The disenchanted traveler rants.

Dear ABC executives,

I love to travel. Let me clarify… I love to travel by airplane.

I love airports, layovers, and the Admiral’s Club. I love quick meals from some kiosk in terminal D and sodas from the clunky beverage cart. I love overpriced magazines charged at the watered-down version of Barnes and Noble and reading the Safety Cards placed in the back-pocket of every plane seat. I even don’t hate standing in security check-point lines (noticed I said “don’t hate” – that’s a far cry from love). I know, I know… I’m the perfect traveler.

But lately, I’ve started to let disappointment creep into my travel experience. And I blame you. 

Move, learn, eat, now buy a one-way plane ticket to anywhere.

“3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage… all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ….into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films…..” - MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo

Go watch the other two videos – if afterwards (or during) you don’t get the sudden impulse to buy a plane ticket to somewhere you’ve never been, then I don’t know if I can be friends with you…

Oh and guess what. This whole video project is one big advertisement for STA Australia. I think these guys were worth their money.

Tag, you’re it.

via A Collection a Day, 2010

have been traveling a lot this semester; I started in New York, NY (where all great things start) moved to Columbia, MO and have been everywhere from Lubbock, TX to Tempe AZ, to Denver CO, to Sanibel Island, FL.

While sitting in an airport terminal today I realized something, I LOVE the process of traveling (and traveling itself, obviously). I like being in an airport wheeling a carry-on behind me. I feel important. I feel adventurous.

And… while sitting in the terminal, I realized something else – I was kind of bored… hence this post. I found this blog a while ago, it posts one “collection” for each day of the year. I found Day 265 to be just the right image for me… maybe in a few years my bag tags will be that international, for now I’m okay flying domestic.

(drop cap art from dailydropcap.com)

I’m leaving on a jet plane.

ou should never stop answering the question: What do you want to be when you grow up? I fully believe the moment you stop answering that question is the moment your dreams die (ok, a bit dramatic, I know). When you were a kid, no one ever expected you to answer it logically (probably why my answer of ‘writer’ always worked when I was little… not so funny now is it Mom and Dad?). But as you grow up people judge your answer by its plausibility, security, and social acceptance. I know where my limits lie, but that doesn’t mean I can’t plan for an ideal world…

It's a good thing I like airports.

So, what do I want to be when I grow up? Easy. A jet setter.

If I was a jet setter this is what my weekend would look like:

On Saturday I would fly to Santorini and check into a hotel with a room like this,

I would open my balcony door to see this,

I would wear this vintage suit, carry this bag, and hide behind these,

I would spend the afternoon by this beach and the sun’s dying hours by this pool,

I would meet this (or this) man for a dinner and look this glamourous,

I would take him to a local place and we would dance till dawn.

On Sunday I would camp out at this cafe and read this book,

And on Sunday night I would look this good on my red eye to Charles De Gulle or JFK, because every good jet setter knows Sunday night must end and Monday morning must begin either in Paris or NYC.

Sadly I am not someone who gets the pleasure of connecting flights and stamped passport pages (yet) – but this weekend have no doubt that I will pretend to be. I’ll substitute island shores for Central Park and I’ll wear my Ray Bans purchased in Chinatown. Fake it till you make it, right?

(Drop cap art from dailydropcap.com)