Friday, 11 June 2010

Fly away home


We've all been on journeys of discovery to far flung parts of the world.
Before University, after University, after years of money saving.
Now executives love talking about holidays, it is far more interesting than talking about the new eggshell white that has been slapped up in reception.
But holidays are different to longer 'travel trips' or 'gap years'. A holiday is a break from the norm, an escape, a limited opportunity to relax and enjoy somewhere new.
A 6 month trip around SE Asia and Australia is not a holiday. Getting all watery eyed about that night spent under the stars in Cambodia, surviving on packet noodles for 3 months, or getting locked up in a Slovenian Jail is not a story for work colleagues.
Worse still, these post-uni serial travellers tend to team up in the office and proceed to talk very loudly over each other for 50 minutes about where they went, and why they are so good. Its like the terrible antipodean trend of saying that you have 'done' somewhere.
ah yeah? I did Italy, I did France, I've done Europe. Ticked it off, I did Florence.
Did you see the statue of David?
Yeah I did David, tick.
Europe - check, Africa - check, America - check
There are maps online where you can shade in the parts of the world you have been to and tell all you mates. Its like some awful online game of Risk where you can pretend that you are some 21st century version of Alexander the Great, just because you bought a plane ticket when you were 18.
If somebody mentions the danger word 'travel' rather than holiday you know you are in trouble. You don't want to have to sit through the photographs, so get out quick. Run away from that conversation and close the door quietly behind you.
Have a great weekend.