small world after all
so Will is thinking of taking a little trip to china to hang out. this would be freaking awesome. we've been chatting on and off about places we could go, and i kinda feel like if i'm gonna take vacation time, i want to leave eastern china. whether than means southern china (kunming), or japan, or freaking zanzibar, i'm not sure. but eastern china is easy for me to do in long weekends, so i'd rather use my few vacation days to go somewhere a bit more exotic.
our chats have really gotten me thinking about places i want to go in the world (mainly in this hemisphere, ie not the americas). given my week-long limitation, however, my list is a bit smaller than it otherwise would be, as, for example, a trip to that-place-that-rhymes-with-bibet would require a bit more than 7 days, or a trip to that vague geographical location known as "europe" without a clear focus would require more like 7 years.
right now, these are the places i'm thinking. let me know what you think, and if you've been to any and have suggestions/comments.
australia. i'm not sure why this is first on my list, it just has become a place that i think of first when i imagine kind of indulging on my first working-man's vacation. ever since Paul, Will and i got our NAUI diving licenses, i've wanted to check out the great barrier reef. holy moly would that be cool! and to see the southern cross! this would also be ideal in wintery months, as it would be quite refreshing to head to summer during winter.
japan. kyoto would probably be first on my list, mainly from recommendations. i'd love to check out the temples and, believe it or not, some historical stuff. downside: iPhone doesn't work in japan. i may as well leave my right arm at home.
deutschland. baden-württemberg/bavaria. i'd love to spend some more time cruising southern germany. my two weeks there a few years back were amazing, and i'd really love to do it again with a bit more money and fewer restrictions (namely because of money). and who wouldn't love to go back to hiuzingen to see the family? this would probably have to be timed right, though, as it was real hot last time i was there, and i don't like cold much. i'd have to ask Will about that one. mmmm and the wine... and the beer... mmm
yunnan, china. this is where i studied back in '06. man would i love to go back. go back to lijiang, shilin, xishan, and maybe tonghai (if i could figure out where the hell it is). i'd love to see my old buddies and my old favorite places. this really is one of my favorite cities in the world. i've been in china 7 months and still haven't even gone there for a visit!
greece. i'm not too into mediterranean food, but i'd love to bum around on them beautiful islands. i wouldn't mind swinging by italy for some good wine and food and pretty beaches. this would definitely fall in my indulgence vacation rather than travel vacation.
hawai'i. this one would be tough. i'm not sure it could live up to my last trip to hawai'i, which was near-perfect. also, it's expensive. so this may be removed from this list and put on my when-i-win-the-lottery list. however, i do have enough miles to fly there from the states for free...
note that this does not include the places i really want to be: san francisco, hong kong, chicago, colorado, etc. i'd also really like to take a train through alaska, which i plan to do with The Invincible Blab in the next few years or so. i also wouldn't mind going back to thailand. but my trip there last year was pretty much perfect, so i'm not sure it could ever match that. i'd love to go visit my friend in hanoi (if she's still there), and stefan in mongolia. and i'd really love to take the trans-siberian railroad with Benji!, but i'm not sure i could spare a month for that right now (maybe in a few years?)
comments:
Japan or China is my vote...which my be an important one. Germany is awesome, but come on, who's visiting who(m) here!??!
Will | August 11 @ 1:53pm