Home Travel Tip Tuesday Travel Bordering on the Ridiculous : How to Tell if You’re An Anal Traveler

Travel Bordering on the Ridiculous : How to Tell if You’re An Anal Traveler

written by robin

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I got to thinking about some of the funny travel-related things I have seen, heard, read or done over the years.  I have been known to classify myself as anal, especially where travel is concerned!

Though, I think I have come a long way in curing myself of that in the last few years. I think it boils down to, the more you travel, the more you get used to dealing with things that can and do go wrong.
 
I remember reading a part in Dario Castagno’s book, Too Much Tuscan Sun, where he is leading a tour in Siena and announced his plans to take his group of American tourists to an authentic family owned Sienese trattoria for lunch.  To his shock and amazement, the woman in the group puts her foot down and states that she didn’t come all this way to not have REAL ITALIAN FOOD and demands that they find an Olive Garden or Pizza Hut??!!
 
Uh, Hu-lo laaaaaaaaady!
 
So, I decided to run with this theme of travel bordering on the ridiculous and come up with a sort of Top Ten List- Jeff Foxworthy style, called You Might be an Anal Traveler if…
 
You Might be an Anal Traveler if…

You print menus off the Internet for every restaurant you have mapped out for your two-week trip and have circled your selections, so you can just show the waiter what you want to order.

You Might be an Anal Traveler if…

After ponying up the hefty admission price to the Museum, you have a mental breakdown in line because you left your Rick Steves Guidebook back at the hotel and decide that you just can’t bring yourself to go in afterall; you simply cannot enjoy anything without his commentary!

You Might be an Anal Traveler if…

Your train ticket, which you are planning to bring back as a souvenir and put in its rightful place in the scrapbook with the 42 others you have collected, blows out of your hand and onto the tracks in the Metro station and you actually consider jumping into oncoming train traffic to retrieve it?!

You Might be an Anal Traveler if…
 
Fear of being away from home too long and the excitement of telling those you left behind all the details of your journey, forces you to frantically run back to your hotel once a day to leave hour-long play-by-plays on your answering machine for your cats!
You Might be an Anal Traveler if…
You have the airline’s phone number on speed dial and you call every hour during the three days leading up to your flight to make sure it hasn’t been cancelled.
You Might be an Anal Traveler if…
In an effort to keep your cash and valuables safe, you have developed an unfortunate allergic rash across your belly from the duct tape you were using to secure your money and valuables to your person.  Ouch!
You Might be an Anal Traveler if…

You bring forty rolls of film with you on vacation, just in case you run out, because they certainly don’t sell film where you are going.

You Might be an Anal Traveler if…
 
You cry, whine and mope the whole way through your once-in-a-lifetime gourmet dinner because you are so obsessed with the fact that you forgot to pack the earrings that go with your dress-that you don’t even remember what you ate.
 
You Might be an Anal Traveler if…
You develop an (unwelcome) intimate relationship with your hotel manager, because you call once a week to confirm your upcoming reservation – a double bed with a blue comforter, bed facing due North and exactly six white towels in the bathroom.

 

You Might be an Anal Traveler if…
 
You make twenty copies of your passport and credit cards and place them strategically in your house before you leave in case the real ones are lost or stolen on vacation.  Then you mail a buried treasure style map to six different people, complete with clues, codes and riddles because you never want to make it too easy if you need help!
 
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What is the most ridiculous travel related thing you have seen, heard, said or done?
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