travel snob

i returned from cruising a few days ago and couldn't be happier.  sportin' a new tan, a sense of refreshment, and a few sneaky pounds, i'd go back and do it again tomorrow if i had the extra money.

i had a lot of thinking time while on the boat, basking in the sun and in my thoughts, meditating over several courses of perfect plates and seamless service.  i'll be honest: i spent a lot of time thinking up snarky thoughts about my fellow cruisers.  i'll get to those in a later post.

my self-reflection brought me to one of several conclusions, the first admission being this:

i am a travel snob.

without a doubt.  spoiled by my travel-savvy boyfriend, i have been enjoying a travel lifestyle which i have not earned, but have grown accustomed to.  and which i now have come to expect.  the bar has been raised, and it's set high.

i can't blame it entirely on any innate snobbishness.  i like to think that, in general, i have my feet fairly well planted on the ground.  but what's a girl to do when her consultant boyfriend can use his many hotel points to share a luxurious getaway?  should i stay in the holiday inn express down the street?  force him to come down to my level?

i don't think i'm entirely broken, and i know for sure that i've put in my time at the rat holes and hostels.  they're not all that bad, if you bring your own sheets.

if need be, i know i can rough it again.  give me a backpack and a hammock in a warm climate, i'll make it work.  give me a tent and an air mattress, i won't complain.

it's the space in-between truly rustic and luxury that, for me, has become unappealing.  

these days, business travel for me has become "roughing it".  hotel bathrooms with formica counters, the soft scent of dampness invading the corners of the room.  

i have a hard time not cringing when i'm presented with bed linens that aren't washed on a daily basis.  i'm not talking about the sheets, here.  i'm talking about the comforter.  give me a duvet, or give me nothing.  please don't make me sleep under a decorative comforter or "quilted blanket".  

i avert my eyes, when possible, from the unsightly air conditioning units perched beneath these hotel windows.  i make due with mediocre gym facilities, but i don't like it.  i'll make use of the bathtub with the shower head, but i may as well be camping if you're making me pay for this.

i have been spoiled from personal travel.  i have grown accustomed to gleaming white duvets and the choice of feather or synthetic pillows.  to fluffy robes and slippers hanging in the closet.  to hotel shampoos and conditioners that actually make my hair look good.

i enjoy the apples provided in the gym.  the complimentary refreshing facial wipes provided alongside the water bottles.  the marbled countertops and swanky decor.

reality really hit me in comparing my cruise boat stateroom to our hotel prior to boarding.  in the defense of the cruiseline, it really is remarkable that the rooms are as luxurious as any mid-grade hotel on land.  the view, for certain, cannot be beat.  the problem: i had been introduced the evening before to the W hotel in southbeach, miami.  and oh, what a hotel it was.

take a quick peek...

yes, that is a decorative light fixture hanging from the ceiling at left.  yes, that is a leather sectional beside the large ocean-view terrace, facing a second flat screen tv and a table laden with high-end licquor.  the shower had jets streaming from the walls and provided exfoliating facial scrub.

keep in mind, we did not pay $500 a night for this beauty.  we (he) used points.  but some people do.  and to them, it's worth it.

i know that this lifestyle will eventually come to an end.  i will trade these guilty travel pleasures for the luxury of having my man at home.  and i will love it.

honestly, i'm more worried for him.  he's used to living in these stunners 4 days a week.

we'll settle into real life eventually, and we'll work to lower the bar.  we'll focus more on each other than the swanky surroundings of glitzy hotel rooms.

but until that day, i am admittedly a snob.  a travel snob.  i don't deserve it, but i'm o.k. with that.