We are so different, we human beings — not just in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, culture, and whether we prefer boxers or briefs (and whatever the female equivalent is thereof), but in terms of our specific likes, dislikes, fears, hopes, and desires. Of course, there are universals. For example, no one is particularly happy. They may say they are, but talk to them for five minutes and you will find out what they are unhappy about.
Okay, I suppose some children are happy, but that’s because they don’t know any better.
One way that a lot of us adults try to be happy is to get away. There are different types of getting away, each with a different name. One is called “going on vacation.” Another is called “abandoning your family.” A similar one is “escaping your family.”
Let’s look at the positive side: you’re taking a vacation, preferably with one or more of your loved ones. With so much to see in the world, where will you go? And will your partner want to go there with you? You see, one of the differences among us is that when we do travel, we may have very different places we want to go.
But perhaps by looking at one of those lists of “100 Places to See Before You Die,” you and your partner will find a mutually acceptable place. Assuming you don’t have immobilizing anxiety at the thought of even leaving the house, you can take the Dr. Seuss approach: Oh, the places you’ll go! (Or you could take the Dr. Sherman approach: Oh, the money you’ll save and the hassles you’ll miss by not going!)
Let’s look at a few places on one of those lists to see if any strike your fancy. By the way, we should all be grateful that where we live doesn’t appear on most “100 Places to See” lists, because to live in such a place means that your community is going to be overrun by tourists. And unless you are making money catering to them, this is nothing to be excited about. They will just clog up your roads, take up your parking spaces, and annoy you with their constant questions. Best to live in a remote place that no one would ever want to see before they die, or even after, for that matter.
I can easily see how some places have made this list. For example, there’s the Grand Canyon. I have never seen the Grand Canyon, except from a commercial plane flying at some 35,000 feet. But everyone raves about it. Anything called “grand” always gets my attention, except maybe Grandview, Texas, which doesn’t have much of a view at all, really.