i am, i suppose, a true voyeur at heart. i read fodor's compulsively for over a year planning my trip to paris in march. my next trip will probably be to a tropical locale, so i am now checking the latin america and caribbean forums. in all honesty, though, the europe forum is much more fun and exciting. i spend an embarassing amount of time reading every word y'all write. and i do mean EVERY word! so thank you all (and damn you a little!) for bringing europe into my life several times a day!

Author: tedgale
Date: 04/06/2005, 08:36 pm
Message: Before I found Fodors, I had self-confidence issues, too.

Now, after posting regularly on Fodors, I have become an opinionated, self-aggrandizing bully.

I cannot thanks Fodors enough.

Author: Scarlett
Date: 04/06/2005, 08:45 pm
Message: tedgale, face it, you are a sweetheart and no one believes this bully business!

That's what I love about this board. There is always someone ready to give you an argument! ;-)

Readysetgo I posted the same day that I found this site. I did not know what I was getting myself into! You on the other hand went in with both eyes open.

Watch out for the auto-spell check, they're a bi#@H!

I am not the greatest writer either. We can support eachother. Plus there are so many others who are gracious and supportive! Ignore the ones who aren't.

Looking forward to your posts!

dsm22 Oh my gosh, you are so brave. I have been skulking around this forum for 3-4 years and just got my courage up. I am so addicted to Fodors': I Love, love, love it.

guykb--Fodorhism is not an illness. My friends and family did an intervention recently to tell me I'm in denial about Fodorhism and I need help. They don't understand, I am NOT an addict and I do NOT have a problem.

For me, it's a way of life. Every time I enter this board, it's either to plan a trip or to travel vicariously through another Fodorite. I'm not an addict, I'm just a recreational user of this board.

Readysetgo, I look forward to reading your posts. Be advised that when you start using too many silly icons in each paragraph, you'll know you're REALLY hooked. Welcome. ><

P_M =D>

I'm a self-admitted addict, too, and as far as I know there is no cure. And if there is a cure, I don't want to know about it.

Welcome, readysetgo. It always weirds me out a bit to realize there are a LOT of people reading these dialogs that usually seem to be going on among a few dozen people. I can't imagine just lurking -- it's much more fun to participate!

ThinGorjus - you're really Zsa Zsa Gabor, right? C'mon you can tell us....

Oh good, new blood. OK, I am addicted as well...with no intention whatsoever of attempting a cure.
Also, (and I think this is a weird and possibly incorrect observation) this "forum" is like a contentious family at a holiday dinner. People are getting to know each other (within this anonymous limitation) and are somewhat comfortable with each other. It is fun. I don't think there is too much malice ... but there are lots of "I'm right...you're wrong and I'll correct you"...and another who'll poo-poo the right one's answer, then there are the slap-downs...then the gracious reconstructions. And the spelling police...my favorite.

I lurked for years before signing up. I have gleaned so much good advice from here as well but this upcoming bike tour trip I am taking has me in new territory since I have never taken an organized tour of any kind. I am really glad for the help.

In case anyone is wondering, readysetgo is no relation to me or ms_go. Not that I'm aware of, anyway.

Oh, and welcome aboard, rsg. If anyone ever gives you attitude over your computer skills, writing style or spelling, I've got your back.

I look forward to your Rome report!

We are leaving (on a jet plane...la la) tomorrow and I will be cold-turkey on Fodors for a couple of weeks. Oh wait - that's where we're going - cold Turkey...

One needs to <i>Step Away from the Computer, Sir...</i> every now and then to get back in touch with - er - travel. It's what we do here when we're not banging at the keyboard talking about it or planning it or obsessing about it or...

Allaha ismarladik!

I, too, lurked for awhile and then got brave and starting posting. A group of five of us (four who have never been to Europe) will be leaving in 35! days for two weeks in England and Scotland, and I've used information from this board so many times that my travel companions are going to get tired of me saying, &quot;Well, the Fodors site says....&quot; And the funny posts make my day. Where else can I read information on tipping pilots (laughed my a** off) and Gardyloo's report on his night on France's train system? Thanks to everyone!

Gardyloo,
I find that even when traveling, without access to a computer, I have a running dialogue in my mind of what I will post on Fodors when I get home
(I am too far gone for a cure)

Fodors: where else can you get Travel information, read great Trip Reports and find good recipes while being informed of just how Truly Fabulous one really is? And who is having a baby when??

<font color="red">Welcome to Fodorville <font color="red"></font></font>

Welcome, rsg.

I had thought I might just be a voyeur but this forum is so good I just had to join in. I can't imagine how I would manage without it. I am leaving for Milan, Venice, Rome, Tuscany in 5 weeks and 3 days (I&quot;m not counting or anything!!), and I am now stressing about not having enought time to review the HUMUNGEOUS amount of info. that I have downloaded from this board. At this rate I will need an extra suitcase just to carry my notes, (joke). Yes, I know I will have to cull it, but I want to take it with me and re-re-re-read it all!! (By the way how do you put those cute icons in), excuse my ignorance!!

oh readysetgo, never fear... my first post was so poorly written! I was trying to ask if my husband would need to wear pants (which are warm to wear) into the Vatican... however, my wording was &quot;does my husband need to wear hot pants?&quot;

welcome to the wonderful world of fodors. like many others here, i don't know what i would do without my daily visits (except when i'm traveling, then i go cold turkey).

sure it's great if you are a swell writer, or if you are actually planning a trip, know the correct answer to a question asked, want to post a detailed trip report, and spell like a dictionary...

BUT you don't have to do or be any of that!

You only need to like to read &amp; talk travel, hopefully getting out to actually do some now and then, have a sense of humor, and (I notice this trait in most regular posters) have really really strong opinions about everything in the world that you are just waiting to share with us!

bienvenidos.

TG, you lost me ... you said husbands?

But, Mimi, your spelling is the pits!!