMT -5 nikolie93 said:

hydrangea1019 I can't believe I've never been on a cruise!

They are fantastic!  That's the only way we really travel now lol

[nikolie93]

One day I shall go!

[PiradicalMaid]

ETA: Thank you for the post, nikolie93! These are so much fun to read and think about!

I think my favorite vacation was one I took just this last February. We went to visit my dad, who lives in Jerusalem. He has two young children who I don't get to see nearly as much as I would like.

We just had a great time with my family. SO had never been to Israel before. We went to the Dead Sea and the kids had a blast in a fresh water swimming pool while SO and I got to float in a hot spring mineral pool and cover ourselves in mud. We also spent a day at the Mediteranean, which she had also not seen before.

Most importantly for it being my favorite, we got engaged! We had been talking about/planning on getting married eventually but the actual engagement was very spontaneous. We were out for the evening, eating at this little outdoor cafe. The setting was very romantic, with moonlight and a stone plaza with flowering planters. We got to talking about getting married and what the timing would be and it suddenly just felt like the perfect moment, so I said to her, "ask me now," and she did. Then I asked her. We weren't planning on getting rings, but the next day we were shopping in the old city and I found a lovely pearl ring. The seller threw in a ring for SO basically for free, so we spontaneously got rings too

Everyone's stories sound like dream vacations! I have always wanted to road trip through Ireland. SO and I both have dreamed forever of going to Greece, so we are planning on going there for our honeymoon. SO is from South Korea and we'd like to visit there some day as well, too. I've also never been on a cruise and definitely would like to try one... So many dream vacations, so very little money...

[hollyberry]

PiradicalMaid, I totally just was like " aww thats so sweet" when I read that. It sounds like a great trip!

[tiresiastheblond]

hollyberry, teenybenoit, PiradicalMaid, your stories are so sweet--aaaw!
hydrangea1019, I've never been on a cruise, either. I'd love to, though.
nikolie93, I love the idea of just getting in the car/plane and going--no itinerary!

My favorite trip was probably my wedding trip to Slovenia. From the train ride from Venice through the alps, to getting off in Ljubljana and just feeling like we were in a totally different world, it was amazing. Of course, when we explored the downtown the next day and saw that they had a Gap, a Lush, etc, etc, the strangeness evaporated a bit.
Slovenia is very beautiful, though, and I'd love to go back.

Bonus trip: I've always wanted to go to India.

[nikolie93]

PiradicalMaid, ack, my heart is happy reading your story!

tiresiastheblond, that sounded wonderful until you ran into a Gap and a Lush store. How dare they litter such beauty with that normal, american, stuff! lol

[PiradicalMaid]

Aww, thanks everyone. I think it's oh-so romantic, but it's always nice to hear that other people do too

I keep posting on mobile so it's hard to properly reply and tag folks, but I'm really enjoying reading these stories!

[vivela]

Edit: personal info

My dream vacation is a month in Australia traveling around. It might never happen, but I've kept it in the back of my head and maybe someday we can save enough without having to blow it on some emergency or another.

[nikolie93]

vivela, so glad that you had a good time in New Orleans! It's hard to live up to something that you build up so much in your mind. You had a lot riding on that trip with the mentality that it was for healing. I am glad it worked out