Gallivant. That's the 'word of the day' shown on my desktop homepage today. To wander aimlessly in search of pleasure.
When traveling abroad, I'd do that on a limited scale -- meaning while I will aim for the next destination on my itinerary... once there, I will wander for a half day or so -- no maps -- not looking for anything -- but just a lot of aimless walking, watching, and sometimes talking.
And y'all? Do you do it? Wandering aimlessly just to see what adventure might be in store -- be it in town, on trail, or off trail? Would like to hear your stories... esp. the ones you barely came back alive from!
EDIT: I'd like to limit 'pleasure' to the backpacking kind -- hiking or traveling.
-------------- The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page. -- St. Augustine
I like that... and I've been trying to do more of that on my trips. I am a planner at heart -- so nowadays, I purposely put 'blank spaces' in my itineraries here and there.
-------------- The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page. -- St. Augustine
Indeed - we usually have a rough plan in place for our roadtrips, but leave some room for gallavanting. Speaking of which, we have an upcoming roadtrip to CO next month! We are hoping to get to CO quickly, and that will leave us plenty of time for meandering on the way home - hope to cross a couple of NP's off my list
I like that... and I've been trying to do more of that on my trips. I am a planner at heart -- so nowadays, I purposely put 'blank spaces' in my itineraries here and there.
If I went some of the places you go, I might want a more solid plan.
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My backpacking plan for long trips usually involves something like this: "Point A to B. Got 17 days to do it, probably more than enough. Got a few potential routes sketched in, will see what the terrain looks like and decide from there. Might pick none of them and do something totally different."
Going off-trail, trying to micro-plan each day is beyond pointless. The plan would be worthless by the third day in. For trail trips where daily mileage is better estimated, I can be a bit more rigid, although honestly I prefer not to be. Most of the most spectacular moments in my experiences have come from entirely unplanned changes of itinerary.
ETA: On a road trip with my wife last Spring, we purposefully didn't pick a destination ahead of time. She decided "North, South, East or West" when we got in the car, we drove that way, and randomly picked exits until finding somewhere that looked interesting. Ended up spending the night in the woods outside Steamboat Springs and had a great time of it.
-------------- Wealth needs more. Happiness needs less. Simplify.
Spent days at it. Take camera and go. Amazing adventures.
-------------- "Sure as I know anything, I know this - they will try again...They'll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that. So no more runnin'. I aim to misbehave."
Gallavanting...just wandering about aimlessly for pleasure? A word most often used by movie critics to describe leading men in films on the prowl about town for gals.
But to address >>>"...Wandering aimlessly just to see what adventure might be in store -- be it in town, on trail, or off trail?"
Nope almost always have a purpose and have done homework. And when I find myself winging it, am likely to use my experience as a guide. But if someone brought me to some uncomfortable to this person urban place like Las Vegas or New York City, I'd probably wander aimlessly.
Gallivanting...just wandering about aimlessly for pleasure? A word most often used by movie critics to describe leading men in films on the prowl about town for gals.
Indeed... which was why I added the last sentence to my original post.
-------------- The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page. -- St. Augustine
-------------- "Mardi Gras is the love of life. It is the harmonic convergence of our food, our music, our creativity, our eccentricity, our neighborhoods, and our joy of living. All at once." - Chris Rose
My grandmother used the word "gallivanting" regularly when I was a kid. Most often she used it in jest to describe a neighbor that had driven the 30-odd miles to town.
Out in the country, we could gallivant to the neighbors a few miles away. But going to town was the extravagant sort of gallivanting.
Over the years, a bit of my own "gallivanting" made many a backpacking trip or hike all the better for those extra miles with the cool surprises. It isn't that I went to town, of-course. I simply went exploring.
Frequently! I spent ages 10-15 gallivanting the woods inciting calls to my mom from the neighbors when I graved the edges of their property in my search for self entertainment and I found a taste for it then that has never died! This is my favorite way to spend time and is my greatest form of play.
Am thinking of gallivanting eastward with BerryPicker & Rumi sometime after school ends... I've got the time off, but it will be a no frills sort of trip. Should be interesting to see what happens!
As I consider this, I'd like to add that not only do I not gallivant, I also do not saunter, stroll, amble or lolligag. I may on occasion trudge and I could certainly be accused of marching but that's about the extent of it.
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Not only do I gallivant, it drives my wife insane. On a trip, on a walk, on a paddle, makes no difference. I don't make reservations. Sometimes you end up sleeping in the truck or on a picnic table when you do that, but it's not a problem for me, in fact I kinda like it. My wife likes cruises or guided tours. I hate them with a passion! I don't WANT to know what's going to happen next. I don't mind being lost. You get to see things you would never have seen otherwise when you're lost. I guess the most dangerous part of my gallivanting would be my wife threatening to kill me. Sometimes I think she actually means it!
Absolutely. There are few better ways to take a trip somewhere, than by the seat of your britches. Footloose, and happy-go-lucky, free to follow your kinks. Traveling in such a matter liberates you I think, to match the flow of the trip. To better mesh with it's unique cadence. For every trip we take, there is a dance, and our partner, the trip, always leads. Thus, the seasoned traveler I think, rolls with the flow of the trip. Letting the trip almost paint it's own opus.
My pity to those who are chained with an itinerary, for nothing begins it seems until you get to the promised land of point B. Let it be said however, the journey and the joy resides in the getting to point B, and everywhere in between. A trip proper has it's own breath, it's own rhythm, it's own pulse, and it is our distinct privilege to try and clamber up on the board, and ride that wave. Oh I suppose it is well to have some goal. Some target on the map we'd like to go see, less we gallivant too severely, and miss that place altogether. That happens. I remember one time my brother and I were in a gallivanting mood, and we had a week off, so we decided to circumnavigate Lake Superior. The trip was outstanding, as most trips are. But by day 5 we realized we weren't probably going to make our goal, as our loitering style of travel had only gained us about 150 miles out the 1500 needed. We shrugged our shoulders, and carried on like we had, content with less, and absorbed in the moment.
But yes, I adore a good gallivant. And aspire almost always to heed it's subtle call. Lessen that is I want to actually get some where.
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