Exotic Vacations

TJ and I were ranking the places in Europe that we want to go last night as we never know when the company will send us elsewhere, when he mentioned that day was a German friend of ours last day before she and her boyfriend went on a three week vacation. I was kind of disappointed because I thought it would be fun to do the German Karnival thing with them this weekend...but I was definintely a little surprised when he told me where they were going. They are going to Vietnam. Cambodia, and Malaysia...and yes this is a vacation. I remember them talking to us about it before and I was nearly shocked...now I am a little more open-minded...but I don't know if I am that open-minded! They had said that they prefer exotic vacations of places that most people would not think of going, and to myself I was thinking, "and you certainly have accomplished that"! I can't wait for them to return so we can have them over and listen to their experiences and look at pictures.
I am starting to get braver as well. I am not doing anything crazy-like camping, but I have agreed to stay in a communal room with ten other people (we know them) on our ski trip next weekend...and believe me that is a big deal. But I decided that when we travel with Germans we should "do as the Germans do". I have also made the concious decision to go to India or Russia with TJ, if he goes on business again. There was a time when I would have been to scared to go to Moscow or too emotionally sheltered to experience India, but like I said I am getting braver and a tad more curious.
With that being said...none of the places we have decided to go this year are at all exotic- at least not in the terms our friends think is exotic. Besides the Dusseldorf and Spain-French Riviera-Sardinia-Sicily trip, nothing has even been booked yet....but I will keep you posted!
Auf Wiedersehen