Hollywood and High Hopes: Part I

When the same idea  is repeated over and over, even if it makes little sense, you start believing it's true.Things like: the 100+ degree temperature in Arizona isn't that bad because it's dry heat. Or, that organic junk food is somehow not bad for you. Or, that falling in love while on vaction happens...often.

Let's stick with that last one for a  moment. If I had to estimate, I would guess there are about a million  movies out there that are conspiring to make people believe that love is just a plane ride away. Like this one:

And this one:

And let's not forget  this one:

But what happens if we really look at the data? Let's use me as the sample case.  In the last 10 years, I have on average gone on 4 vacations a year (pretty cushy, I know). Out of those 40 or so vacations, the number of romantic encounters I have had adds up to exactly...wait for it...one. That's right, my odds of out-of-state lovin' right now are 1/40. A totally depressing figure.

Yet, the idea of the holiday romance is so pervasive that it trumps any  evidence to the contrary. Last week,  I had designed a solo vacation for myself in Arizona that mainly featured scenic drives and remote hikes. I couldn't have built in more alone time for myself if I had vactioned in a monastary for a week. In spite of these circumstances I couldn't fight the nagging feeling that I  was the star of some Hollywood film, and I was right at the brink of meeting my leading man.

Did I meet someone? No. Do I still have hopes I might meet someone on my upcoming trip to South America? Well...kind of.

Now that's a powerful myth.