Last year hubby and I did not go on vacation (no, I do not consider visiting the in-laws to be a vacation, you may disagree). So, I really, really wanted to go somewhere this year and last December I asked for your input on a cross country road trip! I have always wanted to drive across country hitting the stops in the fly-over zone.
Well, looks like it is not to be.
Without getting too much into a convoluted background, my MIL wants to go to Paris “for the last time”. She was born in Algiers, and when the civil war happened, she, my (deceased) FIL and my BIL got the heck out of Africa and come to the USA where my FIL’s brother had immigrated years before. My MIL’s family all went to France (because Algerians were French citizens), most settling in the area in and around Paris.
MIL is getting up in age and had a major heath setback last year. She is much recovered, but she knows it is unlikely she’ll ever go to France again if she does not go NOW. However, because of her health concerns she’ll need to travel with one of her aids (who eagerly volunteered to go), and she’ll need a nurse when she gets there. Hubby is a little dictator about her diet. It would be fair to say that due to his diligence over her menu, she is alive today. She’s on a low-sodium, diabetic diet (we should all probably eat this healthy!) and I’m not sure how successful she would be on her own eating via European markets and restaurants without his input. Because he doesn’t trust her to eat correctly when over there (I don’t really blame him) and the logistics of her care, someone not only familiar with her but who can speak the language (besides my MIL) needs to go. Which means hubby (BIL works at a school, so he cannot go in September). Since I have only met the folks over there that traveled for our wedding, I would be going too.
I do not speak the language. If anyone finds a Rosetta Stone deal/sale, plmk!
She was looking at May, but with other health concerns needing to be taken care of it ain’t gonna happen. Which means maybe September.
Or October.
Or not at all.
But it does mean three weeks traveling across country is not going to happen this year because “what if” we have to go to France for a few weeks in the fall?
I do want to thank everyone for your input. I am hoping to pose the question again in December 2010 for more input on a 2011 cross-country road trip. It WILL happen!
Someday.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m sorry you’re having to postpone you cross country trip but I’m sure this trip to France will be a wonderful experience. By the way, we travel halfway across the country to visit our families and I don’t consider that vacation either. We love our families but we also like to have a chance to travel other places as well!
Hi Jaime,
I’ve been to Paris before (30 years ago) and did not like it. If we do end up going it will be interesting to see if I still feel the same way.
Ann
Sorry your dream trip won’t happen. This year.
I’ve been to Paris twice as a tourist, and I loved it both times.
This past summer we went to Italy to visit my husband’s hometown (a village, really) and meet more relatives than I ever realized a person could have. It wasn’t like any trip I’d ever been on, so I really can’t compare it, but it was a wonderful trip nonetheless.
Also, in planning the trip, I figured I could only take so much of the hometown village/relative thing, so I convinced hubby that we should spend a few days by ourselves (just us and our son) at a seaside vacation resort. It was only three days, but so worth it at the end of the week-long-plus relative fest.
Hi Julie,
I really, really want to go to Florence. If we end up in France, we are going to take 4 days (I hope) and head down there to see the sites.
I’m glad you had a great time!
Ann
I loved Paris when I was there and it was freezing (end of Oct in 07). But that’s also b/c I was there for the first time and a tourist, and I love history — so everything from the museums, to the chapels etc were wonderful to see. And it wasn’t too crowded. But we also went b/c DH was on a business trip in Amsterdam, so it worked itself out. Honestly, as much as I loved it, I would still like a cross country road trip better. I love nature (minus the mosquitoes).
Hope your MIL feels better and gets to go. And that you enjoy yourself as well. And that a 2011 road trip will be even more incredible.
i’ve gone cross country and most places you decide to stop at and/or visit are only once. Out of the different places my hubs and i have visited, i would say the only places i would go to see again, is the grand canyon and the 4 corners, and japan, just maybe only maybe san antiono, tx. because the riverwalk is pretty and nice, but a few miles outside of it, is kinda ghetto, not as bad as the outskirts of baltimore and i hate baltimore (no offense) but it really is.
if i were to go on vaca, my top choices would be alaska to see the northern lights they just look so pretty in the pictures i can only imagine what they look with your own eyes, Australia, new zealand, united kingdom, iceland, greenland, just all of europe would be pretty cool. japan is really nice, they are one of the nicest people that live there, it’s really refreshing, and i love their cusine, and if you ever go to japan you HAVE TO VISIT Odawarra Castle, it’s an old samauri’s house but they have lots of awesome artifacts, and what they wore, to their life-its 3 stories tall and on the very top level it’s a 360 outside view, and you have to visit tokyo tower, that was pretty cool, there is so much city!!! not everything is translated to english (the downfall) and their train system is crazy (you can easily get lost)! but it’s totally worth it. i’m just really happy that i got the opportunity to visit Japan, i’d go back if i didn’t have family that lived state side.
but a trip is most of all what you make it out be. i’m not as easily impressed with tourist stuff as most people, and i’m mostly interested with really old history, hence why i’d love to go to europe.
i hope you get to go on a vaca, not going anywhere would be a bummer, but i think paris would be pretty cool place to take a vacation.
Hi DD,
I LOVED Alaska. We went on a cruise in September 2008 and I would go again tomorrow.
My dream trip is Fiji to Australia. Hubby wants New Zealand, so I’d add that in (aren’t I sweet?). I figure when we retire we’ll do a world cruise… or at least a cruise around New Zealand and Australia. The flight is 24 hours right now, so we’d have to stay a few weeks minimum.
And I’d like to see Egypt and Italy. I’ve been through most of continental Europe except Italy.
Ann
Hi Liz,
Thanks!
Ann
I loved Alaska too
Went in June/July 2007. Oh snap, that means I actually went to Europe in Oct of 2006 not 07.
So no couponing with the Euro?