Travel games

When I travel for fun, I always try to go places I've never been before. The actual destination doesn't matter as much as the fact that I'm exploring brand-new territory.

I have truly strange ways of classifying "brand-new territory." In the U.S., entire states are grouped together. For instance, I've been to New York City many times - so Buffalo is out as a chosen vacation destination. Miami? Sorry, we have cousins in Tampa and Gainesville.

For non-U.S. travels, I count entire countries. Mexico, for instance. Been there, loved it, don't wanna go back. Traveling back to Europe doesn't have a ton of appeal for me, but if I do go again, I'm skipping right over the room-temperature beer in England.

And strangely enough, in my weird little head game, stopovers count. Like, I've never BEEN to Mississippi, but I've driven through it. And I've never hung out in Texas, but six hours in DFW was enough to check it off my list.

The same goes for living situations. I'm all, "why would you want to move back home? You've already LIVED there!"

I am by no means a snob about traveling. I like going anywhere and everywhere - I would gladly take a trip to North Dakota, just to say I've done it. I just have this weird thing about not repeating my destinations. Deep down, I think it's because I travel competitively (just like I do everything else in my life). I want to say I've been MORE PLACES than anyone else I know. And I don't know a ton of people who have been to North Dakota.

So Brad and I are trying to plan out our vacation schedule for the rest of the year. We're going to Boston in August for Al and Emily's wedding (I've been there twice) and Gainesville in December for Christmas (been to Florida about 15 times), so we figured planning a nice long weekend around our anniversary would be a nice way to space out the two trips. Our anniversary destination only has two requirements: direct flights (after my luggage fiasco in Dallas, I'm avoiding layovers 'til the end of time), plane tickets for less than $200 apiece, and somewhere we can have a ridiculous amount fun over a three-day weekend. Oh, and it has to be somewhere that I've never been.

This is how our conversation went this morning.

Me: "Honey, Vegas sounds fun and all...but you know what would be even more fun?"

Brad: "What?"

"....Minneapolis."

"Um, sweetie? Minneapolis? Like Mall of America Minneapolis? Instead a city where you can drink margaritas on the sidewalk?"

"Minneapolis-SAINT PAUL. The twin cities. They're twins! Doesn't that sound really, really cool?"

Yeah...I'm crazy like that. Still, though...one way or another, I have a feeling there's a giant mall in our future.