3 ms·

I don't know if you're intentionally setting up a false dichotomy or what, but at face value your first sentence is a pretty unhelpful (and glib-seeming) platit

I don't know if you're intentionally setting up a false dichotomy or what, but at face value your first sentence is a pretty unhelpful (and glib-seeming) platitude. It's not "always plan everything out to the nth degree or live life with no plans, whatsoever"... there's a lot of space to exist in-between. Wandering around and finding new places and experiences can be great, but it's not for everyone, and it's certainly not for everyone all the time. There are people who really don't like being "surprised", pleasantly or otherwise. It's not a failing on their part, it's just how they're wired. Services like Yelp are (ostensibly) great for these types of folks, since it allows them to try new things with a little bit of reassurance that if the new thing sucks, it shouldn't suck too bad. For, say, your tenth wedding anniversary, would you really just show up at the train station with your spouse and your low expectations, hoping to be pleasantly surprised by your randomly-chosen destination?

jcampbell1 15y ago
I haven't been married for 10 years, but yes we would be completely up for that. In fact, we never make reservations when we travel except for the plane ticket. I'll admit that I am personally quite extreme, probably because all my fondest memories are serendipitous events. I even do things like cut all the photos out of the lonely planet without looking at them. There is a big difference between seeing machu picchu without ever seeing a photo of it, and just going there. Having these types of experiences is getting harder, though it still happens often enough. You are absolutely right, though, my advice is not for everyone, nor all situations. I actually think I am wired a bit wrong, for instance I spent three days in and out of a hospital in Wulumuqi, and I have fond memories of the event, even though at the time it must have been miserable. All I can remember are the cute nurses, the funny glass IV bottles, the $35 CAT scan, and how surprisingly good the hospital was in the farthest place in the world from an ocean.

jcampbell1 15y ago

I haven't been married for 10 years, but yes we would be completely up for that. In fact, we never make reservations when we travel except for the plane ticket. I'll admit that I am personally quite extreme, probably because all my fondest memories are serendipitous events. I even do things like cut all the photos out of the lonely planet without looking at them. There is a big difference between seeing machu picchu without ever seeing a photo of it, and just going there. Having these types of experiences is getting harder, though it still happens often enough. You are absolutely right, though, my advice is not for everyone, nor all situations. I actually think I am wired a bit wrong, for instance I spent three days in and out of a hospital in Wulumuqi, and I have fond memories of the event, even though at the time it must have been miserable. All I can remember are the cute nurses, the funny glass IV bottles, the $35 CAT scan, and how surprisingly good the hospital was in the farthest place in the world from an ocean.