How do you travel? Via fact or fiction?

I just returned from a vacation that made me so tired, I needed a vacation to rest after returning home. That’s nothing new, as I really can’t recall a time when a vacation actually meant relaxation. My husband and I are the same in that regard, thankfully, or I doubt we’d ever enjoy vacations together. 

Inside the Venetian at Las Vegas

When I think back to some of the vacations we’ve taken, I can probably count on one hand how often the bulk of one day was spent doing nothing. Why? Because there’s always too much to see and do! I can rest when I’m at home, but when I’m in places like Mexico, or Alaska, or Hawaii, or taking a road trip, whether it’s through three states or even up to ten, I don’t want to assume that I can bypass something that interests me or the rest of the family because we can always see it “next time.” 

My most recent trip was to Las Vegas – a place I haven’t visited in quite awhile. It really hasn’t changed all that much and I don’t know if I expected that it would have, but it was nice to return to find that it was still familiar. The one thing I do not miss about Vegas is the desperation emanating from so many, not only from those who visit but also from those who live and work there. But besides that, it’s still a fun place to visit and play, and where you will get more than your fair share of steps in every single day.

If you’ve never been to Vegas, you may not feel you’re missing out on anything, or maybe you secretly hope to see it someday. Honestly, I could describe what it’s like to vacation in Vegas, but it wouldn’t take the place of seeing it for yourself.  

New York New York from the strip

For those who don’t travel, whether due to financial reasons, health reasons or because other obligations prelude them from even attempting it, they might not ever know what it’s like to visit Las Vegas or Hawaii or Alaska, or foreign areas such as Mexico and beyond. Their only experiences of such places may be limited to photos and descriptions from others. Of course, there are some who just have no interest in traveling – like my in-laws. They were farmers, had little interest for much beyond the farm, and the furthest they traveled was to California or Oklahoma to see family. That was by choice, as they really had no interest in seeing new or foreign places.

But for those who do wish to see new places, how do they explore if they aren’t able to set foot outside their own state line? If someone isn’t able to travel, and they also have a love for books, they will most likely read about it. They will find authors who plunge characters into plots taking part in areas of the world they are interested in reading about.  Sometimes, stories will wrap you up with memories of a place so vivid you can no longer resist the idea of seeing it for yourself if given the chance. Before I visited New Orleans, I read Interview with the Vampire and The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. I’d already had an interest in seeing New Orleans, but after that, I just had to see it for myself. When a conference was scheduled to occur in New Orleans for private investigators, I jumped at the chance, and the city did not disappoint me.

Gaining knowledge from the experience of others might be insightful and exciting to hear about, and reading books by an author who can describe a character’s surroundings so vividly can be fulfilling to some extent, but I hope everyone gets a chance to explore someplace new at least once in their lifetime. I don’t believe anyone will ever regret taking advantage of living life and seeing new things when the opportunity presents itself. When I think back on the amazing places I’ve visited, I feel very blessed for the experiences and for the memories that will always be a part of me.