Wednesday, September 9

Vacation/Travel...NOT

Before we get started here, I'd like to apologze to Alyson, Amanda, Jessica, Kay, Kelly, Linda, Liza, Melissa, Sara, Sara, Stephanie, Teri and Wendy. Have I got everyone covered? (Double-checking the TFC sidebar.) Yup, I do since I don't have to apologize to Lauren seeing as Lauren is me.

I'm apologizing for being remiss lately. I have absolutely read and been entertained by your blog posts here, cheered your successes here and elsewhere, but I've failed to take that extra step of vocally commenting or cheering, because I've been a little self-involved lately - even more so than usual - and that's because...CRAZY BEAUTIFUL came out on Monday!

Terrific, now that the mea cupla and the obligatory self-plug - darn, that sounds dirty - are out of the way, we've got another hurdle. You see, I've been assigned to write about Vacation/Travel this week, and the problem is...I didn't go anywhere this summer! And I refuse to use the word *staycation* - outside of having just used it but that was only so the rest of this sentence makes sense - because that word annoys me. In fact, it goes right in the bin with other odious verbal constructions like "teachable moment" - bleagh.

So what shall we talk about?

I know! We'll make this mercifully short. I'm going to name one city/state and country I traveled to in the past and loved and one state and country I've never been but would love to go to. And then you do the same. If you're really feeling creative about it, you can tell us why you're so passionate about those particular places, but don't feel you're required to strain yourself - clearly, I haven't been feeling that requirement lately!

OK, here is self-absorbed me going first:

(I can't believe Blogger doesn't have a way for me to underline things!)

OK, here is self-involved me really going first (having decided bolding things will work almost as well):

A favorite city/state I've been to: Seattle, Washington. Mountains, water, tearing a king crab apart like a crazy woman.

A favorite country I've been to: Iceland. Waterfall, geyser, volcano, falling off an Icelandic pony.

A state I am dying to go to: Well, I don't know about dying, but I would like to see South Dakota. Shouldn't someone really want to see South Dakota? And isn't that where the Badlands are? I think I belong in the Badlands. Yes, thank you, Wikipedia, they are in SD. And so's Mount Rushmore. I thought it was but didn't want to speculate before checking Wiki because then I might expose myself as being geographically stupid. Oops. I just did.

A country I am dying to go to: Greenland. I see no reason to explain myself further.

OK, your turn, if you'd care to share: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THAT YOU'VE LOVED AND WHERE ARE YOU DYING TO GO?

Be well. Don't forget to write.

12 comments:

Wendy Toliver said...

Iceland! Cool!

I have been to SD, and the Black Hills are so pretty.

My favorite places are Costa Rica, Hawaii, Alaska, and Paris. I really want to go to NZ (waving to Sara H and Amanda) and Scotland.

Wendy Toliver said...

oh and huge congrat's on Crazy Beautiful!

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Thanks, Wendy! From your list, I've been to Hawaii, Alaska, Scotland and France (but not Paris), would love to go to Costa Rica and NZ.

Alyson Noel said...

Well, HUGE CONGRATS on CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL--you know how much I loved it!

Let's see- I've been to pretty much all the states in my flight attendant days--but I really love NYC, Chicago, Hawaii, and New Orleans.

As for countries- I love Europe in General, love Marrakech lots, and would really like to go to The Seychelles, and Tahiti, and Thailand . . .well, pretty much everywhere!

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Alyson, I'd forgotten about your flight attendant days. Put it like this: sometimes I have trouble remembering my own resume!

Sara Hantz said...

No need to apologise, Lauren, you're entitled to be self involved every so often, especially when you have a book coming out!!!

I LOVE so many parts of New Zealand (does it count because I now live here).

Can't wait to go to New York, Austria, New Caladonia.... loads of places...

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Sara, thanks for absolving me. It is good, as you do, to love where you live. :)

Kay Cassidy said...

Congrats on the release of Crazy Beautiful, Lauren! My favorite vacation was at a resort in San Juan. Gorgeous and so relaxing. I would love to go to New Zealand... mostly to see Amanda and Sara. :-)

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Kay, thank you! And I love San Juan! Maybe we should organize a group TFC trip to NZ? :)

Stephanie Kuehnert said...

Lauren, we are so alike!!! My favorite place in the US is Seattle and I'm also dying to go to South Dakota! I seriously wish I could sneak away on a road trip there.

And congrats again on Crazy Beautiful and you are so absolved for being busy. It happens to all of us!

Oh and dream places to go? Hawaii in the US and Scotland outside of it. And NZ and Australia. Seriously TFC NZ trip, I'm totally in.... going to get a lottery ticket so I can afford it!

Sara Hantz said...

WOW a TFC trip to NZ now that would be the coolest thing ever!!!!!

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Stephanie, I've been to Seattle three times. Each time it rains as my plane lands, begins raining again when my plane departs...and is sunny with 75- 85-degree temps in between. I think the Mayor of Seattle should pay me to come more often.

Sara, wouldn't it??? And you wouldn't have to go anywhere!