Vacation
Believe it or not, I thought about you guys quite a bit as I strolled, soared, and occasionally flew upside-down through the various parks that comprise Disney World. So much to share. But in such a way that you wouldn’t yawn and look longingly toward the door like polite guests who really just came for my terrific meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I finally decided I’d give you the highlights like this:
- Surrounded by fascinating accents and foreign languages, I was too intimidated by potential rejection to just out-and-out ask, “Where ya from? Because you sound so freaking cool!” Seriously, only a geek would ask such a thing, right? Or maybe a serial killer. Either way–nobody who’s gone to all the trouble to get a passport and fly clear to America is going to give some weird redhead the time of day when she’s gushing about their accent. Are they? So I just enjoyed the sounds–like music to my Midwestern worn ears–and wondered if these people were from the same part of Europe as Carolin, or Phoebe, or Gareth. Or if they came from Australia like Tez. I heard some French speakers too. All of it–lovely.
- Chocolate milkshakes taste a hundred percent better when you’re hot and tired.
- My migraine medicine works really well, but despite its help I cannot ride roller coasters endlessly now like I did when I was a kid. Dammit.
- Cinderella’s Castle makes me cry.
- All shows are more fun when little kids watch them with you.
- Teenagers on vacation should never be spoken to until after noon. Or, if you just have to, at least pump them full of caffeine before attempting logical conversation. Mine are into the fancy coffees. Probably because I don’t drink coffee. Ever.
- My favorite ride: The Haunted Mansion
- My favorite show: King Arthur & the Holy Grail (street performance in the United Kingdom at Epcot)
- My favorite souvenir: a copy of Mary Poppins Opens the Door
- Hubby’s favorite souvenir: a beer stein from Bavaria
- Cool occurrences: I met three young people from Morocco, one of whom set me straight about some details that had confused me for a book I’m writing set in Marrakesh. They were so sweet! Also had two people give us their fastpass tickets so we could ride the Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster without waiting forever. Learned how to draw Donald Duck. Ate like a starving woman and didn’t gain a pound. Got to hug Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too. Finally got to ride Mission Space.
There’s more, but I can see your eyes are beginning to cross. So now it’s your turn. Tell me something memorable that happened on your last vacation. Where’d you go? Or where would you like to go next? Can’t wait to hear your wonderful stories!
This entry was posted on Sunday, June 29th, 2008 at 9:52 pm and is filed under Musings . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 30th, 2008 at 5:44 am
That the Australian accent could be music to your ears makes me want to liberate you from your sheltered life
Sure is lovely for you to say it, though – you’re a gem 
Is it strange that my idea of a vacation is having the house to myself? Don’t underestimate it – I love the freedom
Have a lovely day!
June 30th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Nope, I can visualize your vacation plans easily! One question–does the music go on uber loud first thing?
June 30th, 2008 at 9:01 am
To be honest I think one of my favourite holidays was going up to Scotland for a few days to have a look around. I have been to places like Luxembourg and Belgium and to be honest I really wasnt impressed with Paris. (Mind you I did spend a certain amount of time looking round places like Pierres La Chaise (its an interesting graveyard as well as doing untouristy things.)
Other than that I’m like Tez, I love getting the house to myself and blasting my music as I get on with the odd jobs. However accent wise I think it depends who you hear, for example a lot of people have “Phone” voices whilst others just speak as they would in everyday life. Accents can be completely weird at times as you wouldn’t believe the differences from county to county. But then again I suppose the same could be said of stateside. Maybe we should all send Jenn MP3′s of our voices so that she can start collating as well as working out tours in the relevant countries. LOL
June 30th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Actually, you’d be surprised by how friendly most people are when travelling! I travel alone a lot (I know – I look like a 14 year old girl and I travel to different continents alone – maybe not the best of ideas?) and everyone is happy to talk to me. In fact, I have on occasion just turned back to someone and asked where they’re from. That happened today on a train when I was “escorting” a particularly clumsy friend of mine from London to Oxford. Two little girls ran up to my American friend and asked her why she’s not English.
I guess my last real vacation was when I went to NY for my birthday! It was much fun. I went with my mum, though, and she was like a petulant child on the first day. I remember when I was like eight years old and I didn’t wanna go out at night on holiday, and I’d drag my feet, pout, whine and generally be annoying. That’s just what my mother reminded me of!
Funnily enough, I was thinking about you the other day when I was queueing for autographs at a Stargate convention. I remembered you mentioning you might be doing some signings, and tried to visualise you on the other side of the table!
June 30th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Traveling with moms can be a challenge! But it sounds like yours worked out once mum got acclimated. And I should just relax and not assume I’m going to offend a stranger by speaking to them. (But here, you really do have to be careful sometimes.)
Hopefully I will be on the other side of your table someday. But it looks like the book signings will be limited to America for the time being. Thanks for thinking of me though!
June 30th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Oh, I remembered that they were America only. In my daydream it was in the middle of a holiday to the US! LOL. I dream about holidays a lot. Then usually take them.
June 30th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Got to go to Australia for a family wedding earlier this year sans hubby and kids, was great, wish it had been longer, and my mum didn’t give her opinion on everything I did/ate. Actually, once mum had headed off the other direction, my Aunty and I were into the nearest bakery for cream cakes LOL.
Went to Disneyland as a kid and loved it. Loved the US. Got asked everywhere, where are you from, love the accent
Mind you, US customs on the US/Mexican boarder cannot tell the difference between part Maori (think Cliff Curtis) and illegal mexican immigrant on false passport…..
June 30th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Penny, you’re brave to go to Mexico. I have nightmares about getting stuck there–don’t know why. I’m pretty pasty and not easily confused with natives from anywhere, except maybe Ireland!
Your Australia vacation sounds fun. Bakeries are my second favorite kind of shop–next to bookstores.
June 30th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
firstly i loved the way you described your vacation, i felt like i was almost their minus the blistered feet and long cues…fantastic!
my favourite holliday would have to be when i went to Vanuatu when i was in year 10. we went over there to Penticost island which is a more remote island to help the villiage that lived their build some new dormitries so their children can go to school. (without them the children would have to go home and work) It was life changing stuff, you come home and appreciate all the little things that they don’t have.
For instances our last week their the whole island had a flour shortage…no flour ment no bread…we never ate real meat over their (unless you count cat and bat…) and the children were fasinated by our wrist watches of all things.
But it was beautifull the first week it rain everyday exactly at 3.00pm and when the sun set it was the brightest red i have ever seen, i witnessed a volcano erupting on another island and discovered that at there school there is a section where they have to speak english only! i felt proud…i would do it again in a heart beat!
June 30th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
That sounds absolutely amazing, Nikki!
July 1st, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Ooooh, your holiday sounds like wicked fun.
I’m currently in work mode, but really really want/need to take a holiday. I’m kinda craving sun/beach and sea. I haven’t been near the ocean in so long, that I almost forgot what it’s like. It’s always been a dream of me to live close to the sea, but the closest I am right now is the little creek running through our town!
France would be nice. Anyone wanna take me?
July 1st, 2008 at 4:27 pm
next time i go your all invited lol
July 1st, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Carolin, I was just thinking that I might have to find a seasoned veteran to travel with me on first trip to Europe because (1) I don’t speak any languages other than English and a few words of Spanish and (b) I would probably unwittingly do something to offend someone important over there which would ruin either my life or career. So if we go to France, we gotta get a third. Do you suppose Thierry Lhermitte would be free?
July 1st, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I love disneyland! No matter how many times you go or how old you are it is always fun. My family goes on a yearly vacation to the Tahyua River in Washington. We usually take all of our horses and camp out in the woods with a bunch or our friends and thier horses. This yearly event started out as a 4-H camp out but it got to complicated with all the rules so now its just friends. But we get the whole horse part of the campsite to ourselves, get to sleep in, ride and enjoy everyones company. We leave next week for the ’08 camp out. I plan to take all of the Jaz Parks novels and read them again while listening to the river.
July 19th, 2008 at 5:03 am
Well, I don’t know if this counts, but i’m on holiday (sort of), and something random happened last week.
(It’s ‘sort of’ because i was born here but i live in britain – born in china)
anyway. my aunt, uncle, mom, step-dad, cousin etc. all went to buy coffee. the nescafe dried stuff. i don’t really know why it takes 5 people to buy a jar of freeze-dried coffee, but apparently it does. so i was left sitting in the car, listening to a really weird radio station, and then i realised we were parked perpendicularly right behind an enormous mercedes trying to get out onto the road. that was when it started backing towards my side of the car, and i was like, OMG. but then two 20-something-year-old guys got out and tapped on my window, looking kind of agitated, so i opened the door and said ‘Sorry i’m in your way’
(now i will have to use letters to represent me & them (m & t) – you don’t really have to carry on reading; the conversation is quite long – rest assured that my aunt’s car is not in any way defaced and i have not been sold into child slavery)
anyway. on with the conversation.
t: could you move the car please.
m: what?
t: please move the car.
m: i can’t drive:
t: you can’t DRIVE?!
m: i can’t drive.
t: you can’t DRIVE?!
m: no.
t: what do you mean, you can’t DRIVE?!
m: I CAN’T DRIVE, COULD YOU PLEASE WAIT FOR 5 MINUTES SO MY AUNT CAN GET BACK TO MOVE THE CAR.
t: but you could move the car.
m: I AM 14 YEARS OLD I CAN’T DRIVE.
t: listen, we have to go, like, now.
m: well, i can’t move the car.
t: you mean you can’t drve?
m: no…
t: hey, look, you don’t have to be able to drive, it’s an automatic – all you have to do is press the gas pedal and go.
m: i’m not allowed to drive it – it’s not mine.
t: we could drive it for you.
m: IT’S MY AUNT’S CAR AND YOU ARE NOT DRIVING IT.
t: but you’re already IN the car – YOU could drive it.
m: it’s my aunt’s car, she doesn’t let me drive it, and besides, i can’t drive.
t: you can’t drive?
m: i can’t drive. just…wait for FIVE MINUTES. PLEASE.
and then, thank God, my aunt returned to move the car, therefore saving me from another conversation where i will no doubt experience deja vu.
July 19th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Okay, I’m thinking that’s definitely one for the diary! Can’t believe those dudes still wanted you to drive after they heard your age! Geez! Glad you’re still in one piece!