Off The Grid: Fellow Paste-ers Describe Their Best Vacations
Courtesy of IFC Films
What makes a vacation great? Must it happen in an exotic destination? Could it be someplace ordinary? Is it adventurous, relaxing, or somewhere in between? Should it be shared with good company or is it best experienced alone? In my experience, the unsatisfying answer is two-fold: 1) It depends on the vacationer’s values, which almost always change with age; and 2) All of the above.
In search of more detailed answers, however, I recently asked Paste editors and writers for their greatest, favorite or otherwise most memorable vacations. This is what they told me, edited for brevity:
Jason Rhode, staff writer:
“Went to Rome with family. All sober (mostly). Ancient people still dead. Bush was President. While visiting Mussolini’s Piazza, riot police emerged to deal with Italian protesters. Tear gas thrown. Escaped untouched. Then we found out riot police were staying at same hotel. In the bar one night, all of us having wine—police too. Suddenly one of the riot shields fell to the ground. Moment of silence. Then we all burst into laughter.”
Alex Crevar, travel editor:
“Hiking on the Via Dinarica Trail, in the mountains and across the Western Balkans, ranks high on my list of most memorable. The combination of Old World traditions, remote landscapes and being in Europe is a perfect combination.” (Author’s note: a man who visited every country in the world also recommends Dinarica.)
Emily Ray, design editor:
“My hands-down favorite trip was to Asia. I spent a couple months with my best friend and her family, who ran a PADI liveaboard on an Indo-Asian pirate ship. While aboard, we explored Bali, Papua and Sulawesi—one of the highlights of my life. And I didn’t mind checking out Namdaemun Market in Seoul, either.”