Getting "Clemens'ed"

 Random Observation/Comment #430: It’s always good to live spontaneously. Sometimes you just have to let go and do something crazy.

Def. Getting Clemens’ed.
Going on a vacation without knowing the destination until reaching the airport. Hazing from those who know are a given.

“Katie is getting Clemens’ed for this trip because she doesn’t know we’re going to Scotland. Poor Katie… Hazed on a blog post.”

Freedom, to me, is about letting your imagination flow and setting dreams that sound like they’ll be really cool memorable experiences. Control, in this case, is a huge part of that freedom.

For traveling, knowing the destination and the constraints are a part of a responsible set of planning and overall organization. In my mind, you can’t just do what the song says and ‘Let It Go’ if you’re traveling (unless it’s with a tour or cruise, but still you at least know what to pack). This is especially true if everyone that’s going on the trip is getting Clemens’ed at the same time. Katie will be fine because we can plan for her. The Bears and their papas, for this past Father’s Day weekend on the other hand, were completely in the dark.

I think it’s the unknown factor of being blindfolded into a situation that gives me that uneasy feeling. Is that adventure? Adventurous eaters still know at least what they’re eating (usually). Adventurous activities also probably have some mental preparation and small sense of safety. Maybe it’s just dumb — to use a vacation day and spend the time leading up to it being nervous and wondering where we’re going.

Well… Whatever it is, surviving it firsthand, I can say it was certainly different. It didn’t successfully show how laid back we are (because we clearly aren’t about these things), but maybe it did teach us that the trip isn’t about the destination. It’s about the company and the stories that come from our own adventures — whatever they may be.

A few common questions:

Q: How did we do it?
A: Conceptually, it’s showing up to the airport and buying the next flight out under $600. Realistically (because flights would be stupid expensive on the day of), it was picking 20 fun and not so fun places, and then letting a third party book the flight for us. They told us hot or cold weather and the time to arrive at the airport terminal.

Q: What did we pack?
A: To be honest, not anything different. I had a towel with me because that’s probably the most important thing to have on any trip. I usually travel with quick drying underwear and the standard layered clothing.

Q: What was the first thing we did?
A: When we found out the destination, we simultaneously thought the same thing: “What’s in ?” From there, we broke up the tasks so the dads booked the hotel (since they care more about running water and resort comforts) and the Bears picked activities/food places (because we have better taste than them). It’s everything we would do with normal planning, but on our phones.

Q: Would we do it again?
A: I think everyone on the trip getting Clemens’ed is not as fun as just one person getting Clemens’ed. There’s less hazing and more worrying for the safety of the entire group. (I still don’t know why Haiti was on the list).

~See Lemons Get Clemens’ed 

#travel #spontaneous-travel