peeky...LOL

I am the latter right now, and have every intention of being the former. I seem to be on my way. Only 2 years ago, I went to Dubai, and this September, Paris.

Every trip you take is a "trip of a lifetime" - your personal travelling style, your preferences as to what you want to see, and of course your set travel budget you have at the time, all dictact what will make your trip a trip of a life time.

I have personal motto, which is kind of too realistic = "hope for the best, and expect the worse" - it's another way have saying, have no expectations and you'll never be disappointed.

Good luck with your planning!

Perfection is in the eye of the beholder....comes w/ planning, surprises and disappointments. Basically, planning the perfect itinerary w/ all the adventures that please one individually and having time to make up as you go.

Makes for great memories!

My synopsis of this thread...

Philosophically, I am beginning to see that one's outlook on travel is maybe a reflection on how one looks at life....half full or half empty, risky or conservative, adventurous or not, etc. Perhaps a little bit of both... based on circumstances/timing in your life?

Not that any way is better than another, simply how you choose to experience or look at things.

I believe that Neopolitan summed it up best for me that every moment is an adventure. Even if it's a 4 hr train ride or car trip. All in how you choose to experience it.

Funny, if I had my choice, I'd opt for the tasting menu and sample as much as I can.

"I do not know anyone who has ever taken the perfect trip."

Well, Suze, then we'll have to meet sometime. I've had several perfect trips. Maybe they wouldn't have been perfect to other people, but they were to me. I think that I've returned home many times and have thought, I wouldn't do a single thing differently.

Neopolitan,

I'm right there with you!

Neopolitan.

Thank you for summing it up (for me anyway) so eloquently....

"A perfect trip is one which you wouldn't do a single thing differently".

I think that should be in a fortune cookie!

It is not what you would do differently but things that happen to you that may make a trip not live up to trip of the lifetime status. You can plan until you are blue in the face and something else may happen - if you are thinking about your glasses full - empty - or cracked up may not matter.

I'm not saying that on those "perfect" trips we didn't miss a train or two, or get lost looking for our hotel, or even falling and cutting a face on the pavement. That's life, isn't it? One big adventure. Frankly I guess if nothing happened that was unexpected, it wouldn't be a perfect trip for me. Surprise is part of what makes it perfect.
Yea, it is all part of the glass half empty, half full thing.

My mother thinks she never cooked a perfect meal. This could have used a tiny bit more salt. The pie should have come out of the oven two minutes sooner.
Hey. They were perfect meals to me.

Maybe some of us just have less lofty definitions of perfection.

OK then, if gettting a black eye on the plane, missing trains, etc. can still be a perfect trip... then I HAVE had them!

I assumed when people say "perfect" they mean that every little thing will go exactly as planned and the reality will be exactly as their preconceived notions or fantasy of a place. That rarely happens.

If perfect means you had a great time, and wouldn't want to change a thing... then most every trip I've ever taken would qualify!

To everyone, I have enjoyed this thread and have already forgotten which category is which. I am guessing there are as many categories as there are stories I will read here.

neopolitan, so much of what you say rings true for me and I echo the compliments to your words. I hope your upcoming trip is "perfect" for you and your partner.

I have had many "perfect" trips where I would not have change a thing. Just as we were able to give our daughter a perfect wedding last summer; she and I said we would not have changed a thing

Life can't always be perfect but I sure do enjoy those times when it comes really close

See, now you've got it!

But don't be fooled into thinking I'm saying that every trip is perfect. I've had a couple trips from Hell too.

But everything going exactly as planned and nothing different from what you expected it to be? No. That doesn't sound perfect to me. It just sounds dull.

Seeing the variety of philosophies on traveling makes for interesting reading... My philosophy is to always travel with a sense of humor and flexibility.

I have found that the difficult moments/experiences often make the most interesting, and funny, memories. I've been locked in a bathroom, unable to get out, and unable to understand instructions on how to do so. My husband spent half and hour trying to figure out how to make a gas pump work in Lapland, where no one spoke English and the pump wouldn't work without a special card. Once we booked what sounded like a wonderful self catering cottage in Donegal only to find dank rooms, mildewy/mouldy bedding, and water thick with peat. I've braved Chinese toilets with my bad knees. I actually tore my ACL in Barbados, resulting in surgery when I got home (we still don't laugh about that one, but are grateful for all the help we received in getting me home...). I could go on and on. The point is, things happen, but most of them make for great reminiscing and lots of laughs.

The unexpected also takes beautiful happenings; a room with floor to ceiling windows allowing us to see a fantastic display of fireworks in Hong Kong on the celebration of their independence from Great Britain, making new friends (some with whom we still communicate), the kindness of strangers, celebrating the Midsummer in Helsinki. This list is actually much longer than the mishaps list, and makes for equally fond recollections (although, maybe, not as many laughs).

I guess my point is, make every trip an adventure and take things as they come.

P.S. When I was growing up my mother's old copy of Pollyanna was my favorite book. There is a lot to be said for "The Glad Game".

Pollyana thinking? Do you have pigtails?

I used to, but I cut them off to make my face more perfect. LOL

There are worse things than being called a Polyanna. Never being happy with anything you do is one of those things. I know a lot more of the latter than I do the former.

Serindipity is my perfect trip. We always leave a week open with no, for sure, destination. Works for us.

nevermind makes an excellent point. the best stories definitely come from the mishaps!

You must have looked cute with your pigtails flowing. I am just pulling on your legs.

have nice days, I am going to leave the computer now, please miss me as I miss you.

I agree with the poster who said there is no way to know for sure for most of us whether we'll have many return trips or none at all. So far, we've been able to get to Europe about every other year for the past 9 years or so, each time with the whole family in tow. With college costs looming, even this may come to a screeching halt. But to go thinking our trip this summer has to be the trip of a lifetime would put way too much pressure on us. We'll go and enjoy it but hope to come back at a later date. And though I'll be sad to see them go off on their own, it does get cheaper sans kids, doesn't it?

I think I am a lot like you, adventureseeker. I have always wanted to travel---I think it is in my blood, ya know?

I have just started to travel so I have tons of questions and get a lot of good info on these boards. :)