[turbulentfurball]

I think I've just beaten my previous record.

I get almost daily emails from Ryanair telling me that I should book now for cheap flights, so out of sheer boredom I actually read one of them. I have a long weekend the first weekend in march, so I looked at where I could go.

So, now I'm going to Paris for a day trip. I fly there at 6:40AM, and return at 10:40PM, for the grand sum of 69p each way plus taxes; the total is £36.49. I'm going alone, I figure I should have around 6ish hours in Paris to wander around and take pictures before coming back home. I think I'm nuts.

Has anyone else done something like this totally spur of the moment?

[spikeh]

Dangerwank on the route of a foxhunt.

[psmith2.0]

I quit a miserable job once, with nothing on the back-burner. Just felt nice to tell a particularly shitheaded boss to go pound sand, and to be able to leave right then and there. Felt like 40lbs. was lifted off my shoulders (and it was when I first realized that I needed a theme song).

Second would be waking up one Saturday last autumn and drove all the way to Kentucky (via backroads) for no reason whatsoever, other than that it was a beautiful fall day and I had nothing to do and all day to do it. Was gone for about 16 hours total and had the sorest butt in the world from all that sitting/driving.



EDIT: I initially wrote several things, but I then realized the thread was asking for only one (but I still cheated and gave two...sorry).

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by turbulentfurball Has anyone else done something like this totally spur of the moment?

Yep. I was driving down the freeway in Bellingham, Washington, heading home after a month in the Pacific Northwest, when I saw a small sign with an arrow, pointing to the rapidly approaching freeway exit.

The sign said "Alaska Ferry".

My steering wheel, as if of its own accord, swerved to the right and I took the exit. I drove a few blocks to the ferry terminal, which was empty of people, because that day's ferry had just left.

I went to the ticket window and asked the guy to write me a ferry ticket for a two-week trip up the Inside Passage to Alaska. I said I wanted to stay a few days at each stop - at the stops that 'he' thought were cool and worth seeing. I let him make the choices.

He wrote me a great ticket. I stayed in Ketchikan - in a hostel in the basement of a church; in Juneau; in Skagway at an old gold-rush hotel; in Haines at a B&B on an old army post; in Wrangell, just for the day; and in Sitka at a hostel in another church.

While on the ferries, I slept (along with 50 other travelers) on the outdoor stern deck (in a sleeping bag with air mattress) under a sort of carport roof. It was a fantastic trip. And the decision was made in a split-second after I saw the freeway sign.

But hey, I think your Paris trip sounds terrific! Well worth the expenditure. I think spur of the moment decisions can be wonderful, especially when it comes to traveling. You are so lucky to have such fantastic destinations just a hop, skip and jump away.

[murbot]

I just finished college and was trying to figure out what to do. I got this idea to move to Kelowna, BC for a while and chill. I moved that weekend, putting everything I owned into my '76 Toyota Corolla. I remember my mom crying as I backed out of the driveway.

Long story short, if I didn't do that I wouldn't have met half the friends I have, had half the sex I've had, or met my wife. Come to think of it, everything in my life has pretty much hinged on that single weird spur of the moment idea. I really have no idea why I decided to friggin' move there when I had no job or money.

Weird.

[709]

Originally Posted by spikeh Dangerwank on the route of a foxhunt.

[turtle]

I quit my job and started going to college full time. Now granted, this took about a month to complete the transition, but the discussion was made fairly spontaneously.

I've also just hopped in my car a went for a long drive for no reason at all. I needed to clear my head and get some fresh air; it worked.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by murbot I just finished college and was trying to figure out what to do. I got this idea to move to Kelowna, BC for a while and chill. I moved that weekend, putting everything I owned into my '76 Toyota Corolla. I remember my mom crying as I backed out of the driveway. Long story short, if I didn't do that I wouldn't have met half the friends I have, had half the sex I've had, or met my wife. Come to think of it, everything in my life has pretty much hinged on that single weird spur of the moment idea. I really have no idea why I decided to friggin' move there when I had no job or money. Weird.

Great story, murbeau. I think the 'mom crying' part was an especially nice touch.

(Crying moms always add an extra bit of drama to one's significant life decisions. )

[turbulentfurball]

Heh. Your trip sounds much more adventurous than mine Carol! Was this in a break during college or something? You seem to have had lots of free time when this all happened. It sounds like you had a great time

[709]

Got a wild hair up my ass in my early 20s and closed my business, left an awful (in hindsight) relationship, bought a 1978 VW campervan and picked up a dog from the shelter all in the span of about 2 weeks. Traveled the USofA for close to a year self-studying American Indian architecture and mounds. My first tattoo was of the Adena's Great Serpent Mound.

I left so quickly that my family told me later they thought I was going out west to kill myself. Wierdos.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by spikeh Dangerwank on the route of a foxhunt.

I totally know I'm going to regret asking this...but I'm not familiar with that first word. I think I have an idea, but does someone wanna clue me in (so I know for sure).

Uh oh...



Sometimes being naive and innocent has its downsides.



*ding* (halo)



EDIT...OMG, never mind. thanks, urbandictionary.com

[World Leader Pretend]

When we were moving from Colorado to Kansas when I was about 8 I was watching my dad finish packing the big U-haul truck. When he went inside the house to say goodbye to my mom and brother, I snuck into the cab of the truck and hid. I ended up "appearing" after my dad got a call from my frantic mom. We were pretty far into the drive though so I ended up going to Kansas and back with him. It was fun playing baseball in random rest-stops and little towns.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by turbulentfurball Heh. Your trip sounds much more adventurous than mine Carol! Was this in a break during college or something? You seem to have had lots of free time when this all happened. It sounds like you had a great time

A summer break from school, turbulent. I adore the Pacific Northwest and can barely tear myself away when I go there. I'd want to 'live' there, but the freeway rush-hour traffic just absolutely 'sucks' on a permanent basis!

Yeah, adventure needs 'time', that's for sure. But with your being SO close to some of the world's most amazing places, you'll be able to cram in lots of wonderful trips and experiences in your long weekends. You lucky dog.

[Anonymous Coward]

I was riding my bicycle down the street in San Diego and happened to notice a Navy recruiting office ...

no more spontaneity for me.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward I was riding my bicycle down the street in San Diego and happened to notice a Navy recruiting office ... no more spontaneity for me.

Oops!

[turtle]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward I was riding my bicycle down the street in San Diego and happened to notice a Navy recruiting office ... no more spontaneity for me.

Amen. The Navy does have a way of limiting spontaneity! Since getting out I have really begun to look at how I can be more spontaneous.

Is that sad? I have to look at how I can be more spontaneous. I guess it's almost in direct opposition to discipline. My wife is much more of a free spirit than I am. Sadly, I have tamed her down.

[atomicbartbeans]

I asked someone awesome out... 10 minutes ago.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by atomicbartbeans I asked someone awesome out... 10 minutes ago.

Yaaay!

Good for you!

[Anonymous Coward]

Originally Posted by turtle2472 Amen. The Navy does have a way of limiting spontaneity! Since getting out I have really begun to look at how I can be more spontaneous.

Nope. Not me. Once is enough.

Right now I'm the opposite of spontaneous. After retiring, getting an EE degree after being a high-tech steam plant mechanic and getting frustrated trying to find a job with that background (I'm over 50), I've applied for an MLIS (formerly MLS, i.e., librarian) program. In high school, the school librarian let me do everything up to basic cataloging and that's what I thought I'd end up doing for a career. So, 30+ years later, ...

[pkatzman]

Originally Posted by atomicbartbeans I asked someone awesome out... 10 minutes ago.

Hopefully not online or in some non-face-to-face manner. I made that mistake and it's one I'd rather not repeat, ha.

[spikeh]

Originally Posted by pkatzman Hopefully not online or in some non-face-to-face manner. I made that mistake and it's one I'd rather not repeat, ha.

Yeah, it doesn't work.

spike says:
so wanna go out some time? like on a date?

megan says:
lol brb

*megan signed off*

--

*megan was last seen online 32 days, 17 hours and 23 minutes ago. (She told her family to tell you she was dead.)

[SpecMode]

Originally Posted by turtle2472 Amen. The Navy does have a way of limiting spontaneity! Since getting out I have really begun to look at how I can be more spontaneous.

I'll have to look you up in a few years, then...maybe you'll be able to help me out too.

As for right now...I work in one of those aforementioned recruiting offices; I don't have time for spontaneity!

[turtle]

I hope by the time you get out I'll have it down pat.

[Doxxic]

That was to decide to work in a youth holiday camp for 12 days, starting right that day, right after a girl I had just met told me she was going to do the same. I had worked there before; that's why they had no problem signing me in right away.

That was 11 1/2 years ago, we're married now, have 1 kid and another one on the way. :-) It was my best and most spontaneous decision!

[Anonymous Coward]

Originally Posted by SpecMode As for right now...I work in one of those aforementioned recruiting offices; I don't have time for spontaneity!

I used to have your job, I think (NF Recruiter?, 1989-92), but covering the west half of the district. I put a comment in the "professions" thread a while back.