Friday Five for a Monday morning

[scarlettina]

1. If you had a year off (with pay, to make it interesting), what would you do with it?
First thing that came to my mind was get in my car and travel the country, the most massive road trip ever. There are so many places I want to see that I never have, and I have friends all over the country so it wouldn't be a solitary trip. Of course, I'd want to travel overseas as well; I'm not nearly done with international travel. But I have neglected seeing the US and the number of places I still want to go is huge: the Grand Canyon (which I'll actually be seeing in the spring), Red Rocks, Big Sur, Devil's Tower, Mt. Rushmore, the Big 5 in Utah, Crater Lake, the Newseum in DC, Nantucket, Fenway Park, Ellis Island (yeah, typical New Yorker), Kennedy Space Center, the Everglades and on and on and on. . . .

2. What are two things you would do to improve the country if you were in complete charge?
Single payer medical insurance. Democratic president.

3. What three TV shows do you like watching?
Very different question than what are your favorite shows; interesting way to put it. I like watching Project Runway though I haven't in a while, Game of Thrones though I'm a season behind, and Downton Abbey.

4. What are your four favorite ethnic dishes?
Lasagna, chicken tikka masala, phad see eiw.

5. What are five words you love to use?
Hilarious, bananas, booby (as in blue-footed).

Comments

[spikesgirl58]

I agree - I would love to travel and there's so much of the US I've still got to see. Yeah, it would be nice to have the time and money to see the country properly.

Like your choices for words! Booby is such a fun word. :D

[scarlettina]

I'm pretty well-traveled internationally and I've seen some of the US, but a road trip, for me, defines American travel. It's not just about the destinations; it's also about what you find along the way. To me, that's how you see the country.

[spikesgirl58]

There are still plenty of places for me to visit, but there are still parts of the US, hell, there are parts of my own state that I haven't visited.

You are right when you say that travel is not merely the destination, it's the sights, people and experiences along the way that make it so great.

[garyomaha]

I think of you as quite a well-traveled person, so I was amazed to read that I've been to some of the places you haven't yet visited. On the other hand, I'm sure the reverse list (where you've been that I have not) is more impressive.

[scarlettina]

As I said to the commenter above, it's really about seeing not just the destinations but all the stuff along the way. It's true that there are vast swaths of the country that are desert or just fields of crops, but there are also the serendipitous encounters that sort of define American roadtrips that I would hope for. Regarding your comment about the reverse list, well, I don't think of it as a competition. I've just been fortunate enough and ambitious enough to have the resources and the will to get to some of the places I've gone. I've prioritized it for myself. I'm virtually certain you've done things I've dreamed about but never managed.

[garyomaha]

>>it's really about seeing not just the destinations but all the stuff along the way<<

That's essentially one of my mantras and why I enjoy taking the train or a car infinitely more than taking a plane. (That, and the legroom...and I have short legs!)

[summerstorm]

I've never been to the US or done a road trip before but if I make it there next year (it's a big if, but there's a reason to go) I'm hoping to do a West Coast trip from LA to Vancouver on my way out and back to Spain. I wish I could do more than that because most of my friends are on the East Coast but seeing as even going there is still a big if, I'm not thinking about it too much, lol.

[scarlettina]

Be sure to stop in Seattle! You'll have at least one native guide (shhh--don't tell my New York family and friends that I called myself a Seattle native). Hope you can do it!

[summerstorm]

Oh, Seattle is like, my #1 priority stop, haha. It's tied with Tacoma mainly because I have a long-time fandom friend who lives there, and I really want to meet her. I've always felt really drawn to Seattle. Just seems like the kind of place I'd actually thrive if I lived there.