Tag: tourist

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

I’ve been stalled in writing because I am waiting for my mind to thaw, and my fingers feel like stiff little icicles that do not want to be separated from each other. I feel guilty living in Florida and complaining about the cold, but it is currently 46 degrees outside which is typically unheard of in our neck of the woods. And my husband and I are incredibly stubborn. We won’t turn on the heat pump unless things become dire. We don’t like the smell of burnt dust. I read something on the internet that said that those of us complaining about the cold, just can’t wait for the days that we can complain about the heat. Yes, that’s about right.

When I was in my twenties I had a boss who liked to ask quirky questions. She once asked whether I would prefer to freeze to death, or to be overheated to death. While I pondered the question (and also why she was asking it), she mentioned that freezing to death is actually a very calm, gentle, easy-going death. I never asked her how she knew this, but I never forgot this particular moment either. When I think about this now, I honestly pick “neither” forms of death. I pick neither.

I always feel bad for people from up north who come to Florida in December and January and end up coming in to visit us during a cold spell. The stubborn disappointment is palpable. Everyone seems to think that Florida is always sweltering because they once went to Disney World in July. These defiant winter tourists still wear their shorts and t-shirts and flip-flops and they pretend not to notice that their toes are turning blue. And of course, we overly dramatic Floridians are bundled up like we are about to ascend Mt. Everest, as we layer on every old coat which we have ever owned (“it’s a good thing that I kept my high school ski jacket for days like these”).

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Here is the question of the day from 3000 Questions About Me:

1987. How do you feel about photography?

Turned On By Off

“You avoid the overcrowding of tourist locations by traveling in off-season.  That is now one of the major rules of smart travel – go when the tourists are NOT there, and even though you may have to don an extra layer of clothing, you will enjoy the sights and the experiences at the destination in the way that they were enjoyed before they became so well-known.” – Arthur Frommer

My husband and I have taken a couple of these romantic, long- weekend trips this year and we’ve ended up in major tourist areas, in their off-seasons.  I would like to pretend that this is because we are smart travelers like Arthur Frommer, but truth be told, these time periods were just the best for our family schedule.  However, we have found that the above statement is the absolute truth.  Our trips have allowed us to enjoy long conversations with locals – these conversations are rich with stories and anecdotes, history, and good tips and ideas about the best-kept secret spots, of the locale.  We haven’t had to wait in long lines for anything. We have always gotten tables at the restaurants we have wanted to try and rooms in the places that we have wanted to stay in.  We have gotten our souvenirs at amazing, discounted prices and we even have gotten access to private beaches and farms that would never have been available to us during the prime season.  The best part is that the locals actually seem to like us, because they have forgotten how annoying, brash, and demanding, the tourists can be during the height of the travel season.  We have had the space to breathe and the peace of mind that comes from this space, to really soak in and savor our adventures.

So what this tells me, is that there is another perk of aging, and that perk is the freedom to do more travel, and to do it with a little more wisdom and panache.  In writing this blog, I’m starting to come to the understanding that there really are a lot of good things that come out of being more seasoned, aged and ripe, in life.  The Second Half isn’t half bad!