When talking about yourself, your likes, your interests, it always seems like the possibilities are endless for where a conversation can go.  Talking about trips you've taken or plan to take really let me get to know a person.

Some of the basics, I will share.

1.  Do they only talk of trips they've taken?  These, I call "glory day" people.  "Glory day" people are fun to reminisce with, but are rarely proactive individuals.  Their trips were most likely organized by other people as will be any future travels.  They'll jump on a bandwagon or a trip to Switzerland, but will let other people take charge in planning the arrangments.  "Glory day" people are laid back and really enjoy themselves while taking trips, so come back with lots of great memories and stories.

2.  Compulsive trip planning ring a bell?  "Doers" are proactive people who have a yen for travel as part of the things they do.  I confess, I am a bit of a doer.  I try to organize a trip jam-packed full of things to do, often needing a vacation after the vacation just to relax and catch up on sleep.  Vacation ideas will generally start with a central idea.  I want to see the Vatican City, perhaps.  Every trip will have a schedule.  Deviation from the schedule can actually cause nervousness and tension.  The trip will be something to remember, but "doers" are always planning the next big thing.

3.  Are trips planned adventures?  "Adventurers" have a broad timeline in which to get their travelling done.  This will almost always be a student, travelling all summer or going for a semester abroad.  General destinations are in mind, but activities at those destinations are not limited to a scheduled plan.  Arrive in Paris, the "adventurer" may spend four or five days exploring the city and museums, in contrast to the "doer" who would have museum schedules and days slotted for that explorion.  "Adventurers" really take time to do things thoroughly.  They may miss some things, but the adventures they have stay with them forever.

Clearly, I would love to be of the "adventurer" bent, but find myself more in the "doer" category.  I'm a very scheduled person, sometimes to the detriment of enjoying the moment.  Of course, it's hard to have the funds or the time to take the "adventurer" route.  Also, there is nothing wrong with going along on a trip you didn't plan.  Those "glory day" travellers have all the fun without the stress.  I've mentioned a few European vacations in my examples, but those are still trips being planned by me.

I have done several cross-country, exploring the USA type trips.

I went through 17 states once, all of the stops were scheduled.  We didn't stop at things like the world's largest Dinosaur exhibit, but Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Tetons National Park, the Grand Canyon, and things like that.  Pitstops, I would have enjoyed, include Mexico, Roswell, and the Alamo, but they put us off our schedule :)  I was not a planner on this trip, but thoroughly enjoyed it!

Washington, D.C. I explored for weeks on end during a summer.  Because this was done in much more of an adventure-style, I did not discover there was a two-three month wait for visiting the White House, one of the few things I wasn't able to do.  I did spend an inordinate amount of time in the museums though!

In my overseas travels, I've been to Egypt, England, and Ireland so far.  England and Ireland were separate trips, not combined.  I try to do at least one trip per year and finances usually keep me in the country, but travelling is a big part of my life.  I like talking to people about where they've been and where they plan to go, because it gives me ideas, too!

~Hasta luego!