Travel Buddies

I am a lucky person to have found a perfect travel buddy who is also a perfect husband. I don't think I can put my finger on why we travel so well together, but it's just always easy. It would be nice to say that it's as simple as "we like seing and doing the same things," but there is more to it than that. He likes museums more than I do and I like churches more than he. But somehow, we're able to get past these details without noticing them at all.

Every now and then I have fantasized about finding another couple with whom we can develop a life-time travel buddy relationship. We've come across groups of people like this in our own travels. The group consists of two couples and it's the perfect set-up. Because there are four of them, they can break away and do whatever they want to do without feeling guilty about leaving anyone alone. If the husbands want to go see the local salt mine tour, but the wives would rather spend the day in the local market, then it's not a problem.

I LOVE this idea. The concept is perfect. I would love to find that special couple who fit our traveling styles perfectly. I think the potential for seeing and doing more and enjoying ourselves more at the same time is... well... there is a reason it's called a "fantasy."

Sometimes I think that my sister could be involved in my fantasy (hmmm... I don't think I've ever said those words before... it's a little creepy). There is potential there for it to work out. However it was NOT a match with her ex-husband. Definitely not. No siree. We went on two separate trips to Europe with them - one to Paris and one to London, and we clashed both times. Nothing major happened, unless you consider the passive-agressive-frustration to be "major."

Regardless, it just wasn't EASY like it is when Michael and I travel together. That's what I want more of... EASY... only with a slightly larger group.

Michael and I are now trying to decide details on our vacation plans for the year. I'm so excited about all the trips we're thinking of taking, but the big one is to Europe for a week and a half (I have to get past the guilty mother syndrom, but it looks like it's going to happen). We're thinking France. Yay!

And now my sister is with someone else. There is a reason why her ex is an ex. I like her new boyfriend but he has a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that rubs me the wrong way. He's fantastic with her and certainly doesn't have issues with me, which is great. He's smart and has a dry, but present, sense of humor. If I had to attempt at describing the je-ne-sais-quoi trait, it would have something to do with his confidence. He definitely has a lot of that.

Anyway, this isn't necessarily about him. Except that it is. My sister wants to resubmit her application for our Life-Long Travel Buddies. But I hesitate...

Though she's now with a different guy, one who I like MUCH MUCH more than her ex, her ex was only half of the story right? It's hard to decide how much of the mismatch was really his fault. I shouldn't even say "fault" but you know what I mean. Some of the mismatch HAS to be credited to my sister. Right?

Alas... I feel like we owe it to her to do a trial run. Right? I am hoping that we'll be able to pull off a quick long weekend trip to Oxford (for Michael's work) with her and her new beau. If that doesn't happen, or if it happens well... then perhaps they can tag along for a portion of our trip to France? I'm not jumping for joyful anticipation of this, but I don't have a good reason to say no. Do I?