Travel Vlogging

Vicariously, indirectly, enjoyable.....

So I have been laid up inbed for a week or more. Well, not strictly in bed. I will tell you. I had a hysterectomy the week before Thanksgiving. (Nothing scary, just age- but ahem, not gonna say “old age,” because I am NOT old, I am preserved like a fine wine.) Yes, I can walk around and it is even encouraged by the doctor. Staying only in bed is not a good way to heal. I even get to walk on the treadmill for a bit each day.

Listen, anyone who knows me knows that exercise was a big part of my life, especially the Peloton. Unfortunately, though, the bike is out for the next 2 months at least, the doctor told me. Funnily, the walking on the treadmill took alot out of me, though. I am up to 30 minutes at a pace of 1.2 mph. Yeah, its slow going and yes it is tiring, but I enjoy the time on the treadmill. Most of all it breaks up the monotony.

I actually was arguing with the doctor before the surgery why I couldn’t exercise on the arc trainer. If she didn’t want me on the bike, ok, its alot of up and down and sideways and whatnot. But what is the difference between walking in a straight line and just shushing your feet? She said it had to do with the stitches inside your body and not with the stitches you can see. And yes I listened. And of course, she was correct. The treadmill is enough for now.

Meanwhile, I am bored. Yes, really bored. I never realized how active I was until I simply sit quiet all day. Apart from my job, which I took a leave of absence from, I used to take the boys to different activities, run other errands, clean around the kitchen (the boys do the laundry, clean the bathrooms, vacuum and help outside with lawn maintenance) and upkeep my bedroom. I used to also cook dinner every night except on the weekends. That was for the mens in the house to handle. So, I am not doing any of those things right now. I have given directions on the typical things I used to do, but for the most part I sit quiet and read, or stream. (Eventually though, all the shows do end up melding together into one big whodunit, or medical mystery show.)

So this is when I decided to checkout some more interesting Vloggers on YouTube. Now, I don’t use TikTok. It never held any interest for me. In fact, once I heard about the ChiCom influence I simply wasn’t interested. If I was going to have my data stolen, then it was going to be stolen by “good old california tech bros,” I decided. Gotta keep up that pro-American nationalism as much as I can.

(All kidding aside, I support the forced sale of Bytedance to an American company. The Chinese government does not have a right to our information. Yes, I believe it is a national security issue. That this is even a lawsuit right now in the US, where in China the government would just do as it pleased, shows both the strength of our freedoms in the US and the stupidity of not keeping an enemy nation in check. I also understand that a Chinese company is buying up farmland near our military bases in the north of the country, and suing because there is a movement to put a stop to it. And believe you me, when I say, China is not our friend. )

In the meantime, I have discovered travel vloggers. I am actually enjoying myself. They show you what it’s like to travel on some of the most luxurious vacations ever. The vacations you dream about actually. I find that I really like looking at the hotel rooms, the excursions and the meals. Except I have yet to figure out how they eat all that food and stay so slim. (If I have too much oatmeal one day my stomach pooches-despite all the ab crunches I’ve done- and the thought of fitting into any of my clothes is wishful thinking.)

I just watched a vlogger spend time in every 5 star hotel in Dubai. Then there was the Orient Express, the train travel in India, Thailand and even train travel through the US and Canada. There were the amazing hotels in Paris and London. I have watched Vlogs about cruises and l learned the difference between a cruise ship and an ocean liner. (I am sorry I do not understand cruising. Despite the fact that everything is beautiful, fun and top notch, you are still on the ocean and there are things in the ocean that will eat you.)

I have been watching vlogs about Christmas shopping in London and especially at Harrods, Liberty, Selfridges, and Fortnum and Mason. I would have to say Harrods does look like the best and the most whimsical. They also did have chocolate Hanukkah gelt at Harrods, but they didn't call it Hanukkah gelt. In fact, it was in the area of stocking stuffers. Even the Vlogger didn’t have any idea it was not for Christmas. But I guess you could say since it was chocolate coins wrapped in gold in a gold bag, you could kinda think it was for Christmas if you didn’t know any better.

The latest travel vlog I just watched was about the overwater bungalows in Maldives. Listen at a point you do get inured to the service. You expect it to be exceptional and the food to be grand. But what I will never get used to is the beauty of the ocean. The majesty of the blue water as it hits the sand, and how it changes color, but yet, you can still see to the bottom. (and yes, there are still things that will eat you in the ocean even there.)

(My dream is to still retire by the ocean, no matter that hubby says that with global warming any house by a beach will disappear in 10 years.)

I do have to tell you that the best airline experiences seem to be flying first class on Etihad. I especially liked, the first class residence. As if, regular first class isn’t glamorous enough, this is a 1 bedroom apartment in the sky. Honestly, for it to be worth the experience you really do need a looooooong trip, so you can indulge yourself fully.

I have decided that when I grow up I want to be one of these travel vloggers. I have no idea how they afford what they do. Probably, as their channels grew they were able to get paid advertisers, and monetize their accounts to the point that the cost of the travel was made up by their earnings. And of course, if your business is travel, you can deduct all the travel as a business expense (well at least in the US).

I have to say that what I am waiting for now, is an indepth look at the newly refurbished Notre Dame. I have seen a few pictures of it already and it looks magnificent. I have never been to Paris. Honestly, I don't think I will ever go. But it is a testament to human ingenuity how they were able to save as much of the old cathedral, while updating the parts totally destroyed by the fire.

In truth, I do not expect to ever travel to most, if not all, of the places, I watch about in these travel vlogs. Not only do most people not have the money for adventures of these kinds (which is probably why these channels are so popular), but in the back of my mind I am always calculating how the staff would treat us if they knew we were Jews. It’s a sad realization of the world today that this amazing, wonderful planet, with so much beauty to offer, is marred by human awfulness. (And yes, I am obsessed about antisemitism, but I also think that it is a way to stay safe.)

Meanwhile, at present there are only a few airlines flying to Tel Aviv. El Al, of course, and Etihad Airlines. I guess I will have to go check out the Atlantis Royal or Mandarin Oriental in the UAE, and then hop a plane to Jerusalem. Well, not today. But I can fantasize, can’t I?

Of course, I can also just take a direct flight to Israel, from JFK. As a family it is the only place on our bucket list where we want to travel right now. Well, other than maybe the Breakers in Palm Beach, or a trip to a caribbean island. Ok, we just want to go on vacation damn it.

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