Who specializes in one country, who dosen't?
 

I'm middle aged and thinking about future travels. In many ways, it seems wise to concentrate on mastering a language and exploring that country in depth.

Of course, there is much to recommend being all over the map.

Who here specializes in one country and can describe the rewards of this choice? (When I think of this plan for me, I think France.)

Or who here is all over the map and wouldn't have it any other way?

I am all over the map. There is so much to see and do in so many countries. I love the experiece of learning about all different people and cultures. I've done Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Canada, Eastern US Seaboard, Alaska, Pacific Northwest, and Northwest. I am still young and plan on adding much more!

Mrs. Fly and I are all over the map. Both of us have lived in other countries for extended periods of time, but for vacation travel we have a lot of places we want to visit.

I have a few favorite places that I feel I must re-visit every few years (I'm actually homesick in between) but in between those visits, I'm trying to visit new places,as well as go back to other places that I haven't been back to for a long time.
Each trip poses a dilemma.

It's so interesting that you would bring up this topic right at the point that I am struggling with it. I just completed my fourth annual trip to Italy. It was wonderful,greatly because I took a beginning Italian course at Johns Hopkins University here in Baltimore before I left. The more I go,the more comfortable I feel and the richer the experience.

It's a big world out there,though,and I long to see more of it, so my next big trip (late fall) is going to be India. I'm really having a hard time tearing myself away from Italy and all that it offers me,but I need to see some of the rest of the world!

Both, I think. We fell in love with France and we are about to make our seveneth trip there in May. However, we have also visited six other countries and hope to see a lot more over the next few years.

The ideal way would be to make two trips a year, one to France and the other to some new country.

Anselm

If the world were a perfect place, I'd actually LIVE in France as my European home and branch out from there.
There IS so much to see and experience but when time and circum$stances grab me, I have to follow my heart and so far, its France. BUT I'll admit, all this reading I do on Italy ... that is starting a mighty hard tug.

Hi cymbeline,

I was lucky enough to have parents who travelled the globe, so I have at least a taste of just about everywhere. In addition, I spent a student year in Paris and four Army years in Germany. As a result, I don't feel any particular need to see someplace new -- there really isn't much new to me (in terms of countries or areas) in Europe.

Anyway, I stick to one country these days. I fell in love with Switzeland in 1995 and have made 13 trips back since then. I've also forced myself to re-visit other countries (France & Austria) but was unhappy and went back to the tried & true! I figure I only have to make **myself** happy, not live up to another's idea of a well-travelled life. And I'm happy in Switzerland. Pretty clear to me!

s

This is the ultimate dilamma for me, so I'm another "a little of both" person. There are several countries I revisit as much as I can, but I also love visiting countries that are new to me. And then sometimes I add those new places to the want-to-go-back list, which only makes matters worse!

The one thing I won't do is buzz through a bunch of countries on one trip just to have "been there."

Errr... "dilemma." Can't type, won't proof!

Well, I'm obviously partial to France or I wouldn't have bought a second home there, but I have also traveled a lot in other countries and have no intention of stopping that. For one thing, with a base in Europe, it's relatively easy for me to go off to another country for a few days or a week or more. So, France is my first love, but I'll never stop roaming around the rest of Europe (and other continents) as well.

..I am by personality a wanderer and by profession I have a chance to do some wandering (no I am not a flight attendent). That being said, I "specialized" in a country because of a partner. I acquired a language and fell in love with a country. I dont think you can really specialize in a country unless you are a student there, work there or have a true home there (not a 2 week rental..anyway, that is my 2 cents worth.

I visit Italy spring and fall every year.

In my perfect world I'd get to do sort of a Suzy Gershman thing - not have to really work BUT be able to afford a long term lease in Paris...decorate it; make friends; and off to see ice palaces in Norway or whereever, spring in Provence, find out where the best sunset in Italy is... Prague, Budapest...Morocco and Monaco...
I refer to Suzy Gershman's book "C'est La Vie". Her life changed radically and she decided for a lifestyle change of venue. She chose Paris. Good read I thought.

My husband and I are struggling with this right now. If we have a free long weekend, we automatically think of how can we get to Paris..but at the same time we struggle with the thought that we should be searching out new cities (new for us). Anytime we have more than a week, our thoughts usually turn back to Italy. We've been 3x in the last 4 years. Just can't seem to shake it!