What things people aspire to do baffles you?

[Soubriquet]

Currently watching Everest and I had to Google it because I heard it now costs a lot of money to do it. It does. It’s between $32,000 and $60,000 to climb the mountain in the hopes you make it to the summit and don’t die. To me that’s crazy. That’s a lot of money to risk your life and at the end of the day, all you can say is….i climbed Mount Everest…

Obviously, people DO choose to move to different continents, and it's entirely up to them; but there was a lot of uncomfortable watching when their wider families realised (but they often didn't) that they were likely swapping being able to see each other every week/month or so for maybe seeing each other properly a handful of times for the rest of their lives

Most of my close family moved to Australia over a 20 year period (no jokes about getting away from me, plz). I worked out that since she moved out there I'd probably spent a total of less than a year with DM in the twenty years between the move and her death. DB and an aunt/uncle, even less time than that. So it is a huge consideration - I probably visited every 2/3 years. My upcoming visit later this year is after 12 years of not seeing them.

There was an Iron Stomach competition when I was at uni. I don't even think the prize was worth very much. I had to look away. Just why?!

Copious photos costing £££ at your own wedding, never understood that personally.

Spent the money on nicer wine!

Professional family photos in general. Sorry that's probably just a personal preference.

True. F&B is runnier than other paints, making it a bastard to work with and you need more coats to get even coverage! See @0wlQueen's revelation about Crown matched shades.

I always think something like an author, screenplay writer or songwriter of extremely popular books/plays/films/songs would be ideal.

You could make plenty of money, but nobody would really know who you are - and certainly wouldn't recognise you in the street, or even care if they did - in the way that they do with the actors and singers.

It's probably me being thick, but how do you become a professional mountaineer? Who pays you and what benefit do you bring to their lives?

Sportspeople who provide a thrilling spectacle, I completely get; but climbing a mountain is slow and steady, and it's not like you're actually achieving anything for anybody other than yourself - why would people pay you for doing it?

They're not things people aspire to though. Apart from holidays with friends and family, which some people choose to do, they are just part of life.

Any of the above mentioned extreme sports or treks. I'm just not that way inclined- never have been

Expensive handbags or sunglasses- I get mine in TK max, look good- do the job designed for- I just don't get it

Holidays that cost more than a months wages each to places like Mauritius/maldives- I love a decent holiday and I like good weather but have had very enjoyable holidays in top end hotels in Majorca and Greek islands for way less - with more to do. To me it's an awful lot of cash just to lie around. I didn't like Dubai either- beautiful accommodation and good weather but not much else unless you want to go to malls most days and the food was overpriced and mediocre at best. . Its beaches aren't nice either if you do like lying around.

As someone else said very expensive formal weddings- after a while they all feel much the same -

I would probably not donate but I prefer this up front saying it is for him. I’m weary of people who want to be sponsored to do a cycle race across South America for charity where part of the fundraising is for their travel. Same with people without existing skills going to poorer countries to build a school. It’s a holiday- if you care about the cause raise money here for a charity that pays local builders there to build a school.

And relax.

I can well see a time when professional photographers - at weddings or anywhere - are no more.

A lot of their selling point is that they have a fancy expensive camera, but the photographing and recording facilities of most high-end phones is outstanding nowadays - and absolutely anybody - even a child - can edit and share them with no difficulty at all.

It always used to be that you'd get amazing photos from the official professional photographer and then a few OK-ish lucky little snaps from the guests; but often nowadays, the ones taken by some of the guests can be just as good - maybe even better, as they're more natural and not staged and staid.

When you consider the price that you have to pay a pro, and then they keep the copyright and gatekeep your access to sharing or printing them, whereas your family and friends will happily share them on SM and to anybody who asks.

The only big thing is maybe that you have a dedicated skilled person there to work rather than relying on people's goodwill and good eye.

Training and guiding other people up mountains safely I think. Plus maybe sponsorship deals.

There's qualifications and a quarterly magazine for professional mountaineers.

https://www.mountain-training.org/about/what-we-do/

@Guiltyaboutwork I'm with you.

We had a spate of these collections at work a few years ago. No, Hugo, I'm not sponsoring your trek to Kilimanjaro base camp. Pay for your own holiday. These "charity" types never seem so keen on donating their time and money to, say, a youth club in Hackney.

I don't know, for anything important to me I'd want a professional photographer for their eye.

Plus like all trends, the fashion for "natural" shots will likely move on and be replaced by something else anyway.

May well be. But I wonder how many of us cling to the idea of 'must have a professional' even if our reason is only 'just because'.

We still faithfully buy the annual school photos every time, but I know a lot of people don't bother now - as they can get their own child to take time to pose carefully and grab multiple snaps before choosing the best, rather than 'production line' style, where they have 10 seconds per child and the single photo that's taken is it. I know that's not quite as 'big' as a wedding, mind.

Bloody underwater caving. Just watching clips of people doing it with their oxygen tanks on their backs and squeezing themselves through tiny crevices under tons of ominous rock makes me feel slightly sick. If someone offered me a million pounds I wouldn’t do it. I physically couldn’t - I’d probably pass out with fear before I even got the equipment on.

You hire professional photographer as your niece will not know whem to usher who to be part of photo and what moments need to be captured.

People at the wedding want to have fun, not to take beautiful insta ready shots of cake cutting positioned so bride is not goblin blue due to lightning and groom got eyes open.

Fine if you don't care about wedding photos but suggesting that guests who already forked out for travel, clothes and gift should also act as photographers is just silly.

I mean, just why?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12721583/amp/caver-nearly-drowns-panic-air.html

Do you not think that sounds like a fun way to wind down after a stressful week in the office then?

Marathons

@dreamfield

Honestly, it scares the living daylights out of me - some people have nerves of steel

Yeh I think I'm going to have nightmares about that video.

Actually deliberately holidaying in Dubai. I judge Dubai regulars, it says a lot about a person.

I don't get huge cars. I get the advantage of being higher up but I'd feel like a right awkward pillock in passing situations - I have a small car and I can't imagine being in something sprawling driving down little streets of terraces with cars parked on the street. Which is pretty much all of where I live and drive. I can see that they'd be fun, comfy, nice to drive... but I'd feel like I was in a one car motorcade or something. Years ago my Dad's cousin (US based) came to see us in a huge truck thing, before they really existed here, and it looked like a monster truck parked outside my Nana's house. So overt. (I have no idea how he got it over here, actually.) Gradual shifting perceptions mean it wouldn't be so weird now.

I got part way into the video about the Nutty Putty Cave
Jon Jones a 26yo medical student in 2009 in Utah

If you want to look it up - be warned .
I got part way and even from the safety of my chair I felt physically sick

So what do you aspire to? Because perhaps yours are ridiculous to others, whether free or not.
And presumably you leave no mess anywhere. At all. Ever