The Travel Bug – Where Are You Dying to Go?

Finally! Back from the Dominican Republic and poking my head up above the chaos of “normal” life!

Seriously, I think life parks itself on a darkened street while you’re on vacation, storing up a wide assortment of challenges and curve balls, and then bombs you with them all the minute you touch back down in reality. Alas, I’m digging my way up from the rubble and dusting myself off.

My official Dominican analysis: Lovely beach, glad I got the stamp in my passport, but rates about a three on a five star scale. (AKA – Not a repeat destination.)

We storm Mexico (Playa del Carmen usually) on an almost yearly basis, unless we opt to try out some new, sunny destination—as was the case this year. When it comes to best of all worlds, Mexico’s damn hard to beat. It’s close (for us, anyway), it’s freakishly affordable, beaches are nice, and most folks are not only nice, but will jump quickly to earn your repeat business.

The Dominican Republic was beautiful, but the biggest thing missing was the happy attitude. The people were friendly, but I came I away feeling more of a bothersome gnat than a welcome guest. Considering the trip took a few more hours and a sizeable chunk more on dollars, I’d rather stick with Mexico. (Or Aruba. It rocks too.)

The biggest positive of this trip: I want to go to Europe even more than when I left.

Thanks to the many books I inhale and fantastic authors who’ve painted glorious images of far away places, I’ve gotta hella-long list of European locations I want to see with my own eyes:

• Ireland
• Scotland
• England
• Italy
• Spain
• Greece

Not sure if this will surprise you or not, but the one unique, Caribbean aspect to my DR trip was the European presence/attitude. My writer persona gawked and soaked up every nuance and loved every minute of it.

Most notable – Their comfort with body image.

Hell, if I’m honest, they seemed far more laid back about just about everything. All I’ve been able to think about since then is how it would feel to be immersed in that attitude and experience even more of their cultural differences.

What about you? Where do you dream of escaping to? Or have you already been on your perfect vacation? What made it special? Did you go alone? Or did you take friends and family with you?