Fly Me To Yous- A dream come true for both parties!
I love the idea of being whisked off to another country by someone. It's so romantic, and while the dream is normally an impulsive weekend getaway, I must admit I'm a sucker for planning trips and the anticipation. It's a worthwhile stress, planning a trip. If you're like me, you spend hours looking at different hotels, weighing pros and cons for each one like "This one is far from *insert interesting spot here* but it's cheaper, is that worth it?" or "Ooo but this one has breakfast cooked to order for NO SURCHARGE" <-- that one there is a dream, not a reality. I've never seen this but if you find me such a hotel... I will be very appreciative. And for a client, potential date, whatever you'd like to be called, I'm sure it's a fantastic experience! Finding someone you'd love to spend time with, and making it happen despite distance? Or making the trip of a lifetime happen for both of us? AMAZING! And on my end, someone offering to fly me out to them makes me feel so excited, attractive, and like the time and effort I spend on my site or just this job in general is worth it. It makes me feel special, and it drives me to make the experience extra special for the lovely person who made me feel this way.
My first solo trip and my travel philosophy
I love travelling. My first true solo trip was in 2019, to go see Sabaton and The Hu (they were opening for Babymetal). I went down to Seattle by bus, stayed at the Green Tortoise hostel, and had a blast on my own. Previously, all my travel had either been with family, or in the case of my French language exchange, I'd been travelling with chaperones and a group of other kids. I've adopted my parents' travel habits which really prepared me for doing my first trip. I slaughtered some trees preparing for the trip, is what I'm saying. I printed my tickets, my hotel reservation, a few pages worth. Turns out I was right to do so cause until I got to the bus station, I had totally forgotten about customs forms and how they ask for such nitpicky details. In short, because I had done a little extra preparation, I'd made everything easier on myself. That trip was fantastic and if you ever, ever want to take me on a trip to see The Hu or other bands I like (ask me!), I'd enjoy that. I tend to spend more money on attractions, food, and experiences rather than the place I stay at. I see the hotel room as mainly a place to keep my belongings safe and a place to rest rather than the main place I should be for a trip; this changes a little with FMTYs though so if I'm there for a short time, I'm more than happy to stay with someone in a hotel room for a day for a romp or a few in the sheets. However, saying that I'm more likely to spend my money mainly on other things doesn't mean I'm going to automatically go for the cheapest hotel. I've stayed in a few in my lifetime, short as that life may be so far, but I have a few things I require/look for in a hotel room.
Requirements:
- Breakfast included: ideally one of those hot buffet style affairs with bacon and pancakes. Bonus points if they have hot chocolate or a juice machine.
- An in-room safe that fits a laptop: pretty self explanatory, I think. I personally find the hotels with a safe at the front desk pretty weird since if I was travelling somewhere I needed a passport, I wouldn't want to keep it at the front desk, safe or no safe.
- Fridge: I love snacks and cold drinks, what can I say. One of my favourite things to snack on while I'm working is baby carrots and a tub of good hummus. So tasty and so filling.
Ideal, but not dealbreakers if I need to go without:
- No keycard elevator: I feel pretty dang safe working in hotels and it makes it easier for clients and myself if they can get up to the floor I'm on without me needing to fetch them. Not to say that staying at a hotel without an elevator entirely avoids this problem though. I once had a total nightmare situation where a client asked for me AT THE FRONT DESK. I was so horrified and embarrassed and I'm pretty sure the staff knew what was up at that point. Needless to say, I avoid that hotel now.
- Close to public transport: I don't drive and prefer public transport over Ubers, Lyfts, and taxis. Generally speaking, I like to travel to places I can rely on myself to get around without paying out the ass and public transport lets me do that.
- Kitchenette: I like saving money by buying groceries and cooking when I'm travelling so a kitchenette is ideal but trust me when I say you can definitely get creative with tinfoil, the hotel-provided iron, and the coffee machine.
If anyone wants to know more about my thoughts on travel, places I want to go, and that sort of thing, please let me know and I'll definitely write another piece focusing on that topic. I'm hoping to do a couple pieces on cities/countries I want to visit and also the types of attractions I like to see when I travel.
Without wax,
Ayla
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