Sloshing through the swamps!

[forever_wandering]

こんにちは★HELLO★HOLA





M-san started working recently. In my mind, he'd be  so busy with work that we wouldn't have time to talk and my heart would break missing him and blah blah blah, but he's called me every day during his lunch break, so I haven't really had a chance to miss him. I want to miss him though. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder,"  or whatever the saying is, right?

We wanted to relax, so we decided to go to a park and have a little picnic 
After our picnic, we began to walk around and discovered a bunch of walking trails and even a canoe ramp. We ended up renting a canoe for four hours and it only cost us $17.50 each! It was pretty fun, even though I was scared out of my mind. The renter had told us that there were alligators in the water but I laughed it off, not expecting to actually see any...But once we were out in the water, we came close to four of them! Of course I started freaking out while M-san decided to try and follow them in the canoe. And then he decided to stand up in the canoe and would rock it at random times!! 

I seriously almost cried 
Once we were out of the "Alligator Zone " though, we encountered many different kinds of birds neither of us had ever seen before. At the end of our canoe ride, just as we were getting out, M-san laughs and says, "That was pretty good! For your first time canoeing, anyway."  Honestly, fears of being consumed by alligators and giant insects aside, it was a good experience--again, another first experience with him. Every time I'm out with him I end up trying something totally new and invigorating 

I really need to start planning the New York trip. I'm supposed to leave in two weeks, but I haven't gotten tickets or a hotel or anything like that. R-san already bought his plane ticket, but he didn't think to buy a ticket+hotel combo, so he's keeping an eye out for good rates too. Usually, I like to have all my travel plans confirmed at least three weeks before I go...but I seriously just don't have the energy! My social life has suddenly picked up and I don't think my body is used to it just yet. 

How early do you make your travel plans? Are you a "Leave it for the last minute" person or a "I want to get it all out of the way" person?  

Comments

[sillysoul.livejournal.com]

I gotta admit that seeing your loved one after being separated for a while feels amazing *going to see her honey in a few minutes for the first time in a week* But when you're separated for real you just wish that time went by faster! I can't believe I'm already at my limits after a week... -___-

That is such a sweet picture of you two! Also it looks really warm in Japan. Just amazed 'cos our spring is late as usual ^^''' I would've passed out in a canoue surrounded by alligators!!! How is that even legal, I bet they can smell human flesh and they're just drooling all over the place!! x-DD

I always leave everything for last minute so when it comes to traveling I can't bother changing my habits :-P I think it takes away the excitement of going on a trip if you start planning too early... or then it's just me!

[kurikuribebi]

Well, this park that we went to is in Florida =) We were visiting some of my family in Orlando. Right now, I'm still in Florida until December, sorting some documents out, and he's back in Japan.

I think they leave the alligators in the water because they aren't full grown yet or something. I'm not sure. But yeah, I was sure they could smell my fear. Maybe they were even laughing at me.

Planning a trip down to the last detail does ruin the excitement just a tad, but I never take it that far. I only like to have flights, hotels and transportation planned out.

[tristine-t.livejournal.com]

Ahh! I'm glad you didn't get eaten!

[kurikuribebi]

No one is happier about that than I am. Ha!

[nekohae.livejournal.com]

Definitely "I want to get it all out of the way". I always plan every single detail. Like when I was going to London, I had to go with one train from my town to the city, where I had to get to a train to other city where airport was...I even checked public transport buses to make sure how much time it'll take me to get to the airport xD; everything must be planned weeks before the trip.

[kurikuribebi]

Wow! I don't go that in to detail, but it makes everything run smoothly, doesn't it?

[heaaartbreaker.livejournal.com]

I definitely want to get it out of the way and plan everything in advance so I'll know exactly what I'm doing when I get to my destination but, unfortunately, my mom is the "leave it for the last minute" person. Even when she packs, she won't start packing until literally the morning of. She'll wake up really early and pack and then go off to the airport. I really want to start this whole move to Japan thing as early as possible so that I won't get stressed as the date (I don't even know which month I'm leaving yet! Thanks to my mom haha) gets closer ;~; But, as long as I'm under my mom's wings, I'll just have to do things her way lol

[kurikuribebi]

I also pack the same morning before I leave... But then again, I pack my suitcase a million times before I go anywhere. I can never decide what to bring! lol. Your mom often goes back to Japan, no? For her this might be no big deal. I know when I first went to Japan, it took me almost a month to get ready. Then when I moved over, it only took me two weeks. Then when I was going back after vacation, it only took me a day. The more you get used to it, the easier?

But I think you guys have to pack more than a few suitcases this time, no?

[heaaartbreaker.livejournal.com]

Yeah, definitely not a big deal for her especially because she's only staying 2ish weeks with me before she flies back to the states and yeah she's definitely used to it a lot more than I am. I've never traveled with my own suitcase because I've never traveled by myself ahahah I always throw stuff in my mom's suitcase and leave it up to her to organize everything.

Nah, I'm only bringing 1 suitcase. A large one but just one. The things I'm 100% I'm bringing are my nail polish, clothes and shoes. Even with clothes and shoes, I'm bringing the "expensive" ones and donating the cheap old clothes because I can get new clothes and shoes there. Everything else like books I'm just going to donate/sell/throw away.

[kurikuribebi]

Ugh. I should have done that. I feel like I'm living a double life. I have a full apartment in one place and am currently staying in another place with more or less the same thing. My room at my parent's house is almost exactly the same as my room back home, minus the futon.

What a mess!

[heaaartbreaker.livejournal.com]

Yeah ahaha I really want to bring a lot of things but I know they'll just be junk. Speaking of which, I really need to buy a suitcase lol

[kurikuribebi]

Ahaha. I don't even know where mine is. I'm going back home empty handed.

[edical.livejournal.com]

Beautiful photos!

And I tend to plan..

[kurikuribebi]

Thanks for your input! =)

[xiao-tsubasa.livejournal.com]

whoaaa! Did you get any pictures of the alligators? (more importantly, did they notice you guys in the canoe or did they just ignore you?)

and two weeks is still a long-ish period of time! You'll be fine. Probably. :D

I'm a leave it for the last minute person hahaha. The whole "I still have time" mind-set probably isn't a good thing...

[kurikuribebi]

I did not get any pictures of the alligators. I was too busy freaking out! XD. They would kind of just sit there until we got close enough that I could touch them with my paddle, then they'd go underwater and disappear. They weren't full grown alligators so it wasn't like they could flip the canoe or anything (Maybe I'v seen Lake Placid once too many?) but I was still praying to God to make my painful death a quick one. haha.

Well, I'm a last-minute person when it comes to school assignments and tasks like that. For travel though, that makes it more expensive!

[leafy.livejournal.com]

Aww it's always good to have the time to miss each other. Obviously you LOVE spending time together but seeing somebody after being apart is so lovely! Mitch and I never really have time apart, except for work. But when he does things with his friends or I do things with mine, we appreciate seeing each other so much more!

Oh my god! Alligators! You would not have got me anywhere NEAR the water, haha. Wow! But it sounds like such a lovely adventure for you two. It's always nice to have random little adventures like that that you aren't expecting :)

I make travel plans YEARS in advance, haha. Mitch and I are planning on going over to Europe next year in June/July, and even though we haven't booked anything yet I have it all sorted. We will book our main flights in June, which is the earliest you can book them, and we will gradually book accommodation as we get the money, because some places you need to pay upfront, or at least pay one night or something. I like having everything organised, although of course then things can go wrong so you need a bit of spontaneity :)

[kurikuribebi]

Exactly. I'm slightly amused at the fact that when he and I went to Disney, he was the one that stressed the importance of couples being apart for some time to keep things fresh, yet he's the one calling me every day.

If I had known the guy was serious, I wouldn't have gotten in to the water. No way no way. I honestly thought he was kidding!

I usually only plan a few months ahead at most, but for a huge trip that will be quite expensive, I could see how planning years in advance would help you make the most of that trip. Tickets in June are rather expensive, no?

[xbleedingheartx.livejournal.com]

HAHA! That's awesome that there were alligators. It seems like he had a lot of fun picking on you with them too. I'm happy it ended up being a great experience for you.

YES, you have to get planning that trip. I love planning trips but when I know I'm going to be going on them for sure I usually have them planned out 3-6 months ahead of time. Last minute trips make me crazy because I get so frazzled and don't know what to pack or anything like that. Definitely not the last minute type person.

I hope you and R-san find a great place to stay that's affordable and definitely enjoy New York. 2 weeks away! It's so exciting!

[kurikuribebi]

Looking back on it, it was quite funny, but at the time, I was seriously freaking out to the point of tears. He was in the back of the canoe so they weren't close to him. They were close to me. He'd even go as far as to point them out to me when I was calm, not having noticed them.

Yeah, I'm the same. I have to have everything scheduled ahead of time so that I can change things if I need to and have time to find great rates. I hate feeling rushed when I'm traveling. It's exhausting.

Thanks!

[countess-mina.livejournal.com]

Like REAL alligators?! Oh my tea! I would die out of fear! x.x Must have been quite the fun...

[kurikuribebi]

Yeah! Real ones! They weren't full grown but I was still flipping out like no other.

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

Well, I always have good intentions and want to plan ASAP, but esp. recently I couldn't. First because I didn't have internet access and now I'm just simply running from one trip into another.
Planning in advance is usually better esp. when you plan a trip abroad, but sometimes it can be great to do it last minute as well.
For my next GW trip I have no choice but to plan it last minute again! ^-^;;

Cute photos :3