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Revenge travel

By Merrill Ogden - | Sep 28, 2022

Have you done any “revenge traveling” lately? I think I have. You might have done a “revenge trip” and don’t even know it. I heard about it lately and evidently, it’s “a thing.”

Revenge travel isn’t too well known of a phrase yet among people I’ve quizzed about it. But when it’s explained, then people seem to “get it.”

It’s the new term for the travel we’ve missed out on because of the pandemic. We, by darn, want our vacations, trips and getaways that we have missed out on during the high Covid times. It’s a version of “cabin fever.” We’ve been stifled and told to stay put long enough.

I think the “revenge” part of it is that many people are feeling like they want to show that they’re not going to be bullied by some dumb virus anymore. “I’m going to show the world that I’ve missed out on things. I’ve put off vacations for too long. And, I’m just not going to take it anymore!”

My wife and I have both differences and similarities – as do most partners in relationships. One example of a difference is that we are often in front of different televisions at the same time due to our viewing preferences. One example of a similarity is that traveling is something that we both enjoy.

We tend to spend money on travel that, by all rights, should be going into home improvement or updated vehicles. But, from our point of view, taking trips and seeing new territory is an investment in memories that appreciates in value over time.

After being kept close to home during the height of the pandemic, this year has been the time to break out and get our “revenge.” Earlier in the year, we took separate trips. She went to Guatemala on a work-related trip. I went to Mexico on a humanitarian trip with some of my extended family.

In June, we celebrated our milestone birthdays (I turned 70 and my wife turned some other number) by taking a trip for a few days in the East. We saw some relatives. And, we saw Paul and Ringo. (The remaining two Beatles)

Over Labor Day weekend, we flew from Provo to Florida. We were on a flight filled with football fans. Half of them were Utes headed to the Florida game. The other half were Cougars headed to the South Florida game.

For reasons not easily explained in this space (re-fueling and crew flight hours running out of compliance), our non-stop flight put down in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the night. Utes and Cougars were amazingly good sports, displayed good manners, and cooperated to help solve the unanticipated problems. (Yes, World Peace just might be possible!)

So, as you can see, we’ve been in the “revenge travel” business lately. And it’s sweet. Even though nearly every trip has had versions of delays, cancellations, missed connections and “you name it.”

Mark Twain was big on traveling and has numerous quotes attributed to him on the subject. Here’s one I especially like.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Robert Louis Stevenson, another author, is someone I admire who did a fair amount of traveling. I may have mentioned here before that sometimes my children will ask me where I want to be buried when I kick the bucket. (I wonder if they know something that I don’t. Like – have they intercepted my latest medical lab reports?)

My habit has been to reply to my kids, “Bury me near Robert Louis Stevenson.” After some research, it became clear to them that Robert Louis Stevenson wasn’t in a Sanpete cemetery. He’s buried in Samoa.

A quote of Stevenson is: “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” Another quote of his: “We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.”

I’ve found that an interesting part of traveling is making acquaintances with people. There is a remarkable element about conversations with fellow travelers. We tend to “open our hearts” one to another. Probably because we don’t intend to ever see each other again and it’s safe to let some social barriers down.

As you’d expect, people want to know where my home is and inevitably there is a conversation about Sanpete. As discussion continues, people are intrigued with my “home country.”

I explain about the “other 49ers” and how Sanpete was settled in 1849. I tell them about turkey ranches. I let them know about the general honesty, trust and good quality of life that we enjoy here.

Of course, I don’t want to make Sanpete sound too good. We don’t want too many people moving here. That would be counterproductive.

This past weekend we took a little revenge travel “nibble” by taking an overnight getaway to Bryce Canyon. We booked a room at the “El Cheapo Motel,” tossed the dog and bicycles onboard, and zipped down to Pang Town (Panguitch – County Seat of Garfield County).

The pleasant couple who own the motel are originally from India. After years in New York, Ohio, Georgia, and California, they wound up in Panguitch. They love the country living and low crime.

They’ve been there for 30 years. I’m glad they’re there. Someone made Panguitch sound good to them. They were attracted and it became their new home.

Maybe some of you Sanpeters have been getting some revenge travel on your minds. I say, “Do it.” If you’re getting older, like me, you need to ask yourself the question, “If not now, when?” If you’re younger – well, you’ve got some time, but don’t procrastinate too long.

— Merrill

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