Vacations

[discojoe]

How do you plan these out? Do you do minimal preparations, like booking an hotel, getting the tickets, making sure you've got some money and then just wing it (pun accidental)?

Or do you meticulously plan out many activities, spend several hours learning the basics of the language (or several hours making weird bird sounds if going to Canada) and culture, learn what numbers to call police and such, and make sure you've got more than enough money for all activities and any emergencies?

You can also fall outside or in the middle of these two examples, but please share your vacation preparation styles.

Not sure why I'm posting this in Gamma, lol.

[Expat]

More like the first option, but it depends on how much time I have, how familiar I am with the place I'm going to, and how many things I already know I want to see.

For instance, the first time I went to Rome, there was so much I wanted to see, and they have crazy opening/closing times, that I spent a lot of time planning precisely what I was going to do and when.

[Elro]

How do you plan these out? Do you do minimal preparations, like booking an hotel, getting the tickets, making sure you've got some money and then just wing it (pun accidental)?

Or do you meticulously plan out many activities, spend several hours learning the basics of the language (or several hours making weird bird sounds if going to Canada) and culture, learn what numbers to call police and such, and make sure you've got more than enough money for all activities and any emergencies?

You can also fall outside or in the middle of these two examples, but please share your vacation preparation styles.

Not sure why I'm posting this in Gamma, lol.

More the first... Actually probably totally the first, although I tend to want to do the second but then get sidetracked and never have enough time (or sustained interest) to get around to it.

For instance, I'm leaving town in 3 hours, and still haven't packed. (Although I have thought about packing, and sort of know what I'm going to pack - since it's not much I'm being lazy. )

I don't like having an itinerary though - vacations are for relaxing, not forced fun. If there's something special I want to do I'll plan for it, but most of my time is open.

This might not be applicable forever since I'm not 100% out on my own yet - I might do more of the second when I move out on my own and can't slack off as much (without many penalties).

[emeye]

Vacations? What is vacations?

Oh, it's that time when I'm not getting paid. I am very carefully planning to avoid such periods. However, sometimes that is unavoidable (i.e. I have to get home between assignments, if for nothing else then to transport my stuff.) Forced vacations are especially bad: at such times, I am at home, minimizing my expenses, working on getting an assignment ASAP.

However, when I was an employee (long time ago) I did only the minimal planning, apart from having a place to stay, a way to get there and back, and enough funds on hand.

[liveandletlive]

i just make sure i can get there, how to get there and try to not miss my travel method. once im there i figure there's a lot you'll learn to do from the locals and such so it's good to be flexible and go in with no expectations. you can't get disappointed

[discojoe]

I'm the kind of person who gets anxious and over-prepares. Since my Ni only sees possibilities, but doesn't seem to filter any of them, I try to prepare for all kinds of disasters, with the exception of activities that I have a lot of experience doing, since I know what to expect.

The great thing about traveling with an ENTj is that I'd be able to rely on their Ni for the foresight to not worry so much, and they'd be able to rely on my sometimes annoying Se for direction on what to do. When I first met Joy in Fort Lolerdale, it was the first time either of us had been there, and I provided the "push" to walk around and see the city (we covered several miles on foot, and did a boat tour, which was cool) and she provided lots of fun commentary about what we were seeing that stimulated me.

[FDG]

It depends. I try to memorize roughly the map of the city and the locations of the main things I want to see, as well as the time of opening-closing of what I want to see. Then when I get there I decide what to do, depending also on whether I'm alone or with a travel partner.

[Expat]

she provided lots of fun commentary about what we were seeing that stimulated me.

That's exactly what I tend to do when walking into a new town with someone, some people have called it my "going into tourist guide mode". Relieved to know ESIs really appreciate it. That's precisely how I behaved when walking through Rome with an ESI.

[discojoe]

That's exactly what I tend to do when walking into a new town with someone, some people have called it my "going into tourist guide mode". Relieved to know ESIs really appreciate it. That's precisely how I behaved when walking through Rome with an ESI.

Yeah, I get bored with my surroundings unless I'm getting Te commentary or feedback from someone or something. Even if the Te is just conjecture, it gives me something to think about, otherwise I get quiet and seem angry.

Likewise, it's easy for me to form opinions about things once I get some "real" information, and ENTjs seem to like hearing that kind of Fi type stuff.

[Expat]

Yeah, I get bored with my surroundings unless I'm getting Te commentary or feedback from someone or something. Even if the Te is just conjecture, it gives me something to think about, otherwise I get quiet and seem angry.

Likewise, it's easy for me to form opinions about things once I get some "real" information, and ENTjs seem to like hearing that kind of Fi type stuff.

The kind of comment I was prone to made was more like, "hey, over there that's the spot where Julius Caesar was murdered, very few people know it" and "you know, Gore Vidal used to live up there in that penthouse" or "there's an inscription from Caligula's time there on that obelisk, let's take a look?" etc etc etc. Some people find it unbearable.

[Minde]

The kind of comment I was prone to made was more like, "hey, over there that's the spot where Julius Caesar was murdered, very few people know it" and "you know, Gore Vidal used to live up there in that penthouse" or "there's an inscription from Caligula's time there on that obelisk, let's take a look?" etc etc etc. Some people find it unbearable.

You do know that if I'm ever in England and you're still there, you are going to be my tour guide, right? There's really no room for question or argument here.

[discojoe]

The kind of comment I was prone to made was more like, "hey, over there that's the spot where Julius Caesar was murdered, very few people know it" and "you know, Gore Vidal used to live up there in that penthouse" or "there's an inscription from Caligula's time there on that obelisk, let's take a look?" etc etc etc. Some people find it unbearable.

That's exactly the kind of Te stuff that I like. I know that old buildings and landmarks are significant, but I don't feel like I can appreciate them until I know some trivia about why they're so important.

There was an old house near where I used to live where George Washington hid out to make battle plans during the Revolutionary War, and for a long time I only new that it was an historic structure. Eventually I bothered to read the plaque in front of it while riding my bike, and once I learned that Washington himself used the house, I had a much fonder appreciation of it.

Actually walking around with someone like that would make touring a lot more entertaining.

[Expat]

You do know that if I'm ever in England and you're still there, you are going to be my tour guide, right? There's really no room for question or argument here.

That's exactly the kind of Te stuff that I like. I know that old buildings and landmarks are significant, but I don't feel like I can appreciate them until I know some trivia about why they're so important.

There was an old house near where I used to live where George Washington hid out to make battle plans during the Revolutionary War, and for a long time I only new that it was an historic structure. Eventually I bothered to read the plaque in front of it while riding my bike, and once I learned that Washington himself used the house, I had a much fonder appreciation of it.

Actually walking around with someone like that would make touring a lot more entertaining.

Both your feedbacks mean a lot to me.

[aestrivex]

i would probably find wandering around looking at buildings where george washington hid out or inscriptions by caligula while listening to trivial factoids to be incredibly dull and pointless.

[Expat]

i would probably find wandering around looking at buildings where george washington hid out or inscriptions by caligula while listening to trivial factoids to be incredibly dull and pointless.

Sure, that's not the kind of thing your dual would be likely to do.

[aestrivex]

while in boston, on one of the days we all went as a group to some tourist walk around downtown boston -- including pitstops in some graveyard (i think paul revere and some other famous people were buried there) and in some kind of museums.

rick used the opportunity to say how Ni these experiences were and how much they made him think of the past. i remember mysticsonic and i were wandering around aimlessly with the group, wondering what we were even doing there.



ultimately after about an hour i started to ask around and found that no individual actually cared about continuing to walk around, but seemed to think that it was something that the group wanted to keep doing.

[Creepy-Cyclops]

I liked the capuccini..at least I believe thats how it's spelled. Was interesting to see the cistene chapel. What was your favourite part of rome?

[Creepy-Diana]

.

[liveandletlive]

regarding the expat tour haha- when i went to paris my dad's LIE friend showed us around and taught me more than a tour guide probably would as well as ordering for us in french and making our trip to a foreign country a little less foreign seeing as he's an expat himself haha. yeah i think LIEs would be the best tour guides. if expat's there sign me up!

[Snakeingrass]

I don't really plan for vacations beyond the really critical things, which are few. I can get packed quickly as well - it's easy since you don't really NEED anything except the holy trinity of traveling - Wallet, Passport and Phone.

On the matter of guided tours - I hate them with burning passion. When I travel, I want to EXPLORE, not be spoon-fed information. I can read that in a book - when I'm actually there, I want to see things that are NOT in the books.

All that said - I don't think I'm really fond of traveling. It's not a goal in itself for me. If I have to go somewhere, I'll make the most of it and have fun though.

[Joy]

The kind of comment I was prone to made was more like, "hey, over there that's the spot where Julius Caesar was murdered, very few people know it" and "you know, Gore Vidal used to live up there in that penthouse" or "there's an inscription from Caligula's time there on that obelisk, let's take a look?" etc etc etc. Some people find it unbearable.

Yes, that sounds like me, except mine had less to do with ancient historical eras (I don't know much about Ft. Lauderdale ) and more to do with the buildings and other things we were seeing.

[discojoe]

Yes, that sounds like me, except mine had less to do with ancient historical eras (I don't know much about Ft. Lauderdale ) and more to do with the buildings and other things we were seeing.

Yeah, I was going to say, Joy's comments are more related to architecture and landscape.

[Joy]

And what people are doing and why they're doing it.

[force my hand]

If I'm by myself, I sketch out a loose plan for the day, and end up following very little (or none) of it. I like the day being able to 'breathe'. I may do the one 'big thing' I have planned, and find unexpected things that spiral out from it.

If I'm with others, I usually make no plans at all because I find everyone's got their own ideas of what to do and when to do it, and since it's 'new' to me, I'm more than happy enough to tag along. Unless, of course, it's something like we're at a ski resort and they want to spend the day shopping in a mall. Then I'll cut loose.

[Expat]

I liked the capuccini..at least I believe thats how it's spelled. Was interesting to see the cistene chapel. What was your favourite part of rome?

It depends on what you're doing and when.

- just to enjoy some peace and quiet and relax: some benches under trees on the Capitoline Hill, close to the Tarpeian Rock
- alternatively, at the top of Castel Sant'Angelo
- to spend some time walking: either on the Palatine Hill, or down the Appian Way; or down the Via Giulia; or in the area near the Panteon
- for budget dinner: a place called Il Domiziano, just off the Piazza Navona

Some people like the Trastevere, and it's the area where the true Romans go at night -- but it's too noisy for me, usually, and "look I'm so fashionable" as Italians like to be.

I know Rome very well, but I have no intention of going back there in the foreseeable future.