Departure Roulette Would You Say Yes

Departure Roulette Would You Say Yes By Amy WoodbridgeRecently, Heineken asked travelers at an airport if they would trade in their travel plans on a whim to play “departure roulette” â€" pushing a button and heading to whatever destination appeared on the board. Would you say yes? Could you let go of your plans, leave it to fate, and just say, “let’s go”?Take a look:I’m an avid traveler, and I like to think I’m reasonably spontaneous. In the past, I’ve left home to teach in Thailand in less time than it takes many people to choose a new color of paint for their kitchen. Watching this video, I wanted to say that I would go for it, take my chances on Departure Roulette, but I’m not sure that I actually would.The ProsI’m making the assumption here that the company covered any potential visa issues involved, and is only sending travelers to safe destinations. With that out of the way:You only live once! This could be the trip of a lifetime.It’s good to be spontaneous. I’m not suggesting turning your life upside-down on a regular basis, but being open to new experiences is important. Doing something fun and unexpected can often give us a much-needed psychological and emotional boost.It would make for a great story. “Well, I was headed to Chicago to visit my cousin, but I ended up in Bali. These things happen, you know?” (Bonus points for delivering this with your best no-big-deal attitude, like you just take last-minute trips to Bali whenever you like).The ConsThe downside to this approach, I think, is when it is presented to travelers: while they’re already at the airport with travel plans set. If someone called me and told me to show up at the airport tonight to head to a mysterious destination, then I think I’d go for it! But when I’m at the airport with my bags, I’m usually in one of a few situations:I’m flying home to see my family. No, it’s not as exciting as a free trip to Cyprus, but when I live so far from my family, I enjoy my rare trips home to see th em.I’m traveling for work. I don’t want to lose my job â€" I don’t think I have to explain this one.I already have a vacation planned. The last time I was at an airport, I was headed for a vacation that I was pretty excited for. Depending on my destination and how adventurous I was feeling, I’m not sure whether I’d be willing to change my vacation plans or not.Under the right circumstances, I would love to take a spur-of-the-moment trip to a mystery destination. There aren’t too many places on Earth I wouldn’t like to visit. Ultimately, though, I probably would turn down this game of Departure Roulette.How about you? How adventurous are you â€" would you go for it?Amy Woodbridge is a writer for Teach Away Inc.