24HBD #10: Travel Desires

“Where is one place you’ve always wanted to go?  Discuss the benefits of this place.”

This coming summer, Mary and I are going on a European vacation.  We are flying in to Germany to visit a friend of hers, heading to Switzerland to visit a friend of mine, then staying in France for a week before leaving from London after a three day stay there.  It should be a lot of fun.  I’ve always wanted to go to Europe, and now I am having my chance.

However.

There is a much closer place that I think I almost always want to go.  Europe will be fantastic, and will fulfill a wish I’ve had to visit.  But I would really love to just go hang out in San Francisco for a week.

I realize this is cheating, since I’ve been there.  My Aunt and Uncle live there with their son, Ben, in an incredible house that they have spent years renovating.  I have only been there a handful of times – if it’s more than two, I’ll be surprised.  I love the city – everything there just oozes cool.  Like I said, Europe will be fantastic, and we will have a great time, but it doesn’t have the allure that San Francisco has for me.  I think it’s because I haven’t been to Europe, so I don’t know what to expect.  After we come home, I will probably have similar feelings about it as I do for San Francisco.

Since I’ve been there, but only as a part of family vacations, and before I was of an age to actually go wander around on my own, it has always left an unfinished taste in my mouth.  I want to really get in there and explore the city.  I want to wander around and take pictures, go into weird little stores and buy weird little things.  I want to show Mary the places I know, and find new places together.  It’s a beautiful place, and having been there only makes me want to go back.