Going places

What makes a great holiday? The destination? The sights and sounds? People? Activities? Learning things? Culture? The list is endless and I guess we’d all like to combine all those things in every trip…or maybe none at all. Or it could be as the saying goes, a change is as good as a holiday.

I imagine that I’m like millions of others who fill with excitement at the opportunity for a holiday, long or short, near or far. To me a holiday is really just getting out of Melbourne for a while, even if it’s as simple as a trip down to see my parents. The hardest part is often making the decision to “break out” of routine and just go.

Top of my trip planning agenda is how to combine my love of activity and sports into any trip. In fact, it’s often a sporting event that is the impetus to travel, and go to places. And I ALWAYS make sure there’s a holiday, travels and great experiences added into the journey…geez, why travel so far an event without taking time out to travel a little more.

To that end I’ve been really fortunate to go lots of places that might otherwise remain unknown to me if not for a sporting event in the proximity. Let’s see, sports travels have taken me to:

• Lausanne and Zurich in Switzerland
• Montreal, Canada
• Taupo, New Zealand
• Kona, Hawaii
• Cancun, Mexico

 …not to mention a race in every state of Australia bar NT. Favourite Australian destinations include Huskisson (NSW), Blue Mountains, King Island, Great Ocean Road and countless others. Each trip has a story and experiences.

 

Some events require far more travel time than the actual race, and the logistics can be a pain in the bum, but that all fades to insignificance in the heat of battle…which is why I travelled there in the first place.

 

Travelling as a triathlete - with bike bag / box in hand – is the worst kind. I used to compare the bike to a boat anchor, and that’s before airlines have an opportunity to charge like a wounded bull for excess baggage. Fortunately I retired from triathlons just as they tightened down on excess baggage so mostly travelled scott free…and now travelling as a runner is blissful, literally without all the baggage and paraphernalia that goes with triathlons.

 

Anyway, this post was motivated by two weekends away in a row travelling to races on King Island and the Blue Mountains…I hope I’ll never lose my thirst for going places in search of new challenges, see new places, meeting new people, and more. And if I can keep combining those travels with sports events then that, to me, is nirvana.

 

Long live living!!