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I just
finished reading a CNN.com piece about the newly-coined staycations
some Americans are opting for during this time of high gas prices, low
dollar exchange rates, and air travel miseries. The writer interviewed
several people, including one Connecticut man who has converted his
backyard into his own Neverland vacation land, complete with swimming
pool, pavilions, mini-barn, and other things to help him get away from
it all without really leaving home. Cost: $30,000 over six years. Others
interviewed included a young woman looking forward to exploring her new
hometown, Chicago: seeing local sights, visiting area museums, and
shopping at local malls. The young lady conceded, however, that she
would continue to check her workplace e-mail daily despite being off
duty.
THE DELIGHTFUL TENSION
OF A FIRST DATE
When it comes to vacations, Ive traveled and Ive stayed
home. Travel is better. Staying home has always resulted in taking on
some project: painting the porch, plumbing a bathroom, sealing the
driveway, overseeding the lawn. Travel never means performing chores
regardless of the irritations of security checks at airports and lines
at the car rental depot. Even the sweatiest masses of humanity crowded
into annoying lines at the airport cannot ruin the promise of adventure
that being at the airport means. Being underway even while waiting
three hours in an uncomfortable airport passenger lounge comes with
the delightful tension of a first date, and with much better odds for
success.
SAME OLD, SAME OLD
What about that Connecticut Yankee with no intention of ever
traveling to King Arthurs Court? Seems to me hes put a lot of money
into creating his own virtual reality: a backyard thats more
Playstation than vacation. Okay for him, I guess. But I bet he receives
lots of friends on hot, sunny summer days, and far fewer guests when the
weather, and the pool, are less inviting.
Creating your own virtual reality, it seems to me, is a poor
alternative to changing ones actual reality. A man cave may be right
for hermits, but has little to offer in the way of new experiences and a
change of scene.
How about the young Chicago woman with ambitions to be a
tourist at home? I wish her well, of course, but I fear she may get
trapped into painting, plumbing, sealing, or overseeding, even if she
can avoid the quicksand of the company e-mail. And, as for shopping as a
vacation activity: if you like American shopping malls, you probably
dont mind airports.
ITCHES WITHOUT SCRATCHES
Real travel costs real money more now than last year, and,
almost certainly, more next year than this. Not traveling costs, too,
and not all the costs are financial. If you have real travel itches,
virtual travel offers few scratches. Disneys Epcot Center in Florida
and Busch Gardens Europe at Williamsburg, Virginia, are to real
European travel as a music box is to the Berlin Philharmonic. One
provides minimal, mechanical music. The other provides magical,
memorable Music.
NO REHEARSAL
I have a friend who has reduced his personal philosophy down
to a simple sentence: Life is not a rehearsal. Simple, yes, but also
bold, brave, daring, existential, pro-active, and unafraid. And,
potentially, hugely rewarding.
--------------------
Ron Fahnestock
Editor
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