DW Community Catch-up Thread (Formerly ‘Anyone going on awesome dates?’)

[ktfran]

I used to travel a lot more for work, and would occasionally stay an extra night or two if it was somewhere I haven’t been and have wanted to go. That’s the extent of my solo traveling, although I’d like to try a longer trip sometime.

[LisforLeslie]

@Copa – it doesn’t have to be crazy Eat Pray Love travel. You can go do a weekend solo trip. Either to visit a friend or just go someplace you’ve never been. Like Louisville or Milwaukee – you can’t stay longer than 2 days, there isn’t enough to do or see.

Pre-Pandemic I travelled alone a bit. In the US I always research to find the used bookstores. In larger cities, there are usually funky shops and independent coffee houses nearby. In smaller cities though, they can be pretty out of the way.

[ktfran]

Oh yeah, my solo vacation would def be low key. Not the big “eat, pray, love” thing. I’ve thought about doing a solo beach vacation for my bday in Jan. I also wouldn’t mine a solo luxury spa vacation. I’ve been eyeing one in NM. For a solo city vacation, I’d prob do two nights, three max.

Bonus, I’d prob do during the week when sometimes rates drop and things aren’t as crowded.

[Copa]

I used to visit friends in other cities a bit, but COVID and life circumstance changes (marriages and babies) happened, so it’s been a few years since I’ve done that!

This is totally different but we have a work conference next week/weekend and I’ll be staying at a hotel downtown in my own city for a few days. In past years, the conference has included a formal sit down dinner but the format has changed this year, the dinner is now a formal reception instead, so I’m waiting to hear if I am supposed to attend. If not, I am thoroughly looking forward to a solo evening in a hotel room. The hotel we’re staying at has a spa that accepts a gift card I was gifted for my birthday and I might spend that evening treating myself instead!

[hfantods]

Just catching up now, after submitting the days I didn’t take for vacation. We get paid out for unused days. I’m really bad at taking vacation, not a humble brag. I want to take more intentional vacation, even a staycation, particularly. Travel is also tiring and I always feel like I need a vacation after a vacation haha. But! We’ve decided to go to Prague and Dubrovnik in the spring for a trip/honeymoon.

Are you able to do a spa night, @copa? That sounds fab!

We are hosting my in laws for Christmas this year. They just moved into a fixer upper and cannot host. A little nervous but also excited.

[Copa]

Prague and Dubrovnik sound like a wonderful honeymoon destination. How is married life/cohabitation treating you?

Still TBD on the spa night. My company is the one putting on the conference. We do them twice/year, once in June and once in December. This one has a different format from pre-COVID and has so far been a bit more all-hands-on-deck. Even though a couple of my coworkers who are here from our main office brought their families and have some of their own personal plans sprinkled in throughout the weekend, including this evening, I still worry about the optics of disappearing to the spa when at an event where I’m technically at work, not a guest.

We hosted Thanksgiving this year. It was very small, but I made my first turkey and it turned out perfectly.

[hfantods]

We were deciding between that and the Greek Islands! Married life is good! I can’t remember if I wrote about it here but we moved in together while engaged so it was a bit different living together while not busy wedding planning. But we found a new pattern.

Hope you can get a spa night soon, if not tonight!

We have also never made turkey before. Any recipe? I think we might spatchcock it.

[Copa]

Ended up opting out of the spa idea when I saw the prices. My gift card would’ve covered maybe half and it didn’t feel worth it since I know they’re cheaper at other places closer to home. Currently stuck at our office for our final day of meetings and cannot wait to go home. This isn’t reaalllly part of my job, we’re just understaffed in the department that normally handles these things. These events are exhausting.

I followed this turkey recipe: https://downshiftology.com/recipes/thanksgiving-turkey-recipe/

[ktfran]

Alright guys. I’m riding Amtrak home for the holidays. First, I’m so happy the weather didn’t keep the train from running! Second, I downloaded several cheesy Christmas movies from Netflix to watch.

Did someone read this blog and write a movie about Robert? Because I’m only 15 minutes into “I Believe in Santa,” and it’s giving me major Robert vibes, but I’m guessing in this movie he gets the girl.

[Dear Wendy]

Glad you were able to get a train out of town, KT!

And I hope that Robert, wherever he is, is enjoying some Christmas lights.

[Copa]

Hope you made it to your destination, @ktfran! I’ve heard a couple horror stories about Amtrak trains not being able to handle the cold. (The route I ride to see my family sometimes has an 18(!!!) hour delay earlier this year.)

I always hope for a Robert update.

[Copa]

The update nobody asked for: I got a tiny bit of Botox and under eye filler this morning. Very quick, virtually painless. I can already tell a difference in my under eye area (and am really pleased with what I see so far), but sounds like both treatments take about a week for the full results. My dermatologist and her staff were great. I go back in two weeks so she can see how everything settled.

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