There's a photography contest at Condé Nast Traveler's website, and I have several photos I want to enter. I want to win. It doesn't have to be the grand prize (though that would be great), but any of the official prizes would do. It's not because I want the prize so much as I want the validation that I'm good at photography.
So I started to enter my photo of the rose in barbed wire from Stutthof, but part of the registration process is that you have to tell them what your dream trip is, so they can give it to you if you win (plus, it's 10% of the contest scoring).
I'm stumped.
I never thought there'd be a time when I wouldn't know where I wanted to go, but I don't. Right now, this trip with my mom is my dream trip, and I wouldn't want some fancy travel magazine to mess it up. So I'm going to have to come up with someplace else to go.
I suppose I could grab a place out of the air just for the sake of entering the contest, but what if I win? It could happen. And then I'd have to go wherever I picked.
So many places that I'd like to go are dangerous these days. I'd love to see the Holy Land, but not now. With Muslim immigration, much of Europe is seething, and I can't be sure when or where something will blow.
I doubt if Condé Nast Traveler would send me to Ghana on a missions trip, and at this point, I don't really feel led to go there.
So I'm starting to think about Scotland. I could see the Outer Hebrides and see the Isle of Skye again, this time hopefully without a gale storm. The magazine could supply me with a nice bicycle and put me up in Bed & Breakfast lodging throughout the Highlands and Islands.
Or maybe I could go back to France (avoiding the banlieux of Paris, where rock-throwing, fire-starting, rioting "disaffected youths" live) and do a canal barge trip that lets me cross a canal-bridge and see Carcasonne and see again some of the places that hold meaning for Christians. I'd have to practice up on my French, though.
And of course, I'd need a traveling companion. But that just gives me yet another decision to make. Should it be my daughter? My son? My sister? My mom? Any choice leaves other people out in the cold. This dream trip planning is tough.
I'll have to figure it out, though, because I can't not enter the contest.
4 comments:
I'm not a traveller, so you don't need to worry about me feeling left out... a worry no doubt leaning heavily upon your mind.
How about Australia? There are probably a couple sites there to gander over.
A cruise around Alaska is supposed to be nice.
How about the Galapagos off the coast of Ecuador?
Have you been to ireland?
Anyway, be sure to post the pictures you enter so we all can see them!
I have to agree with Chris. The first place that popped into my mind was also Australia. It really does look like a lovely country to visit someday, with plenty of variety.
Of course, what do I know? Most of my exposure to Australia has come in the form of watching "The Wiggles" with Emily. (In case you're not familiar, they're an Australian kids entertainment group.) Still, it looks nice. Of course, you might run into Jacob!
Or what about somewhere like Switzerland or the Alpine area? Then again, maybe you've already been...
Why not write about your (and Moms) dream trip driving around the good old USA in a RV? If you win they could at least by you the RV.
JT,
That's what I did. My mom already has the motorhome, but maybe they could buy our gas and pay for our RV campground stays.
Chris & Christina (and Jacob),
I have to admit I forgot all about Down Under when I was mentally scanning the globe for a dream destination. Senior Moment.
You can see my photo (and vote for it) here.
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