Nothing better to do today

[gwyn]

... than the Friday five, and to wish lovesbitca a happy natal day -- I don't know you yet but have read your LJ for a long time, so happy b-day!

1. What's the last place you traveled to, outside your own home state/country?

Outside the state and country would be my last trip to Vancouver, BC in Canada, about a two and a half hour drive from Seattle. It's one of my favorite places to go, and it's like taking a mini-holiday abroad, because it's so very familiar in being somewhat Americanish, but mostly different, with its huge past influences of Britishness, and now the influx of people who've moved from Asian countries. Wonderful, cosmopolitan city, and you can go hunting for filming sites for all kinds of fannish TV shows.

2. What's the most bizarre/unusual thing that's ever happened to you while traveling?

I don't think I've ever actually had anything truly bizarre or unusual happen besides the usual stuff that happens to many people (although probably the cross-country saga of my suitcase that the Paramount Hotel in NYC gave to someone else and its misadventures on its way back to me makes people laugh, even though I still can't laugh and it upsets me too much). Mostly what happens to me is annoying and frustrating and sometimes downright tragic. I have bad travel karma, but it doesn't stop me from going places.

3. If you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go?

The UK, as always, because it has my favorite places. The Continent, everywhere even up to Russia, because maybe if money were no object, I could get someone to come with me that way, and I really don't like travelling around a lot of places alone -- it gets lonesome. I'd love to see Japan and Thailand and Viet Nam, though I'm not sure how well I'd do over there. The Caribbean -- Belize and then all those magnificent islands, Curacao and Antigua and all of that.

4. Do you prefer traveling by plane, train or car?

I love trains, but they're not always practical. I adore the trains in the UK. And I despise, loathe, abhor, hate flying. Hate hate hate it. I used to love it when I was younger, but a near-miss accident at LAX and being ten feet tall and trying to cram myself into a flying Vienna sausage can has made me despise it, and I'm getting more and more afraid as I get older. Hate the lines, the security, the scariness, the cattle-car treatment, everything. I feel like an animal in a cage. So cars! I love driving on long road trips.

5. What's the next place on your list to visit?

I'm heading to Chicago next week for Vividcon, the vidding fan con. I've never been to the Windy City before; it's one of the few places in the midwest we never traveled to as a kid. I'm sad that I won't see any of it as I'll be out at a hotel by O'Hare, but if I'm lucky and my plane isn't late, my friend will pick me up and take me to her house in the 'burbs, and I'll at least get to see where she's lived the past ten years.

Comments

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

I adore the trains in the UK

What have you been smoking, and can I have some?

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

LOL -- I knew someone from the UK would take issue with that. Seriously, though, if you've ever taken trains in the US, you'd understand. They suck here. America is such a car culture, and such a flying cheap culture, that the train system really suffered for it. It's slowly getting better, but not by much. The West, where I am, has little train service and not much choice, and it costs as much if not more than flying. In the UK, at least, the last time I was there, they went to lots of places, were relatively on time, cleaner than the trains here, and didn't seem to constantly crash. Big plus, to my mind. ;-) And I admit I also haven't taken them outside the main part of the country, they could be terrible in Ireland, etc., and worse now years after the privatization.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

it costs as much if not more than flying.
::cough::
cleaner than the trains here
::splutter:: My god, I didn't think they could get dirtier than here.
didn't seem to constantly crash.
Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha!
They can't because they don't go fast enough! Leaves on the line stop them. A tiny sprinkle of snow stops them. Heatwaves stop them (20mph!). Everywhere else manages, why can't we?

worse now years after the privatization.
You have no idea.
If you want to spend a fortune, standing on a crowded train for hours without refreshment, get a British train!
There are nice trains, but they are the tourist steam trains in the nice bits.

[superplin.livejournal.com]

On one of my first trips to Italy, I was walking down the street in Milan early in the morning. An African man stopped and asked me for directions, which I unfortunately couldn't give him since I wasn't familiar with the city at all. I was only passing through on my way home.

After about two minutes he takes this huge package he'd been carrying under his arm and thrusts it at me, insisting that I take it. Inside was an elaborately embroidered satin gown, which he said was the traditional garb in his home country, and he absolutely wanted me to have it.

That's my one bizarre traveling story. (Oh, and that same day, except by then it was night, a guy in some tiny town in the Netherlands gave me a mix tape for no particular reason. I've never received so many gifts from strangers as I did that day.)

I hope you get at least a drive-through of Chicago next week, it's such a neat city. Are there no con-related outings planned at all?

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I really wish there were some trips, but if I'm lucky and can grab someone and make them take the El into the city and just look at the lake, then I figure I'll be lucky. Friday was the day I'd hoped to sightsee, but the only panel I'm running is then! So bummer. I won't have a car, unfortunately. Outside of my little drive through suburbia, I may not get much else. Cons suck that way.

My friend and I travel every year to LA for a slash con, and we always plan extra time around it to see a part of LA that we've never been to before. It's really fun (and how we got to run into James Marsters!) and kind educational. I wish I could have afforded the Chicago trip, and done that.

[tiashome.livejournal.com]

I love Vancouver too -- it's so beautiful nestled between the mountains and the ocean. The exchange rate makes it a wonderful bargain too -- I try to visit a couple of times a year ;-)

you can go hunting for filming sites for all kinds of fannish TV shows.
Did you find any good ones?

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

you can go hunting for filming sites for all kinds of fannish TV shows.
Did you find any good ones?

I've seen mostly Highlander and X-Files sites, though we've never gotten close enough to location filmings to see anyone through the cordoned off areas. But I can point out Skinner's apartment building and a number of other XF sites, and my friends always point out the Sentinel hot spots (I never watched the show, so most of them escape me). On my last trip, friends went scouting for Stargate sites, but I didn't participate since I know next to nothing about it. I want to look for some Dead Zone places next, though. I never get tired of it -- I used to go up about every three months, now it's way too long in between trips. Sigh.

[buntyw.livejournal.com]

"If you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go?

The UK, as always, because it has my favorite places. The Continent, everywhere even up to Russia, because maybe if money were no object, I could get someone to come with me that way, and I really don't like travelling around a lot of places alone -- it gets lonesome. I'd love to see Japan and Thailand and Viet Nam, though I'm not sure how well I'd do over there. The Caribbean -- Belize and then all those magnificent islands, Curacao and Antigua and all of that."



I saw that you'd like to go to Japan & Thailand - that's where my son Chris has gone (he's off round the world with his backpack) and I've started to log his journey in my LiveJournal. He's only been gone a week, but I've had two emails from him already. Sounds like he's having the time of his life. Not that I'm envious at all.

Oh, & by the way, I went to Antigua for my hols this year - if you can get there - go. It's wonderful.

I always read your LiveJournal (I used to really enjoy the crits of Buffy - although being a Brit, I had to read them when they were a few months old! Agree with them or not, they were always thought provoking and in such great depth)

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I've only been to one place in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and I loved it. I so want to go back and go to the less traveled islands. It's so exotic to a northwesterner, with our rainy Seattle weather and the perpetual forest green. And thank you for the compliment -- it's always such a surprise when people tell me they enjoyed the reviews, and it just makes me feel really good.

[barkley.livejournal.com]

It's difficult for me to send e-mails from home this weekend, so this seemed like the best place to put this: Can't wait to meet you at Vividcon!

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Me too! Me too! And I can't wait to see what you bring to the con!

Don't forget, dinner's on me one of those nights!

[claudia-yvr.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're a fan of Vancouver, as I happen to be likewise enamoured with Seattle. The two cities are so similar yet very different. Don't hesitate to give me a shout next time you're in this neck of the woods.

One of these days I'd love to travel from Beijing to Moscow by train, stopping off in Mongolia. I almost went in the mid-90s, but ended up travelling through SE Asia instead. That trip just captures my imagination on so many levels. I also want to travel across Canada these days, going from coast to coast.

I can't believe I missed this Friday Five, because travel is my absolute passion.

Incidentally, BIG congrats on getting published - that's fantastic news!