Kendra and Joe Duggar 6: Sitting in a tree...M.A.R.R.I.E.D!

[AlwaysExcited]

I love traveling, but I haven't been on proper vacation for a while and probably won't be for a foreseeable future. This thread makes me both kind of jealous  and determined to get my shit together and earn some extra money. 

[nastyhobbitses]

I just did a big trip to London to see my boyfriend and go to my MA graduation ceremony, and that was a lot of money (and after that plus overhauling my work wardrobe, holiday gift buying, and campaign/hurricane relief donations, I think that I need to take a little spending break), so I think that I'm going to wait a little while before another big international trip, but for the next one I take (since I get a pretty good amount of vacation days), I'm thinking either Chile (Santiago, wine touring, and then some hiking in Patagonia) or Taiwan. Bucket list is Vietnam, Mexico (unfortunately, now may not be a very good time to go), Oman, Tanzania (Zanzibar in particular), New Zealand, and Mongolia. I would put Russia/the Trans-Siberian Railway, but I really don't want to go to Russia now. If/when I go back across the pond for the boyf, I want to do some stops in Paris, Basque Country, and (a bit further afield) Tallinn.

[SapphireSlytherin]

2 hours ago, nastyhobbitses said:

If/when I go back across the pond for the boyf, I want to do some stops in Paris

London to Paris on the Eurostar is fun. Booked in advance, it's fairly cheap, too. We've done several day-trips to Paris from London that way.

[cascarones]

We did NZ, Fiji and Australia off of a crazy groupon travel deal and had a blast. Our tour group at Hobbiton was composed of a bachelor party in costume, who were quite smashed, but tons of a fun. Auckland reminded us very much of Seattle, but I did have one of the best meals of my life there. Our next big trip will likely be China and a few other countries, depending on his work schedule then Scandinavia. He's abroad right now sending me photos of his ridiculous hotel, but alas, a 20 hour flight while pregnant to go somewhere where I can't wander without a male escort just didn't make sense. So I'm missing out on getting to wear a fancy hotel robe and I love those things. 

I personally love traveling and moving, it's so akin to falling in love. The excited awe, the puzzling and memorable missteps, settling in and finding your balanced routine. Noticing years later how you never quite got the sand out of your shoes.

[HarleyQuinn]

I love traveling, I'm heading to London next year and we're going to try to do one of those Eurostar Paris Day Trips while we're there. I know we will be rushed but rushed Paris is better than no Paris, IMO.

[SapphireSlytherin]

48 minutes ago, HarleyQuinn said:

I love traveling, I'm heading to London next year and we're going to try to do one of those Eurostar Paris Day Trips while we're there. I know we will be rushed but rushed Paris is better than no Paris, IMO.

Even rushed, you will have time to do at least ONE major Paris attraction (but not the Louvre because it's immense). Go on one of the earliest trains, and you should be in Paris before noon. If you want to visit the Eiffel Tower, go out the front door of the Gare du Nord (that train station is a PIT, but it's been cleaned up a little - although pickpockets/panhandlers/aggressive beggars are still a thing), and go to your left to get on the #42 bus. It goes right to the tower. I think the fare is €1 or €2. You'll have plenty of time, even if the lines are long.

Then grab your evening meal at one of the restaurants near Gare du Nord (they're all named Gare du Nord Cafe or similar, lol). Great moules et frites, washed down with a glass of wine. The train has a dining car, but the lines are frequently long and very slow-moving, so a bottle of water from Gare du Nord might be a good thing to have.

Security/immigration control as you go back in to the train station is a bit weird, as they only let you through about an hour before the train leaves. The waiting area on the secure side is too small, and it's hard to find two seats together. Food/drink is available there, too.

FYI:  Toilets in the Gare du Nord cost 20¢ Euro; at St. Pancras they're 30p.

 

[LurkerOverThePond]

I _love_ traveling, but I have to admit that Disneyland/World/Cruise would probably be my own personal Hell. I've never been a theme park person, and I absolutely detest large crowds. To each their own: you get Disney, I get deserted Scottish islands

[singsingsing]

3 minutes ago, LurkerOverThePond said:

To each their own: you get Disney, I get deserted Scottish islands

Oh man. Can I join you on the deserted Scottish islands? I mean, don't worry, I'll take one side of the island and you can have the other side.  That sounds like a dream destination! I was in Scotland about 12 years ago and I would absolutely love to go back. If I ever have the money to travel again, the UK will be my #1 destination. I loved it so much that I would rather go back there than go somewhere new.

I liked Disney World, but I was kind of miserable while I was there. I don't do particularly well in huge crowds. A cruise, any kind of cruise, would be hell for me.

[SapphireSlytherin]

I loved Scotland. I took photo after photo through the windshield of our rental, then from train windows. Such majestic beauty! I'd live there in a heartbeat.

Agree with cruises - never have, though, so the lack of appeal they hold for me is purely hate-based-on-assumptions. DH and I have kicked around taking a 3-day Mediterranean cruise, just to see if we'd hate it as much as we (both) assume we will. lol

[LurkerOverThePond]

4 minutes ago, singsingsing said:

Oh man. Can I join you on the deserted Scottish islands? I mean, don't worry, I'll take one side of the island and you can have the other side.  That sounds like a dream destination!

Just promise me to stay on your side  

If you ever get back to Scotland, I can't recommend the Outer Hebrides enough! They are absolutely s.t.u.n.n.i.n.g.

[Carm_88]

I know some people love it but I think Disney World/Disney Land would be hell on earth for me. I'd end up in a corner somewhere rocking back and forth. 

Somewhere, where I can get a bit of space is more my speed. 

[Flossie]

I think a European River Cruise sounds fun.

(https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/europe/index.html)

[samurai_sarah]

21 minutes ago, LurkerOverThePond said:

Just promise me to stay on your side  

If you ever get back to Scotland, I can't recommend the Outer Hebrides enough! They are absolutely s.t.u.n.n.i.n.g.

They are. But as a PSA: Please, pull over to let other people overtake. Or slow down, turn on your left indicator to let others know that it is safe to overtake. Please?

[SapphireSlytherin]

Just now, samurai_sarah said:

They are. But as a PSA: Please, pull over to let other people overtake. Or slow down, turn on your left indicator to let others know that it is safe to overtake. Please?

THIS! Dear god, the asshole drivers who just tootle along with a line of 30 cars behind them. There are pull-outs for a REASON.

[singsingsing]

13 minutes ago, Flossie said:

I think a European River Cruise sounds fun.

(https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/europe/index.html)

Oh man, this brings back great memories... I used to go over to my grandparents' every Sunday night to watch Downton Abbey on PBS. My grandpa was just as into Downton Abbey as we were. He had theories about the characters and everything. Anyway, every single night, the Viking River Cruises commercial played before the show. And every single night, my grandpa (who I'd like to point out does not have any kind of dementia or memory issues whatsoever) acted like it was the very first time he was seeing it. He'd watch it for a while, and then say, "River... cruise... Huh! Viking... River... Cruises... Wow! Would you look at that? That's something else!" I'd just sit there trying not to laugh. I don't know what it was, but if I ever win the lottery, I'm taking that man on a Viking River Cruise for sure.

[samurai_sarah]

11 minutes ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

THIS! Dear god, the asshole drivers who just tootle along with a line of 30 cars behind them. There are pull-outs for a REASON.

I know, right? If I had a penny for all the times I had to do an emergency break for someone stopping after a curve to take a picture, I wouldn't be rich, but better off. Driving in the Scottish Highlands and Islands is tiring. It's not a theme park. People actually live here, and are trying to get home. Or to work.

P.S.: I don't live in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, I just drive around there. A lot.

[JillyO]

Now that I'm moving to the US, I'm already regretting how little of Europe I've actually seen (having grown up here, I mean). On the other hand, now that I don't have to spend all of my vacation time and money flying to the US all the damn time, I can actually take vacations from there to other places. I'm really looking forward to visiting some Latin American countries. I think Costa Rica is on top of that list.

[SapphireSlytherin]

5 minutes ago, JillyO said:

Now that I'm moving to the US, I'm already regretting how little of Europe I've actually seen (having grown up here, I mean). On the other hand, now that I don't have to spend all of my vacation time and money flying to the US all the damn time, I can actually take vacations from there to other places. I'm really looking forward to visiting some Latin American countries. I think Costa Rica is on top of that list.

I apologize in advance for the culture shock you're going to have, with the living here all.the.time. When I moved back to the States after having lived in Europe, it took me YEARS to adjust.

We're actively working on moving back to Europe.

Vacations from the States to other places are incredibly expensive - flights are almost double the cost to certain places, compared to flights from London/Paris/Frankfurt, for example.

 

[JillyO]

Thanks! I lived in California before for about year during college, but this time definitely feels very different. You know, not really knowing if/when we're ever going back. We're also seriously downgrading our lifestyle from both of us working good FT jobs to Mr. O getting his PhD and me having to find a new job (currently waiting on my work permit to come through). So who knows when the next big trip will be in the cards for us.

[just_ordinary]

14 hours ago, neurogirl said:

I was very happy to see that Kendra did not say "obey" in her vows like the Bontrager/Bowers brides did. I know, horrible beliefs, but their wedding made me smile because they both seemed so gosh darn happy. Even though I hate the song Butterfly [...]

I am very sorry if I am going to crush your hopes but I am sure they cut out a lot from the ceremony. Compared to Erin Bates' wedding (of course this was some years ago) and other fundie wedding in their circle the wedding seemed too short. Well, who wouldn't cut this shit out? Wasn't it Pricilla's wedding where they had to state that they would "train up their children in Gods way"?

And make no mistake, it is very easy to even cut out single words without the normal audience realising it. That is why I don't trust any of the stuff we are shown (especially the "characteristics" they made up for everyone without a individual presence on Social Media, especially "Angel-Jana").

[AlwaysExcited]

After I made my post about not having money for traveling, a visitestonia.com ad popped up. 
Ok. Thanks for advice. 

[Georgiana]

I always thought "Viking" was maybe not the best name for a river cruise line that advertises itself as a peaceful, friendly, cultural immersion experience.  Because the Vikings DID take "river cruises", but they were hardly peaceful, friendly, or exemplars of ideal cultural exchange.  

 

[Rachel333]

I love traveling. I've been to 6 out of the 7 continents so Antarctica is my main travel goal right now, but there are so many other places I haven't been. After Antarctica, my other dream trip is Iceland. I've actually been there twice, but for only one day the first time and just three days the second time. That time I was on my own and wasn't old enough to rent a car, so I just did day trips from Reykjavik. The next time I go I'd really like to rent a car and drive around the whole island, and I'd also like to go to Greenland.

[MargaretElliott]

Gotta say, Harry Potter world in Universal as an adult is pretty great. Not gonna lie, I cried when I first stepped in to Diagon Alley. Walking into a world that had such a massive impact on your life... it was surreal. Then I spent the next few days being day drunk and having fun. The earl gray and lavender ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlor is incredible. Theme parks as an adult are even more fun than theme parks as a kid, especially if you avoid school breaks...

[GotCaughtDancing]

I'm guessing this should go here and I am sorry if it's already been talked about. I rewatched the clip of Jana playing the 'this or that' game with JoKen. I lost it and started laughing when she asked about eating at home or eating out.

Jana "Do you like to make dinner or eat out?"
Kendra "I think I like to make dinner"
Joe "Yeah, I like home cooked foods"
Kendra "the work is a lot less..."
Jana (interrupts) "yeah, when you eat out, but the quality kind of goes down"

Exactly where are these people eating that the quality would be less than tater tot casserole and BBQ tuna?