Marina- <BR> We spent 9 days in IRL at Eastertime and spent just over $3000 (including airfare for 4). My co-workers routinely spend over $5000 on a week at Disneyworld, but give me the reverse elitist routine to me- like going over-seas is only for the independently wealthy.

We travel a lot, particularly for our ages (26 and 30), and we live in Shanghai. So we deal with the if-you-mention-it-you're-bragging every time we're back in our hometown. It's gotten to the point where I just don't metion it at all or tell people when it's necessary that I live "out of town". <BR> <BR>The saddest example I have is from a few years ago, when I returned home after living in Paris for a year. My cousin first said: "That's so COOL - I've told all my friends that I have a cousin that lives in PARIS!" Then, she got quiet and said, wistfully, "I've always wanted to go to Paris . . . " <BR> <BR>Now, this was a girl who was maybe 20 years old, and she was saying that in the same tone of voice she would use to say: "Gee, I really wish I could have met Marie Antionette." To her, it's just SO far out of the range of the possible for her that I am sure she will NEVER go. Granted, she did NOT have a lot of money, but she was not living in poverty, either. Even $5 a week will get you to Paris in a couple of years.

Didn't you know that for most Americans there are no other continents or countries outside their own ? Add this to the fact that 80% of Americans do not have a passport and that will explain the blank stares.

How about..."so where are you going this year????? in a negative tone...as if traveling is a bad thing. I say to those that say that America has enough things to see ...that i've seem most of it(17 states) and NOW it's time to learn how the other people in the world live...

Took a weekend trip to Paris from the US last year. The comments before I left: "the jet lag will kill you", "it's not worth it, you'll be too tired to do anything", "a weekend isn't enough time", etc. <BR><BR>They were washing their cars on Sunday, I was in Notre Dame. Who was laughing? That would be ME!!

leaving soon for uk for a month with my three kids 9 and under and one teen i borrowed to help -- people do occasionally that i am brave to travel with that many alone or it sounds like work -- my eighty year old mother says it scares her one days she's not wishing she had enough energy to keep up with the kids for a month -- but even my ex-wife hasn't made a negative comment about the concept .. <BR> <BR>spend more time talking with positive people!! i think i get positive responses because i find negative conversations about anything of little interest and don,t usually participate. <BR> <BR>travel on and enjoy? <BR>if one has to ask why you travel , you cannot explain it to there satisfaction. just say thanks for m,sharing asnd send them a postcard from someplace nice

A colleague of mine's (British)husband won't go "abroad" as he's seen it on TV and doesn't like the look of it! He lives on the south coast and can SEE france. <BR> <BR>A lot of us brits are quite like this in that we will go "abroad" only if it is guarenteed to be like england with sun (eg the spanish Costas with Lineker's bar, fish and chips, english pubs, sunday roasts etc. Just like blackpool with sun.)

<BR> <BR>I'm a midwesterner who has lived in England for nearly 20 years. Brits often ask me, "Why do you want to live HERE?!" <BR> <BR>One guy even asked me if I had a criminal record in the States or something! <BR> <BR>Sheesh!

At a dinner recently i mentioned I was going to Paris. The woman across the table asked me if I spoke French! As it happens, I don't, short of rusty high school stuff. But I don't feel it necessary to become fluent in a language before travelling. I can always sneak into the bathroom to check out my phrase book so no one sees me. A joke.

When I come across people like these I ask them if they ever plan on leaving their little bubble? :0)

People saying " Why would you go to Europe when you haven't seen all of the Us yet" is a little like saying "why would you get pregnant when there are so many children who need a loving family". <BR>Can anyone say personal choice, and hey, it may be an interesting one.

Has anyone else ran into this scenario: you are with a group of people, perhaps at dinner, and one person starts bragging about where they are going on vacation (or their expensive car, or how much thy make). First of all, they seem to think you should really care what they are doing (what they drive, or how much they make). Second, they get really disappointed when no one ooohs and aahhhhs about their life.

My husband's boss has routinely teased him about being a "man of the world"-- his way of saying all that travel is okay for you, but I like what we have here. However, he recently took his first European trip-- it came up because of business, but he added on some other locations. He came back awestruck at what a great place it was. I'm sure he won't stop visiting national parks and US historical sites, but he now knows that there are great reasons to see the rest of the world as well.

<BR>"Yeah but have you seen the Grand Canyon?" <BR> <BR>"I went once but I dont ever want to see another Cathedral or museum" <BR> <BR>"Arent the French rude?" <BR> <BR>"Do you have friends there?" <BR> <BR>"Do you speak the language?" <BR> <BR>"How do you know what to order in a restaurant?" <BR> <BR>"Yeah but I bet it feels good to get back to the good ole USA" <BR> <BR>"Do you realize what wonders this country has to offer?" <BR> <BR>"Werent you there before?" <BR>(All Europe) <BR> <BR>When pressed I never tell people where I am really going--I tell them England and that seems to be all right with them. <BR> <BR>AH

Oddly enough, the very people who do the "why visit overseas; isn't there enough to see in the good ole U.S. of A.?" haven't actually traveled in the U.S. of A. <BR> <BR>Overseas travelers, on the other hand, think nothing of flying to Seattle or Minneapolis or Cape Cod for a long weekend.

I think it is a problem with geography taught in schools. <BR>We were newly arrived in Florida from Australia when a 25 year old asked where we were from. "Australia". After explaining where Australia was, she said "You sure learned to speak English well". <BR>For the 40 year old who traveled now because she would not be able to later; we are 70, trekked the Annapurna ranges in Nepal last Christmas with our three adult children; backpacked in S.E.Asia two years ago for three months. You are never too old for adventure.

Rachel, I had the exact same comment from the postal clerk when I tried to mail a Christmas card to a friend in Northern Ireland. How funny. <BR> <BR>Well, I agree with Al; some people are very content (afraid?) in their own little world. It's crowded enough outhere without more travelers, so I look at it as a blessing.(just keep your comments to yourself, please). I've gotten to the point where I mention an upcoming trip to my friends who travel and stay mum with the others. You should've heard the reactions when we we went to Syria with a stopover in Beirut! ( although, that is understandable) By the way, my parents, in their late eighties now, still travel, and have NEVER been anything but enthusiastic about my travels abroad. It's people my age that are critical of it. <BR> <BR>Michele

Either "Slovania" nor "Sylvania" do not exist in Europe! <BR> <BR>Maybe you were talking about Slovenia or Slovakia? <BR> <BR>I'm sure you think it's about 1 hour driving from Paris or Madrid or wherever suburbs... (as seen on TV) <BR> <BR>Why would I get to USofA again? <BR>I did twice, and what I can say is that they've got much bigger hamburgers than we do have in Europe, but the most disappoing experience (on an european point of view) is having to drive thousands of miles just to see the same houses, cars, malls, ways of life, (un)culture, McDos, outdoors, indoors , same bbqs and crappy tv-channels everywhere... <BR> <BR>I'm sure it's a good way of life to defend, by chance they saved our asses in "le normandie" and "le france" and la croissant whatever... <BR>when Hawaii was attacked by the Japanese... <BR>One thing worrying me is that I now wonder wether NYC is a part of America or a kind of hybrid Paris-London exported there... <BR>Just because I really felt home in NYC, and just noticed beefs in any other part of the country, uh sorry the "land" <BR>Before going down on my bastard head, just remember this: <BR>you never choosed the place you were born in... <BR> <BR>Special thanks to GWB who will help Europe to become the biggest power without even knowing what he's doing... <BR> <BR>We don't need lessons from the Texas Butcher <BR> <BR>I was proud of America a few 32 years ago, when someone stepped on the moon... <BR>Sorry, I never felt that since then, just because flying 150 miles above earth is much more cheaper... <BR>How useful is that??? <BR>What about doing the real stuff mates? Flying to Mars, etc. <BR>What about spending less money in the Echelon program, and more money to the Nasa??? <BR>Unless you do that, you'll very soon see the first man on Mars or Jupiter will be an Inuit or a Kazakh, or even worse: an European! <BR> <BR>It will cost us a lot, but for the same price you're still spinning around the earth at about 150 miles above, what a great progress since the Moon is an old part of Mankind history!!! <BR>(even progress is the name of a russian spacecraft) <BR>

The ignorance is displalyed even on National Public Radio: a woman called from Germany to tell a Republican on National Public Radio that Europe simplly does not have the wretched poverty that exists in the US. Juan Williams asked the woman if she were German. She replied that she wasn't, she was married and living in Germany. William's reply: "Oh, just for the moment..." as though one could not stay away from the US for longer than necessary!

Tried to tell my sister today that I would not be able to make her party because my vacation was at the same time. She said (full of disdain)that she didn't know why I wasted all that money going "over there" when I haven't seen all of the U.S. yet. I don't understand why some people think that is the correct order for traveling...first see all the U.S., then go overseas. That's like eating all the steak, then you eat the potatoes, then the corn, etc. Still shaking my head, just can't figure that line of reasoning out.