[ganlaw]

I think moving and experiencing the city and surrounding places for a few years is more enjoyable than short trips. I am now looking at moving to my 5th different city in 10 years. I spend my vacation days exploring around what is in my "backyard". Taking a 10 hour flight and spending a few days trying to see everything is not enjoyable to me.

[bilbo0s]

I agree with you about taking longer trips. That's always been my philosophy. A "short" stay in Paris for me is about 3 months minimum.

All that said, it's still travel. With many of the comcomitant externalities still in place.

[cafard]

This is much less an option if you have children, and probably less so if you have any domestic arrangement at all.

[0x445442]

For years I've been looking forward to traveling but the thought that keeps nagging me is the whole canned tourist experience which I hate.

One thought I've been trying to sell my wife on is getting a quality RV/Travel Trailer and tour the country doing contract gigs. This sounds similar to what you're describing.

[magduf]

What makes you think you have to buy a "canned tourist experience"? Traveling (in highly developed countries at least) is easy: buy airline tickets, book rooms at hotels or hostels in the cities you want to visit, then just go there and walk around and see the sights at your leisure, and take the train to the next city according to your schedule. You don't have to buy tour packages or hire guides or hang out with other tourists if you don't want to.

[Mountain_Skies]

That's an interesting approach. It does seem like one does need to live somewhere for two years to get a good feel for the place and how it changes with the seasons. Do you always move within the same country?

[ganlaw]

It has always been within Canada. I am looking at moving to the US now