Travel

I've been thinking a lot lately about travel. I think it is time for me to visit Morroco. I've wanted to go for a long time, and it's not a place I've been able to interest anyone else in going, so I think I just need to make plans and go on my own.

I really enjoy travelling with a companion - it's fun to share discoveries with someone and splitting expenses is another bonus. But, alas, my taste in travel seems a bit out of step with everyone I know.

It's also hard to find a hotel arrangement that fits everyone's tastes. I'm content with something basic, but with some niceties. I like to have a private bathroom. I don't *have* to have it, but I like to - and that's what I consider a nicety. Others can't imagine staying somewhere that doesn't provide a hairdryer and coffee maker. I don't use a hairdryer or drink coffee, so I don't care. It's hard to find something that can satify all those wants and still be what I consider a good deal.

I like things to be relatively clean, but the decor is not a huge issue for me. I stayed in a place in San Francisco that had cotton candy pink flowers on the wallpaper, highlighted with gold, a red bedspread and powder blue tile in the bathroom. Others might have been horrified. I just paid my $42 and settled into the clean, but unattractive room, and prided myself on the deal I'd found - a block down from a conference hotel where the cost was four times that for a night. I know people who would have been terrified to stay there because it wasn't perfectly pretty. I know others who would consider it far more than you need - a hostel would do. I want something inbetween.

Of course, I'm delighted to stay in a very upscale place, but I don't want to spend all my travel budget on where I lay my head. I want something decently cheap and decently clean. Whatever perks I can have - elevator, private bath, fluffy towels, etc. - are great, but there's a limit to what I want to pay for them.

All of this rambling to say that I don't think I'm going to find anyone who wants to go to Morroco anytime soon. So, I think I need to start making plans - doing some studying, some research and start looking for some deals. I'm sure there are some to be had if I just pay attention over a long time frame.

It has been too long since I've been abroad. I start to long for it. And I try to satisfy the urge with other kinds of travel but it always falls short. There's nothing quite like negotiating in a language you don't speak in a culture you don't understand. Exhilerating.