The Friday Five for April 21, 2017

[spikesgirl58]

1. Do you like traveling or are you counting the minutes until the transporter is perfected?

2. If you could visit any country in the world right now, where would you go?

3. What is your favorite form of travel?

4. What is the longest vacation/holiday that you’ve ever been on?

5. Would you travel for a living?


Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.

If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DW or LJ. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so please feel free to suggest some more!

**Remember that we rely on you, our members, to help keep the community going. Also, please remember to play nice. We are all here to answer the questions and have fun each week. We repost the questions exactly as the original posters submitted them and request that all questions be checked for spelling and grammatical errors before they're submitted. Comments re: the spelling and grammatical nature of the questions are not necessary. Honestly, any hostile, rude, petty, or unnecessary comments need not be posted, either.**

Comments

[ersatzkapitaen]

http://ersatzkapitaen.dreamwidth.org/606102.html

[aerinha]

1. Do you like traveling or are you counting the minutes until the transporter is perfected?

I LOVE traveling, with the exception of the time spent in airports. I'm ok with flying itself, though I've learned to splurge a little and get upgraded seats with more leg room/in an exit row.
For me, the time spent getting somewhere is often equally as interesting as the time spent in the destination itself. You see the most interesting people when traveling.

2. If you could visit any country in the world right now, where would you go?

I can't pick just one! I've never left the US, as sad as that sounds, with the exception of a 4-hour trip to a factory in Mexico and a trip to Vancouver, BC to board a cruise ship.
At the moment our family is planning a two-week trip to the UK next year. Also in the hopefully near-ish future: Japan, New Zealand, Iceland, Southern/Eastern Europe....

3. What is your favorite form of travel?
It's a toss-up between car and train.
I love driving: the freedom and flexibility, the radio turned up loud and the windows down, the roadside stops. I especially love driving alone or with just my dog.
Trains, though, are great because I can let go of the responsibility, unwind, stroll a little. Have a snack and even a glass of wine; watch the scenery or read a book; meet interesting people.

4. What is the longest vacation/holiday that you’ve ever been on?
I've never been on longer than a 2-week vacation. Life goals: travel for a month or more! (Except that I'm a homebody and I'm not sure this would work)

5. Would you travel for a living?
No, I don't think I would. I used to think I'd love to, but I know now that my energy level is probably not high enough to sustain traveling for a living. Alas!

[spikesgirl58]

I think it's important to be as comfortable as you can when traveling. I'm willing to travel less so that we can upgrade a bit when going some place. Why be in misery when you don't need to be.

It's hard to be away from home for a month. everything seems a little different when you come home, too. I don't think I could split my time between two spots, either, like going south for the winter. don't think that cats would like it much either...

Great answers!

[joancrawford]

https://joancrawford.dreamwidth.org/1151.html#cutid1

[singloom]

1. Do you like traveling or are you counting the minutes until the transporter is perfected?
Kind of torn about this. Traveling gives you the opportunity to see lots of things you would not normally see, even the routes to your destination can be lovely. But the trauma of travel can be very off putting, so I would not say no to future transporter options.

2. If you could visit any country in the world right now, where would you go?
Japan. Japan, Japan, Japan. Went there back in 2014 with my girlfriend and it was the ultimate dream holiday for the both of us. We'd easily return there if we could.

3. What is your favourite form of travel?
Whatever is the most comfortable. As someone with a chronic pain condition, I get very sore easily, so I want to travel as comfortably as possible, especially if it's a long trip. Proper leg room, balanced temperature conditions and soft chairs is a pleasant bonus.

4. What is the longest vacation/holiday that you've ever been on?
Four weeks of bliss in Japan, my dream holiday. It was like a honeymoon with my girlfriend as we stayed in Osaka, Tokyo and Sendai, travelling to other towns and cities for day trips. Even then, we only scratched the surface, but still, we saw and experienced so much.

5. Would you travel for a living?
Depends on where I was going and how much I was getting paid to do it. Being a travel writer for Asia would be a lovely experience, seeing all the historical and cultural sites and landmarks, then sharing those breathtaking places with the world.

[spikesgirl58]

If you ever have the chance, check out the Dreamliner aircrafts. I have only had the chance to fly in one once and it was incredible. I have chronic back pain and it was so comfortable. We fly from SFO to Heathrow and no pain. It was incredible.

I adore Japan and not just because our adopted son is Japanese, either. We are hoping to get back there next year. We been there twice and it was never long enough!

Great answers!

[singloom]

Thanks. That sounds like a really good airline. I might have to research that for future travels. Having said that, when I went to Japan, I went with Lufthansa airline and even when travelling economy class, there was decent leg room and comfy seats.

I'm really hoping to return to Japan someday. There's so much to see and do. :D

[spikesgirl58]

I hate that they squash everything so tightly these days. It makes air travel such a trial. Sigh...

Japan is lovely and despite all the time we've spent there, I'm with you! I'd love to go back!

[singloom]

Travel can be super traumatic and stressful, especially if it's a long journey. I try to sleep to get rest and help the hours pass by quicker, but I always found myself waking up when the soreness or stiffness set in. Having said that, Lufthansa was a good airline for space and seating so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

I love reading about Japan and writing down places I'd love to go to if I went back there. I loved Osaka especially visiting the Castle, Den Den Town and the gardens when the cherry blossoms were out. :)

[spikesgirl58]

Our first trip was to Osaka and it was so beautiful. We had such fun at the Bunraku theatre and you are right, Osaka-jo is lovely. We also spent a couple of weeks in Wakayama, and Nagasaki. can't wait to go back, hopefully next year to Tokyo to visit the Ghibli Park/Museum.

[singloom]

Oh gosh, what I wouldn't give to see Bunraku. I did see posters advertising shows when we were there. I remember we used to sit in the little area with the stalls outside Osaka-jo, enjoying the sunshine for hours until sunset, taking lovely pictures.

Ghibli Park/Museum would be awesome, but is it true you have to book well in advance because it's pretty busy? Love Ghibli. 3

[spikesgirl58]

I'm in the theatre, so we made sure that we got tickets. We were flying out late that day, but we were able to catch about four hours of The Monkey King. it was fabulous!

Yes, you have to get the Ghibli tickets in advance. We need to get together with our son and decide when we were heading over there. I really need to upgrade my icon package here one of these days! I have several other Ghibli icons from LJ that didn't make it over.

[ladybugkoozl]

1. Do you like traveling or are you counting the minutes until the transporter is perfected?
The act of traveling is meh. You deal with strangers & inconsiderate behavior, delays, germs, uncomfortable seats, having to sit for long periods of time, and in my case, motion sickness (I take Dramamine). A transporter would be most excellent. And obviously, the final destination usually makes the travel part worthwhile.

2. If you could visit any country in the world right now, where would you go?
We have friends who live in Singapore, so I would love to go visit them.

3. What is your favorite form of travel?
I don't have a favorite. It is more of a necessary evil. Airplanes are okay, especially if you fly in international business class. (Not a regular occurrence for us!) Road trips are fine too, but 7 hours is about my limit in a car.

4. What is the longest vacation/holiday that you’ve ever been on?
I want to say just over 2 weeks long. I know when I went on vacation with my parents as a kid, those were usually ~14 days long. In recent years, 2 weeks is the max my husband can take off from work without it being a huge burden when he gets back.

5. Would you travel for a living?
As much as I like travel for vacations, I don't think I would enjoy traveling for a living.

[spikesgirl58]

For me it's all about the destination, too, and less of the means.

Like you, it's nice to travel for fun, not as much when it's work.

[serinthia]

https://serinthia.dreamwidth.org/359236.html

[sallymn]

1. Do you like traveling or are you counting the minutes until the transporter is perfected? Definitely want a transporter (or for fellow B7ers, teleport) of my very very own. Oh, occasionally the trip can be good in itself (one of these days we are too going to go on a cruise down the Rhine...) but for the most part no. Doesn't help that I canNOT sleep on an international flight (dunno why, I just never manage it) and live where getting to most of the world involves... yep, not fun at all.

And I have a sense of direction that out-no-sense's James May's.

2. If you could visit any country in the world right now, where would you go? Sis and I have this plan for our next trip to go to Wales and all the places swe've found on Mum's side of the family history. Mind you most of 'em look like small coal towns so won't be that exciting... but we still wanna do it (and make a side trip to Portmeirion because hey, who wouldn't?

3. What is your favorite form of travel? Umm, armchair? Failing that, domestic flight is fast :)

4. What is the longest vacation/holiday that you’ve ever been on? The first trip Sis and I made to Europe in - I think - the mid 1990s. Seven weeks, eight countries and (because there wasn't a euro, or it wasn't common then) just as many currencies. And online banking/ATMs weren't a thing then (ahh, the joy of travellers' checks and money changing), nor were internet cafes. But it was worth it for the churches, cathedrals, cemeteries, museums... food :)

5. Would you travel for a living? No. Being a travel writer/presenter sounds wonderful until you remember that you have to do places you probably wouldn't if you had a choice, and doing a job that wasn't travel per se, but involved a life in airports -? Please.

[bluegansey]

https://bluegansey.dreamwidth.org/82096.html

[aris_tgd]

http://aris-tgd.dreamwidth.org/223098.html

I'm also one of those who would like the trip part of traveling more if it were less expensive. I don't like airline travel very much but it seems to be the most efficient way in both time and money of getting places. I'd love to travel more by train if it were more affordable in the USA.

[spikesgirl58]

I love to be places, but usually resent the getting there.

I've only traveled by train once (a ninety minute ride). It was very nice.

[aris_tgd]

For a while I was taking overnight train trips for about a thousand miles between college and home; it was nice enough, more legroom and elbow room than a plane, but it took a long time and I had trouble sleeping. It took more time than either driving or flying and was more expensive than either. I wish it was economical to take a train with a sleeping compartment, it seems nice!

[spikesgirl58]

That does sound tiring. I've never been on a train with a sleeping compartment, but it does seem the way to go (when you have to go).

[hardboiledbaby]

https://hardboiledbaby.dreamwidth.org/418414.html

Also, hi! *waves* Long-time lurker, diving in for the first time :)

[spikesgirl58]

Welcome. Hope to see you here more! :D