if you are going away to one place for a month, you are going on holiday

[OrmIrian]

not 'going travelling'. Yes? It might be travelling, as in going from one place to another but it isn't 'going travelling'.

Sorry. Eavesdropping on conversation across the office.

I am a little bored. Also envious. As I would like to go away for a month

But a month still isn't 'going travelling'.

When I went "travelling" I wasn't one of those twatish types who have gone to "find themselves" but even I become a twat after spending too long on Thai beaches doing bugger all.

I can remember one Monday morning when we had just spent the weekend at a Thai rainforest and we were at a bus stop waiting for a bus to take us to Malaysia and I remember saying to dh "I expect people at home getting up to get ready for work are thinking this is one long holiday but travelling can be stressful too, I've got a terrible hangover from too much Singha beer, i've got no idea whether the bus will be air-conditioned, my hair looks crap and my rucksack is getting heavier. Travelling can be just as hard as going to work.

arf at Sidge. As it happens, the Maureens and Bobs in Goa refer to those on holiday for two weeks as 'tweekers' and look down their noses. This despite the fact that Maureen and Bob live in an apartment complex in Goa drink vodka lying around the pool all day with other expat dipsos and lead a rather static life

Arf at all. I did my travelling with a shoulder bag, so anxious was I not to be called a traveller.

My shoulder has never forgiven me.

Despite being (ahem) in my thirties, I tend to describe any long-term-wandering-about holidays I go on as 'having a bit of a gap yah'. I hope by this gentle self -mocking technique to avoid sounding like I'm taking it all too seriously.

A friend of DH's goes one better- his 4 week stay in a serviced apartment in San Francisco is referred to as 'living'. As in 'when I lived in San Francisco'.

That is not living you pretentious twat! It's a long holiday!

Oh, dear. I tend to count it as "living" when I've had a job there. Some of them only lasted a few months, though ...

Depends on the size of the place too....

I also consider all 'travelling' to be a holiday even if went on for two years.

I have slept in a tent in Britain at a variety of different locations. That doesn't make it travelling.

People travel because they are working, on holiday, visiting people or are refugees.

People who live in mobile accommodation for years on end are travellers, even if their mobile accommodation is on a travellers site in Kent and have never actually travelled anywhere.

I tend to count it as "living" when I've had a job there.

I think I would class that as 'living' too. If you have a job that pays all your basic needs, (rather than living off savings/credit) then I would say you are definitely 'living' somewhere, even of only for a few months.

(not a few weeks, though. That's a bit silly.)

Stayed at MILs this year (another country) for one month. It weren't no fricking holiday.

On holiday:

You don't take an apron, packet of J Cloths and rubber gloves on holiday.
You often need suncream and swimwear
Holiday implies a break
You don't generally fantasize about murdering fellow guests.

And while we're on the subject of holidays, it really pisses me off when people say "Oh, we're going to the Canary Islands this year".

Yes but we're going to La Gomera in Feb (stealth boast). Most people say "Where the eff is that?" anyway. End up saying "Canaries".

i classed myself as a traveller when i did my stint in south east asia and india after living in austalia for a year (yes i did work there) and yes would sneer at those who were not, they were ust tourists travellers were respected by the people becasue they stayed amoung the locals, ate with them and some even prayed, did yoga and meditated with them

of course it had an impact on me its like a different world wonderful and terribly sad but now in my more mature years i realise that i am no different in the locals eyes as those who stay at the four seasons. had a great time being pretentious and being a total prat real though :)