Work - exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil.
Daydream - a reverie indulged in while awake.
When I tell people I work for Lonely Planet, you can see their imaginations starting to spin. It's like they think I'm an international travel spy, seeking out the hottest new hotels, or that I spend my working week on golden beaches with a laptop.
Being an employee of Lonely Planet does mean a deep passion for travel - but those guidebooks don't write and publish themselves! There comes a point where we have to put down our backpacks and chain ourselves to our desks to get the job done. That doesn't mean we don't dream of travel...every day.
The salty crew of Lonely Planet share the travel reveries that get them through a desk-bound day. They just might give you some ideas for your next trip too.
Like to be anonymous?
Like anonymity, intrigue and dark interludes? Then take some advice from Amy - Project Producer:
'I'm [often] daydreaming about having a drink down Dame Lane in Dublin with my friend Soapy, for all rogues must linger in lanes. But sometimes I want to hide out somewhere eccentric like Sark or even become a number at Portmeirion. I think about hiding out in those places a lot. Especially when deadlines loom.'
Are you a castaway?
If Robinson Crusoe is more your style, take a tip from Errol - Acting Assistant Regional Publisher:
'Sitting on a white-sand beach somewhere along the north coast of Savai'i, in Samoa. Watching the tide come in over the reef, with a cool Vailima in one hand and a slightly bedraggled copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island in the other. Snorkel and goggles close by in case I feel like going in for another swim.'
Passion for fashion?
Follow Jessica - Marketing Co-ordinator:
'We discuss travel everyday in the Lonely Planet offices so occasionally my mind wanders off the job and I imagine my next big trip. During these escapist moments I am hanging out with young Tokyoites in the fashion-forward Harajuku region. My jeans and ballet flats that get me through the working week in Melbourne don't earn a place in my backpack. I opt to wear something cute/crazy to blend in with the locals (Little Bo Peep outfit, anyone?), in the hope they'll show me an authentic experience of their futuristic and intriguing city.'
Action man?
If you like world-class wind surfing and sunsets, check out what Marty - Distribution Manager, has to say:
'Having a beer on the rooftop of an apartment I stayed in on Maui, watching the sun go down through the palm trees over the water, after of course a full hard day of windsurfing at Kanaha beach - fantastic!'
Like the lure of mystery and history?
Ancient grandeur, 'choreographed chaos' and desert mystique get David - Trade Sales Executive daydreaming:
'Sitting at my desk with gloomy Melbourne skies out the window I often day dream of wandering around the Khan al-Khalili in Cairo. Slipping through the narrow alley's buying spices and stopping off at Fishawi's coffee house for a Hibiscus tea and a smoke of apple tobacco. Then a wander around the mosque of A-Azhar and the ancient streets of Islamic Cairo. Ah bliss.'
Want to talk to the animals?
Kylie - Administrator Lonely Planet Images, loves magical animal encounters and getting back to nature:
'I'd rather be in Indonesian Borneo, cruising down the Sekonyer River in Tanjung Puting National Park on a shady boat, peering into the jungle for the heart-stopping spectacle of a wild orang-utan eating fruit from the forest canopy.'
So where do you travel to without leaving your desk? Share it!
Lucy Birchley is a Communications Assistant for Lonely Planet's head office in Melbourne.