Today I was flipping through the travel section of the Washington post and noticed some "getaway fares" for last minute trip ideas. One struck me as interesting, not because the deal was so great but because of the destination itself. It was a getaway to Amelia Island off the Florida coast.
Amelia Island, sweet name - sounded like an ideal getaway. Kind of romantic, even.
Oh!
Now, I remembered why Amelia Island sounded so familiar to me.
I was living with a man years ago, and our relationship was pretty serious. I remember asking him one day, if we could go anywhere for a little weekend reprieve, where would he choose. He never looked up from his computer, as he answered, "Amelia Island. I went there with my ex-wife once and it was one of the best trips I've ever had. Have you ever been?"
Just as casually as if I had said, "Could you touch me here, my first boyfriend used to do that, and I found it quite pleasurable."
Men, don't do this. Do not ever suggest that your current love interest travel with you to a destination that you have shared romantically with another woman. If you do not understand why, I cannot explain this to you. You really need to revert to, "How to Date 101", but let's say, you will likely be single soon again and not have to worry about it.
This is not only terrifyingly morose, but just plain tacky. It has occurred to me that some men (this one fell into this category) are not trying to be hurtful, but are simply unoriginal. It has never occurred to them to do anything other than what they have done before. It was not their idea then, nor do they have an original idea of their own, so they fall back on old stand-by's. What worked then...
I have seen this in dating scenarios. We all know guys that take women on the same first date over and over again, because it worked once. This is not the same. By the time you are traveling together, you have built a relationship of some sort. This is not a meet-and-greet, this is a lifetime/relationship, memory building event. Make it original.
Now, the how-to.
For those men (or women) who have no idea how to plan something, or come up with a fresh romantic idea let me give you a few pointers.
1) Pick up the weekend newspaper, open it to the travel section and read. I know, it's crazy.
2) Turn the tele from ESPN to the Travel network and wait for something interesting (to you) to pop up.
3) Surf the web. There are many travel resources. Every travel channel and magazine has a web presence. Use them.
4) Spin a globe and put your finger on a location. I mean if we are reaching, why not give 100%. Be as random as random can be and possibly have the perception of looking "interesting" or "adventurous".
5) Call someone who's been somewhere. This one may be hard, but if you are that guy that has only been one place with one girl, there has to be someone in your network who is that same guy, but hopefully went to a different place, with a different girl.
6) Ask a parent, or an aunt, or a cousin. Someone in your family must have a special place they have been to, or at least heard about in the last decade.
7) Think about the foods you like to eat. Where do they come from? Is this someplace you could visit with a loved one and enjoy?
8) Start with your interests. Are you a skier? Do you need a little sand on your ideal vacation? Always wanted to learn how to dive? These are great places to start thinking about where you want to go.
9) Look at your pet in the eyes for a curiously long time, until something interesting comes to you. It works. Especially if you have fish.
10) Ask a travel professional. The right person will dig long enough and deep enough to get the answers needed to find a good location. And hiring a third party always gives you someone to blame when you hate it. Hopefully, that will not be the case.
No comments:
Post a Comment