ShellD

Someone stop me!!! I have no idea if it's in our budget for 2008 or not...I'm hoping it is...And I don't want to pull the kids out of school for the length of time we'd want to go, so it gives us a fairly small window of time to actually do the travelling (summer time!). It's all dependent on my businness - I'm self employed, so I guess it's incentive to step up the marketing isn't it!

But I've become so addicted to checking out all things Costa Rica that I barely do anything else lately! I pop on here several times a day, I check Trip Advisor for hotel reviews...I look up different areas of the country...I check out hotel web sites...It's a little far off to check out airfares, but what if I can get a great deal??? And I want to find "that perfect hotel" or "that perfect destination" Some one stop me!

I'd love to go back with my kids this time - I think they would love it! This time I'd like to hit a beach area or at least a hotel with a great pool and be able to have the ocean in the background. My husband really missed that aspect of our last trip. He thought we had too much travel time and not enough relaxing time. Me, I'd love to see so much more of the country! But I want to go back to Arenal with the kids and I want to take them to Peace Lodge - they will love it there!

So, am I crazy and obsessed for planning a trip that we may not even be able to go on this year?

I guess I just love to start planning as soon as one trip ends...and I really enjoy reading about everyone else's adventures and their planning as well...

My husband thinks I'm crazy! I guess there are worse things to have obsessions with I'm sure many here can relate!

Thanks for listening!

oceania

Haha...no you're not crazy, you just got the travel bug! The only problem with planning for a trip so far off is if you don't end up going...it's pretty disappointing but then again it could also be a real good motivator...where there's a will, there's a way

I'm glad you enjoy CR so much...I've never been but it seems to be the most popular destination in the Latin American forum. I don't have any real inclination of going there but I may have to check it out one day just because people love it so much.

I really want to go to Cuba (not the resort thing) and Guatemala & Eastern Mexico.

hipvirgochick

ShellD -- You could cut and paste my name over yours because I think we have the same obsession. Are we greedy to be planning right after coming home? I don't know...it's certainly not from dissatisfaction! From excitement...anticipation...? Who knows?!?! Your kids will love it. Hope you get to make it back, if not next year, the next! I too started planning after our last trip and found our "window" would be next Spring break, which is a stretch on the budget as well. I hope my old car can hold out a little longer.

mmb23

Don't feel bad, I've got the same obession. I was back from Mexico for a month before I was knee-deep in planning a Costa Rica trip, and no sooner had I washed the mud off my keens was I back looking for Spanish schools in Central America.

I look at it as education!
Have fun,
melissa

janenicole

Right there with all of you!

crlover10

wow.....glad to see I m not the only one...haha. My wife is ready to trade me in since i ve been spending so much time using the puter at the library to check on this or that. I am afraid i will miss a new place to try to squeeze into our trip in Nov.
Thanks all for letting me know I m not the only crazy

volcanogirl

Welcome to the club! I think crazy, obsessed people have the best vacations!

shillmac

I'll never forget coming back from Costa Rica that first time in 2001 (should bought a bunch of land then!) and spending all my time researching every site I could find just to learn, learn, learn. I bought 5 or 6 guide books and read them cover to cover. And it went from there--my interest hasn't dissipated much!

petite1

It's worse for me because I work for a travel wholesaler & Costa Rica is one of the destinations I handle. So now I'm not only obsessing over my own trips but the one's that come through my desk as well! I always want people to enjoy the country as much as I do. My family thinks I'm crazy too because I'm always trying to plan our next trip on the flight home from the current vacation. In my opinion it's a good kind of crazy so I don't mind. My 4th trip to CR is set for next month & then we're returning again in Feb. & I can't wait!!!

joeschmo

ShellD, So now you know you're NOT crazy, at least by this gang.
I can get so obsessed that when I hear of a friend that is considering a trip to CR I want to totally take over and plan every move. Nuts!

volcanogirl

I'm adopting other people into our crazy world - a friend saw my pics and decided to go to CR for her honeymoon, and a co-worker has already booked at Bosque del Cabo. Yippee!

ShellD

I always say that if I didn't have the business I do, I'd love to be a travel agent! I love planning trips...It doesn't really matter where we go, CR is my latest obsession though! We just got back from Disney this summer and I went a little crazy planning that too even though I'd been there a dozen times!

But the foreign travel ones are the most fun...I've always planned our own hotels and excursions, but our trip to CR was the most extensive travelling I've planned on my own...4 hotels, rental cars, domestic flight! Now that I know I can do that - look out, I'm dangerous! The possiblities are endless! And then, what if new hotels open up and I miss out on them? Or those hidden jewels - if someone mentions it and I miss their post???

Now I'm just sitting here thinking about where we can go for a quick Labor Day weekend get away? It has to be inexpensive (gotta save for CR!), close by -only a 3 day weekend! and not booked yet! I'm sure the end result will end up being the local pool and a family barbeque, but it's fun to look and plan!

It is nice to see others out there with the same obsessions and it does help to live vicariously through other's great vacations too!

tully

Hi my name is tully and I'm an addict too Not just to CR (though definitely one of my faves!) but to anywhere. I move around week to week....the other day I was in Morocco now I'm in Thailand, hey I get around I inherited my love of travel from my dad but we are definitely at opposite ends of the spectrum as far as planning goes - he & my mom recently went to Ireland. Their plans were: fly there, rent a car, drive somewhere, stop at a hotel when tired, drive somewhere else next day and so on, fly back home. I kept trying to plan parts of their trip for them, it was driving me crazy! A good part of the fun is the planning and I've never been, for better or worse, one to wing it much. I think one thing that is great about planning CR is that while there are a lot of options, there isn't an overwhelming amount like some places, but I do always get excited about a new place or some place I've never heard of - my saved favourites of hotels in CR is enought for a lifetime of visits!

Suzie2

Oh it gets so much worse!!!!

Not only are you obsessing about your trip, you will eventually start obsessing about other peoples trips like those of us who are on here so much giving advice. I am having withdrawal pains trying to get my life back after 10 + years and possibly longer of being on these boards trying to help people have the best time they can. I had 5 years of obsessing about my trips before I even found these boards. I actually got 18 windows (in one room) washed the other day trying NOT to get on line. 32 more to go (what was I thinking when I designed this house?)

Oceania, do check CR out. It is a fun country. Not as culturaly strong as other places but its natural beauty is addictive and despite the warnings about theft etc., most of the people are so sweet. I would go now before it has all turned to concrete. There are places I won't go now because of all the building. Many places have lost their charm for me in CR but the wonderful thing about it is that there are always places to go away from the crowds.

Go to Guatemala too! There are some awesome places to see. I have been twice in the last two years and I am planning a next trip. I will be able to save some money next time because I will most likely be going from CR so I can take one of the buses.

I would love to go to Cuba too. Like you I would stay away from touristy places like Veradera. I am still looking for an angle. I met a 60+ year old man in spanish class at the local University here who had legally done a bicycle trip there so there are ways. I do envy Canadians being able to go.

Aw heck, just go anywhere, it is so much fun!

One of the best trips I have ever taken was when my husband surprised me with a round trip stand-by ticket out of New York to England and then a rail pass to all of Europe! A friend was already going but her travel companion backed out. No hotels, no reservations, nothing. We had a ball for 3 weeks. I left my friend in Austria and had to head back to northern France to catch the ferry back to England and then a train to London.

msteacher

I think the crazy people are the ones who just want to show up on vacation without knowing anything about the place they are going. To me, planning the trip is half the fun and secretly allows me to enjoy the vacation long before I ever leave my house.

shillmac

What drives me insane are the people you meet in Costa Rica who are there for the first time, looking to buy property to move there permanently! And have the $$$ to do it!

MichelleY

I broke the news to my DH this morning that I have the travel bug. I told him I just HAVE to go somewhere! He has reluctantly agreed to go to CR in November!!! Our nephew is in Puerto Viejo on a mission..... so that is in the plans!! I am Europe board fan, but now this board is my first stop.

I am sure I will be asking for advice. We will be in CR for two weeks!!

MY

tully

No, I don't get the people who don't plan at all, like a vacation is just some sort of extension of Disneyworld. A little off topic but not much - okay, it's a little sad & depressing but I can't help but laugh as well at some of the reviews I read at tripadvisor. I'm always reading reviews, even if I have no intention of staying there or hadn't considered the place, I just like to read some of the different opinions & views. Anyway, some of them are just lulu's - like the one who complained about no a/c at Iguana Lodge, or the one who slammed a hotel for being "dirty" as there was a gecko in their room! (Which is funny cause I love them and am always trying to shoo them in my room to take avail of their bug eating prowess, plus they're cute). Or the ones who complain that the staff's english wasn't good, or ...I could go on! I just wonder who booked these people's vacation as it obviously wasn't them.

michelleY - welcome to the LA board, there are a lot of us eager to help, so please post your plans soon so we can (with of course the best of intentions!) disseminate, discuss, disagree and digress Hope you don't get over your bug anytime soon!

oceania

Thanks Suzie.

I agree that planning is half the fun...it really gets me more worked up though. I decided a couple of weeks ago I'm going to Spain and Morocco and I booked my flight...leaving end of next month!

I'm pretty thorough with my research so I'm familiar with where I'm going. I also draft up a itinerary but tend to alter or stray from it once I get there...I think that's part of the fun too. You don't want everything too regimented that it takes the fun away.

However, my style of travel is probably very different then most of the posters on this particular board. Most of my trips I have travelled alone, doing the low budget backpacking - staying at hostels, eating from supermarkets or local dives...taking public transportation or walking.

I found that those who don't plan like to think that they are free spirits and have a better travel experience. However, if you research you can save a lot of money, aggravation and time.

I visit several message boards because I like the variety of opinion and travel styles. I find that on some boards (like LP) people are much more pretentious and think they are better travellers (or more cultured) because they "rough it out" or hang with the locals...it's such a bore to listen to them.

I have no idea where I'm going with this...sorry for the tangent.

shillmac

Tully, you've touched on a pet peeve of mine. It really bugs me when people read those reviews on Trip Advisor (many of which, as you have pointed out, are obviously ridiculous) and then come to Fodor's worried about something they read over there. It just seems to me that the Fodor's folks are able to fairly accurately set some of that stuff straight--in a sensible and reasonable way.

More than once, someone who has stayed at a particular hotel in Costa Rica has given it a really bad (and bogus) review. I've had hotel owners write me and say, "Would you please go over to Trip Advisor and review our hotel accurately--someone has really slammed us". I've done that for Bosque del Cabo and Hotel Villa Bonita as well as a few others. .

Why is it that Trip Advisor picks up so many of those extreme reviews? Curious to me. . . .