[Sage]

Originally Posted by Huz

Glad to be able to convert you. The landscape is breathtaking (although sadly it seemed to defy my photography skills in daylight). Not sure about the partying, but then I was very busy being knackered after spending all day trying to avoid the sun!

It looks beautiful, and not at all like I expected. Croatia it is, then.

Originally Posted by Huz

Sweden is an overnight ferry journey away (from Finland), a great experience in itself. Didn't dance the tango with any Finns, but I did meet a couple of Swedes who were emigrating to Australia and were determined to practice their English on me. Very civilised!

Hehehe! It's a good thing they didn't meet me...I'd have rendered their English incomprehensible in no time!
That's the part about travelling I like best: Meeting new people and making new friends.
For example, on my last trip an older couple mistakenly sat down at my table while I was getting a second cup of coffee at the breakfast buffet. When I returned they were embarassed and began to move, but I said "No problem! You're welcome to join me if you like". They took me up on my offer, and I got pleasant breakfast conversation and two new acquaintances quite unexpectedly and for free.
At the airport during a layover, there were no empty tables in the food court so I asked a guy by himself if he minded if I joined him. He didn't, and we soon got to talking as well. It turned out he represented the company that makes interior components for the Hyundai plant here in Alabama, and was returning to Mexico from Birmingham. Cool guy.
Then there are all the interesting people I've sat near on planes! So many stories to hear! Of course, I do respect the "cone of silence" if it's raised, but fortunately most people are more sociable than that.

Originally Posted by LenaJ

Just make those reservations! I´ll meet you at the airport and take you to lunch before you catch the ferry.

Awesome! That brings me to another point: There are any number of people here I'd love to meet in person if I were in their area. Is this a common attitude, or am I the odd man out?

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by Thrift Store Scott

Awesome! That brings me to another point: There are any number of people here I'd love to meet in person if I were in their area. Is this a common attitude, or am I the odd man out?

I'd guess that's fairly common, though I could be wrong.

[Talas]

I always wanted to go to Europe and I'm finally going this next month to Germany, I'm really excited

The next step would be Asia, maybe China or Japan. Or maybe I'll go south, to South America, my brother said that Argentina was really nice. Wow, now that I think about it, I have a lot of places I'd really want to go... too bad I'm poor

Originally Posted by Thrift Store Scott

Just out of curiosity, why not?

Shrug.

[Sage]

Originally Posted by SamNMax

Shrug.

That's more or less the answer I expected.
When you travel, you do get to see the up side of obsessive-compulsive tendencies (I have them too): There's nothing quite like the satisfaction you'll get from finely honing a list of everything you'll need for your trip, then checking and double-checking it at least fifty times as the departure hour approaches, unpacking and re-packing your suitcases again and again just to make sure that yes, item number 24 is in place and not forgotten, and the thrill of achievement as you crease each folded item just so, making sure that it is perfectly fitted to it's location inside it's bag and won't wrinkle in transit.
This is why I prefer early morning departures. I'm not going to sleep the night before I leave anyway, and later departures just mean more time to sit around waiting.

Originally Posted by Thrift Store Scott

That's more or less the answer I expected.

What do you want me to say?

[Sage]

Originally Posted by SamNMax

What do you want me to say?

You're trying to get me to channel my Dad, aren't you?

Oh, to be a teen again, huh?

:breakfastclub:

[Sage]

Originally Posted by SamNMax

Oh, to be a teen again, huh?

:breakfastclub:

Not exactly. One sure way to trigger a psychotic episode with Dad was to reply to a direct question with a shrug. "A shrug is not an explanation!" was one of his favorite catchphrases.
Imagine my dismay to almost hear his words come out of my mouth.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

LOL!! I just got this image of SNM interviewing for his very first real world job at some company...

Interviewer: "Well, we've discussed your qualifications and your degree, Mr. SNM. But let's be candid here. Why do YOU think you're the best qualified candidate for this position?"

SNM: *shrugs*





Two weeks later SNM receives the first of a series of rejection letters from companies contacted by him for application.

When you don't know, you don't know.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

*shrugs*

[NcroManiac]

Roskilde baby!

[Sage]

Originally Posted by jjacob

A friend of mine in the States and her sister biked all the way from NY to LA a couple of years ago, in 6 months no less! (not that they were in a hurry, that'd be a shame of a trip).

That does sound like a cool trip, and one I fantasized about during my own bicycling days. You'd have to be careful in planning the route though, as most major highways in the US don't allow bicycle traffic.

Originally Posted by jjacob

I think I'm going to do that one day - well that or just buy a crapcar for $1000 and sell it when I arrive at my destination

This is where truth gets stranger than fiction: My last night in Savannah, I met two guys (from Amsterdam, no less!) who were doing exactly what you describe. They had done this before, except with a more Northern route, and this time they were hitting all the Southern cities.

[Huz]

Originally Posted by Thrift Store Scott

This is where truth gets stranger than fiction: My last night in Savannah, I met two guys (from Amsterdam, no less!) who were doing exactly what you describe. They had done this before, except with a more Northern route, and this time they were hitting all the Southern cities.

Eh? I must be going mental or something, I can't see jjacob's original post.

Anyway, I'd love to do something similar. I hear that second-hand cars don't really depreciate that much in Australia, so it's quite possible to buy a car and sell it months later for almost the same price.

Don't imagine driving around Australia would be as varied as driving around the US, though, and I imagine you'd need to take more care.

[Sage]

Originally Posted by Huz

Eh? I must be going mental or something, I can't see jjacob's original post.

Huh? Oh...
Mea Culpa. Jjacob originally posted that in another thread, and I answered it here since it fit this topic better than that one. I think I left all the original text, but I did split it into two parts.

Originally Posted by Huz

Anyway, I'd love to do something similar. I hear that second-hand cars don't really depreciate that much in Australia, so it's quite possible to buy a car and sell it months later for almost the same price.

Hmmm...here, auto resale values vary greatly by region. Up North cars are cheap because of road salt and parking issues, whereas in the South cars last longer and hold their value much better. Still, late-model, low-mileage, Ford Tauruses can be had for cheap almost anywhere...not because they're bad cars, but because tremendous fleet sales (rental car agencies, corporate company vehicle programs, etc.) have saturated the used car market with them. As they're all well-equipped and pretty much identical except for color, buyers can pick and choose the best deal.

Originally Posted by Huz

Don't imagine driving around Australia would be as varied as driving around the US, though, and I imagine you'd need to take more care.

I have no idea, but I'd be interested to hear from some of our Australian friends about this.

[Karmillo]

I want to go down on history...

And I will! One day youll be telling your grandchildren all about Karmillo

[Jelena]

Originally Posted by Karmillo

I want to go down on history...

And I will! One day youll be telling your grandchildren all about Karmillo

If it makes you happy, I´ve already told my kids about you. That´s something...

[Sage]

Hmmm...did any of the rest of us rate a mention at the dinner table?

[Huz]

Originally Posted by Thrift Store Scott

Ford Tauruses can be had for cheap almost anywhere...not because they're bad cars, but because tremendous fleet sales (rental car agencies, corporate company vehicle programs, etc.) have saturated the used car market with them. As they're all well-equipped and pretty much identical except for color, buyers can pick and choose the best deal.

Nothing to do with this thread, but here's a tidbit I found amusing. The national AA driving school in the UK has a standard 'fleet' car for teaching in, the Ford Focus, and each Focus is replaced after just six months with a brand new one. The old ones have their dual controls removed but, because they have high mileage compared to cars of similar vintage, they're not sold off straight away. Instead, they're stored away for a year or two until it all evens out. Then they're shoved out through second-hand dealerships with no hint of their sordid past.

So next time anyone in the UK buys a second-hand Focus, just remember it may have had some n00b crashing the gears and mounting the kerb in it!

Maybe they do something similar for regular fleet cars, I don't know.