Hello everyone!
Welcome back! It has been awhile since my last post, I have been, of course, traveling and taking some time to check out some new technology. I did play with some AI content to help me with my writing to see if I can produce quality content in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, what I found is that my message does not shine through when writing a couple of sentences to make a whole post, whereas taking the time for my content makes the best type of content possible. So, here’s my attempt at writing quality content for my wonderful community to share my insights. To kick off this post, I thought I would share with you why I chose to travel in the US (except for my cruise) for the last couple of months.
First off, I am not sure if any of you follow the news, but Covid is still a big thing and I am honestly really scared of being stuck in a foreign country that is not the US. I believed that you still need negative Covid tests to enter some other countries and I would hate to lose a trip because I did not test negative. In some places I think you need a negative test to enter back into the US. Getting stuck somewhere I could never get home to during a crisis scares me beyond belief. This is one of the main reasons why I chose to stay in the US. If something happens when I am in California, it is easier for me to try to get back home than if I was stuck in Greece. I could always rent a car and start driving home from wherever I was within the US.
Next, Disney World is the best of all the Disney’s. Yes, one day I would love to go to Tokyo Disney or Disneyland Paris, but for the huge amount of money and time you spend to get to these places, Disney World would definitely be a better bet for me. First, the lines for some of the other Disneylands to just get in are crazy long and they do not have as many rides or parks to enjoy. Yes, some of these other parks do have different and cool rides to try, but for me the $200 round trip to Florida and the $600 three-day pass with a hopper was more cost effective than traveling to Paris for one day in the park. For obvious reasons, I would have done more of the foreign country exploring in those other places then I did in Disney World, but for me I just wanted to enjoy Disney for the first time solo as an adult. It was one of the most magical things I ever did and I find myself daydreaming about my fabulous trip there. For all my Disney World lovers, you have to take a solo trip there one day. Something about getting to do everything you ever wanted to do as a child is such a life altering experience. I spent about a month in Florida and there is so many different things for you to experience. Let us even put Disney aside and talk about Universals theme parks. I did not do that solo (yet) but I did go to the City Walk and had the best night doing karaoke, drinking margaritas and listening to music. There’s so much more to do that I cannot wait for my next trip there. It is possible to do a quick weekend there and not break the bank.
There are so many beautiful places in the US to enjoy! Sometimes I think people forget just how amazing the United States really is. Have you ever seen the Grand Canyon? Or hiked the Appalachian Trail? Drove across the country from the east coast to west coast? Some of those things I have not even done yet, but every place I have been is beautiful in their own way. Each state has something so unique from the next it makes me want to explore every bit of this country. Coming from the east coast, let me tell you, some of these other states are super cheap to travel too! For example, I was just in Phoenix, I met these really nice people and we all decided to go out to a local restaurant/bar for dinner and drinks. Between the three of us with three full meals and several drinks, the bill came out to be just $90, which to me was crazy cheap. By me that was easily a $300 dinner. So, while it might cost you a little to get out west from here, the amount of money you will spend out there will be half of a vacation in Europe without having to worry about exchange rates (expect for California, it is crazy expensive out there).
I am a person who loves new cultures and experiences new things. I was a Global Business major in college and got a Global MBA in Finance and sometimes we forget just how diverse the US is. My way of life is 100% different from people in Tennessee, Texas, or Michigan. Within America I can experience such different cultures, events and experiences. I have never ever been to a rodeo or seen a cowboy, which is funny because most people think of America and think of that, but that's not how it is where I live. But, in the west, you can watch bull riding and go to a saloon dancing with cowboys. Something I would think only happened in movies until I started traveling within the US.
I am being taken out of my comfort zone without having to really be taken out of my comfort zone. Okay, the US does not have an official language and lots of people do not have English as their first language, but I bet I can always find some way to communicate with someone or they will be willing to help me find someone who can. Outside of the US (particularly in France) if you do not know the language or are struggling to communicate with someone, they will likely blow you off. Now this could have been because I was so young when I traveled aboard, but like I said above, with Covid my feeling about being alone where I possibly could not get home scares me. FYI I studied the beautiful language of French for 10 years and can understand it/read it, but no matter how hard I try I really struggle to speak it back and in France many people made me feel so bad for it even though I was really trying.
I know what you are thinking, “G, you will go on a boat to get stuck out at sea, but will not go to Europe right now?” The thing is YES! For the cruise I booked a room (paid extra) with a balcony preparing for the fact I could get stuck at sea, but at least I would have an ocean to look at. This is the exact reason why I would never book an inside room now. That is torture if Covid picked up and if you got stuck in there. No windows or natural light, I would go crazy. If I was stuck on the boat I would at least have food and water, whereas abroad I am not sure what I would get or how much money I would need to survive.
The world is a big beautiful place and I intend to see and experience everything it has to offer, but for right now, I do not want to take a risk like that after we saw what some people went through. One thing I learned is that anything can happen at any time and I will not stop my life again, but I also cannot be reckless. That's why I chose to travel within the US for my amazing 9 month adventure. In the future I hope the world returns to a more normal life, where I do have to worry about if I'll get home. When that happens, you’ll find me all over the world. Until then, I will be discovering the beautiful places my country has and soaking up all the different cultures we have. I have yet to find my favorite place here since everywhere I go is so unique and different from the next. I’ll let you know when I do.
My biggest lesson learned from traveling the US is that everything I could possibly think of enjoying is at a reasonable distance and within a price range I can afford. We grow up thinking we know what this country has to offer since we are here, but you only know the small things we grew up around. So much to experience and see without even needing a passport. So maybe next time you are planning a trip, think about the state right next door, you might not even have to book a flight.
Enjoy your week and I hope you find some adventures in it, even if it is just another mundane day.
Thank you for reading!
G
PS: I did travel to Aruba during one of my trip, but I was with my whole family. So if anything where to happen we were altogether and in a big room with separate areas. We also did not need a negative test to come or go at the time, so I felt a little better about not getting stuck there. That felt like more of a normal area to go to due to less restrictions.
The photo below is from the Marriott Surf Club.
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