With COVID-19 restrictions lifting (in many places), and people beginning to travel again, the opportunities to visit new places are plentiful. And, since it may have been a while since you have traveled, it might be time to plan that long-awaited super vacation. But, if you do, don’t chain yourself to historical norms. In 2022, you should consider doing something just a little wild and little crazy.

Indeed, imagine how exciting it would be to simply wake up one day, drive the airport on a whim, study the departure board in the terminal, pick one of the coolest-sounding destinations, buy a one-way ticket, and head to the gate to wait for the boarding call. No itinerary, no hotel reservations, no meal plans, and no idea what in the world you are going to do when you get there — wherever “there” is. Armed with only some cash, credit cards, phones, backpacks, some essential clothes, and computers (for those of us who are increasingly working remotely from home), it could be the adventure of a lifetime.

Depending upon the size of the airport you live closest to, the possibilities could be almost endless. Think about the awesomeness of visiting historical and storied cities like Amsterdam, London, Paris, Rome, Athens, or Green Bay? Or, if you prefer warmer weather, destinations like the British Virgin Islands, St. Barts, Hawaii or even Fiji. If you really wanted to stretch your legs, you might opt for destinations further away such as Dubai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Sydney or New Zealand.

If you were standing in front of the departure board at your own airport, where would you choose? And, remember, it doesn’t have to be only one location. Just think, once you arrive at the destination of your choice, having spent a few days enjoying new and exotic experiences, you could head back to the airport, and pick yet another place to fly. Imagine the cities you could reach from locations such as Athens, Dubai, Bangkok or Sydney. The possibilities could be endless. And, eventually, when the time came to return (either because your time off or your credit limits were depleted), you would have countless memories which would be difficult to replicate or replace.

As I suddenly wake up in a jolt from my own hypnotic trance and fairytale travel fantasy, I find myself standing before the small departure board in my own desolate airport in Milwaukee, Wis. Although the tundra outside the airport is frozen, the snow is drifting high, and the little bit of grass (where showing) is a dead and depressing brown, my options to escape are somewhere exotic are somewhat constrained.

My choices include Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Green Bay and a handful of other locations that are colder than the inside of my freezer. There are no Caribbean destinations, and no options for any place with a palm tree. “Maybe next time,” I mutter, as I slowly mope toward the gate of my real destination. I won’t share with you where I am going, but I can assure you it is not overseas.

So, next time you have some time off, think about the ultimate adventure in vacations. Take some time off, pack some cash, credit cards, phones, backpacks, essential clothes and computers, and head to the airport. You never know where you might end up, what it will cost, or what you’ll find when you get there. But, I can assure you this, it will be worth every penny.

And, if you’re like me, and your options are limited, you can likely always get to Green Bay.

Happy New Year to all — let’s make 2022 spectacular!

Where would you fly?

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