By Joshua Restrick
Picking a favorite or best gaycation for me is a huge challenge. I have been on many great gaycations that will always hold a special place in my heart. The destination is not what makes a gaycation great, it’s the experiences that comes with it; the flight, the romantic dinner, checking something off your bucket list or meeting that guy who swept you off your feet.
One trip that always brings back great memories is Cancun, Mexico. I will never forget my romantic gaycation there. Waking up to waves crashing every morning while holding my man in my suntanned arms… it was paradise. We did our first couples massage at Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Resort & Spa. This was a fantastic moment that I experienced with the first true love of my life. The Latin air was intense and so were our moments of passion. “Wow!” You say? I know, this should be my best gaycation ever, and it was, but it was my best romantic gaycation. Did I ever tell you about my party night in London?
London, oh, London! How I love thee! London is by far my favorite city in the world. This city knows how to make you have a great time. I don’t know if it’s the accent or the air that gets me randy when I cross the pond. It was a Saturday night in a fabulous city. My British friends and I go out for tapas in Camden Town before heading into Soho for a night of debauchery. After putting back enough jambon and bottles of wine, we take off on our adventure. Soho has that cobbled street, European feel, which reminds you that you’re not in Kansas anymore. My friends take me to LoProfile and the place is drenched with hot British blokes that I would like to ruck, but instead I put another cocktail in my mouth. The drinks kept flowing and before I knew it my friend, Ed was snogging with his friend, Jamie on the dance floor. I could not stop gawking at all the shirtless hard bodies that were around me. I almost melted into a pool of Earl Gray. Tea anyone?
One time I was leaving Barcelona for Chicago the next morning and was all alone. I decided to show off my chest hair and stroll out onto the streets of Barcelona. I was familiar with Metro and popped in to grab a drink. While waiting for my beer at the bar I overheard an American accent yelling over the music. “Where are you from?” I asked. “L.A.!” He drunkenly shouted. He was cute and it was nice to growl with a fellow American bear. We never became Facebook friends, but I will not forget that evening of partying with another bear in Barcelona. It was like being a groupie to a celebrity. All the boys treated us like royalty and in return I benefited from his tinsel town bigness. From what I remember, it was one of my funniest nights out in Barcelona ever.
My best gaycation flight was when my boyfriend and I flew from Perpignan, France to Paris. Little did I know that this would be my flight of a lifetime. It was my first time flying Air France and my first time going to Paris. It was our one year anniversary and we were going to do romantic Paris. I knew England and France were playing a rugby match there and I couldn’t get tickets before we left. It was a dream of mine to see the two countries play one another, but I was not going to let that ruin our anniversary. We had a romantic dinner planned as well as a tour of Versailles. What more could I ask for? As we sat on the airplane waiting for take-off, an attractive older man, who was sitting next to my boyfriend, started to speak with him in French. My boyfriend proceeded to tell him that I am a rugby player back in The States and that I was really looking forward to going to the rugby match but couldn’t get tickets. The man reached into his carry-on and pulled out two tickets to the England vs. France rugby match. My heart burst with excitement. I could not believe my eyes. Fantasies do come true at 35,000 feet.
My point is, no matter how bad or great a vacation is I always look forward to the airport. It is my “me time.” I travel alone a lot and I like to use this time to reflect on what I plan to do or what I did. This part of my vacations always has so much emotion for me. Anticipation, tears from saying goodbye, a kiss you have been waiting two months to feel, and the eye candy. I love boy gazing at the airport. There are so many different types of men from all over the world in one building. Hola! Bonjour! Hello, mate! What can I say? I am very international.
There is always the thrill of meeting a guy on your flight or at the airport’s urinal. Whatever your fantasy may be, we all have made eyes at the gentleman across from us wishing for more to happen. Picture yourself relaxing with a sip of your over-priced coffee, when you glance up from your cup you notice the tall, dark man across from you serving you sexy eyes. You smile back. “WTF!" You shout. You dropped your coffee in your lap. He runs up to you and hands you a napkin. “Are you ok?” He asks. “Now I am.” You utter under your breath. He smiles back and asks, “Can I get you another café?” “That would be nice.” You respond with joy. “Attention passengers, we are arriving in Chicago. The local time is…” You wake up from your fantasy and realize that you will have to wait yet another trip to meet your hot Latin business man from Miami. No matter how far or short the journey, there is always a chance to meet someone that shares your passion for travel. Until then, keep your eyes peeled when waiting at that gate, make small talk with the model from New York who is sitting next to you on the flight or help the gentleman with his luggage that you’ve been eyeing since you left SFO. You never know when your vacation could turn into your best gaycation.