"Traveling" Topic

I am not a traveler. I am an anti-traveler. My wife loves any excuse to travel, but she keeps it to a minimum because she loves me.

Our daughter was living for years with her boyfriend. Last April they "tied the knot". Now she is planning a marriage "reception" of some sort for the time between Xmas and New Years. In New Hampshire (my son-in-law's parents' home). Remember last winter in New England? Holy, crap.

Our daughter and her husband live in LA. Why not there, ferpetesakes???

I am already beside myself with the prospects. I've clearly stated all of my objections: hating to travel in the first place; the expense; the imposition upon family to find a place to stay; hating motels/hotels (also, that expense thing again); hating short trips for the exhaustion; hating long trips for the boredom and imposition on others. What in heck are we supposed to DO for a week? What are our son-in-law's parents supposed to do with us for a week? My wife loves long trips. But she realized that "down one day, reception for one day, return one day", is the most likely way to keep me from freaking out. She has her work cut out for her. I don't have to do a thing except go, and pay for any expenses, of course….

My younger son and his wife had their wedding at Estes Park Col. December 20th, OUTDOORS! I kept dropping hints about sunrise weddings in Florida or sunset in San Diego. but nooooo!

Temps in the low 20s but it was doable. You'll survive and have built up some "remember when I agreed" chits to call in for the future.

The trick is to find something interesting for you to do.

My last two visits back East ended up being at the same time as Historicon and Fallin. The trip to New Orleans was in time for Colonial Barracks.

The older I get the less I like to travel. I have been all over the world but now I find it to be just a hassle.

If you have to go and pay for a lot, you might as well go all out and treat yourself and your wife with shopping, restaurants and looking for hobby stuff.

Money, it all comes down to living within your means. And we do not have money for junkets. Our daughter celebrating her marriage where her new in-laws live is one thing, turning the ordeal into a shopping, restaurant-hopping spree, while looking good in print, does not translate into reality for this boy: I actually don't like eating out much in the first place, have very conservative tastes in food (don't like experimenting with food), and have zero interest in looking for new hobby shops. This all reads as though I'm a dull or even a dead stick. I accept that. It's my rant, though….

Maybe you should gently discuss with her things like "Winter in New England", and "Lots of bad weather and stuck inside", and mention the words "Stir Crazy" and "Cabin Fever"….

Murphy, I did a brief version of exactly that last night. I finally admitted to myself that I am just going to have to face up to being a disappointment to my daughter. I'm not going outside during the winter anymore than I absolutely have to in order to meet survival needs. So, I am not going to New Hampshire or anywhere else during the winter. I reminded her of last winter, touted as the worst (in places) within living memory. She said, "Are you saying that I shouldn't go either, Dad?" Not at all. I'm only giving weather and time of year as two of the several/many reasons why I won't be attending any "get to know the other side of the family" occasions, for now….

She said not to worry, that it's okay if I don't go to see her in-laws. She will plan some other future time when the families can get together. At a more friendly time of he year. Where we can "meet" instead of one side of the family having to do all of the traveling, etc.

"I look forward to New Hampshire and snow," she said. "It will be a contrast to LA. But I can see how you wouldn't be attracted to that since you see plenty of snow already."

My daughter is a rational, reasonable, fine woman….