Love Travel

Adult milestone today. I had my first experience in Love Travel. Um yes, I'm 34, but it's true, I haven't traveled out of the country with a boyfriend since college, and that was just to Ensenada. What took so long? I don't know. I haven't even been on a plane with anybody since the turn of the 90s—except Larry—and that was for business. I've been craving love-travel for a few years now. All travelers talk about it. How they're roaming around with this lover, had that affair over there, or even honeymooned for six months on a RTW. Not me. I've been love travel deficient. I've flown by myself several thousands of miles to get a little kissing, but never crossed any international datelines with a lover.

So, John took me to London with him. He's playing in the European Poker Tour and is just as excited to be able to bring me, as I am to go. This morning I met him at the Delta terminal of LAX (after flying in from OAK), and we headed for Gatwick via Cincinnati, OH. About 12 hours of plane travel. He's a bit of a softer traveler than I am and has difficulty sleeping, but we did all right on the flights. We're staying at the Thistle on Marble Arch, and it's nice. Traveling with John is always an upgrade. Our hotel is far nicer than a hostel, but also practical for where he needs to be this weekend.

Interesting things are already happening to us, and he's blogging about it since I don't have time. But here are a few of my quick takes on this brand new love travel….

What you wouldn't expect:
I carry my own bags
I let him tell us where we're going…most of the time
I haven't stopped working

The hardest thing for me to get used to:
Figuring out where I should walk. Sometimes I walk ahead of him, sometimes behind him. Neither feels comfortable, but in the Tube, there's really not enough room to walk side by side.

Making decisions a loud. It's amazing the kind of direction that goes on in one's head when traveling solo. For example, where to eat. If I were alone, I might wander around for an hour thinking about this while window shopping. But with a partner, now you have to think more quickly. Seems totally obvious, but for some reason it seemed new to me today.

The inner conflict of what to do when you have to kiss another guy in the presence of your boyfriend. Huh? Read John's account of what happened to me last night.

The easiest thing to get used to besides the mush:
Someone to share with. Obviously, all I've wanted is someone to share my excitement with. And it was pretty cool today when I took him to St Martin's on the Field, one of my favorite spots, and he dug it just as much as I did. Someone to laugh with is cool too, because he proceeded to make fun of me trying to buy my favorite pen in the St Martin's on the Field Gift Shop. Apparently, the one I was asking for was their worst selling pen, is long gone, and will never be sold there again.

Current Location: London
Next up: Cincinnati, OH (Oct 4)
My tour schedule...