the honeymoon isn't over yet

How do  you go about picking your honeymoon destination?  I'm curious!  Along with wedding planning comes the immense plethora of choices, which ultimately lead to "where will you go on your honeymoon?" Ever since I've become engaged, I developed a new personality trait I'm not too fond of admitting to...indecisiveness!!!


As if you didn't have a thousand other decisions to make, now the world is your oyster and you can go anywhere your heart desires (and falls within a reasonable budget)!

My parents are cool.  They essentially gave me a very reasonable, round number as a budget which should total everything for my wedding (including the honeymoon).  How we choose to spend the money is completely our decision!


Do we want to relax? Will we want to sightsee?  Do we want somewhere urban or remote? Do we want to sit on a beach all day? Do we want a short flight? I think the only way to get to the root of the true answer is, is the destination more important? Or, is time away from everything we have in 'real life' more important? I know what you're thinking! Seriously, what the eff is wrong with this girl?  Her biggest problem right now is what part of the world she wants to spend 7-10 days away from work, stress, and reality?  But hey! It's my honeymoon, and I'll pout if I want to!  Life seemed so much easier when my vacation destinations were decided upon my last employer and were actually "rewards" for a job well done.  Thanks, Cengage!


So what will it be?
Comfort. The perfect vacation makes me feel taken care of?
Relaxation. It's not a vacation without it?
Fun. I can always sleep when I get home?
Fascination. I have to be mentally engaged by the places I go?
Adventure. There's no point unless you can explore?


I don't know. There's too many choices and options to consider. Here's a number of destinations I'd love to see...

Tahiti - the Islands of Love. Where you’ll renew your soul and revitalize your romance, where you’ll honeymoon in exquisite over-water bungalows and sip cocktails as the vanilla scented air lingers. You’ll fall in love with Tahiti’s beauty. You will discover that Tahiti offers many exceptional and unique activities to partake in - shark and ray feeding in the lagoon, ATV biking around remote villages, arts and crafts lessons, horse riding on the beach and hikes to dramatic waterfalls. It’s all here in Tahiti. 





How about a lake side vacation at Lake Louise, Alberta, CA?  In my opinion, lakes are idyllic.  You can do so much in regards to adventure (ahem, fishing) and water sports, but without the hazy, humid climate that goes along with tropical locales and beach weather.  Also, there is generally pretty spectacular scenery surrounding a lake.  I wouldn't mind checking this place out.  It looks breathtaking! But is it honeymoon worthy? I just don't know...

Ok, so I've never heard of this location, but I stumbled upon it when googling "St. Tropez."  Yeah, you can stop laughing now, mom.  I know that's out of our price range.  But you know me, champagne taste on a beer budget!  Fernando de Noronha, according to wikipedia  is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, 220 miles offshore from the Brazilian coast. The main island has an area of 7.1 sq mi and had a population of 3,012 in the year 2010. The area is a special municipality (distrito estadual) of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco (despite being closer to the state of Rio Grande do Norte) and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The local population and travellers can get to Noronha by plane or cruise from Recife or by plane from Natal. A small environmental preservation fee is charged from tourists upon arrival by Ibama (Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources).

But what about Spain, you say?  I know you remember my mentions of Barcelona from previous entries.  Yes, Barcelona is still on the list of possibilities.  How can we resist such a romantic backdrop that is home to some of the most influential artits of our time such as Goudi and Dali.  What's even more cool is that it's my motherland :)  Both of my family trees have roots firmly planted in Spain.  I would love the opportunity to do and see it all.  Perhaps even the Tomatina Festival that happens in Valencia every year.
 
Ahh then there is the triteness of Paris which is so overdone and the notion that French people (in Paris particularly) can be total wankers. Although Ian himself has French roots, he really has no desire to visit.  Perhaps we'll side trip to Nice if we venture to Barcelona.  Then, there is Mykonos or Santorini which would be idyllic and probably most affordable of the exotic locales on our radar.  However, the recent economic turmoil and civil unrest is quite a deterrant for the romantic little escapade I had envisioned for my honeymoon.