Sharing trip details

We're back from our Route 66 vacation and settling into life off the road. The kids are eager to reconnect with friends so we have been quite social, which means we're hearing a lot of "How was your trip?"

I always grapple with this question. When a friend inquires about a trip, do they really want to hear about it or are they simply being polite? Let's face it, listening to someone talk about the pretty hotel bedspreads in New York and the bad meal in Dallas can be flat-out boring. Hour-long slide shows are even worse. (The beauty of a blog is that friends and family can skim!)

My mom developed a smart strategy after a vacation in Asia. She selected her five best photos and came up with a story to tell about each one. A friend says that he decides on the No. 1 trip highlight and only shares that, unless friends beg for more. Unfortunately, I'm not that disciplined. I tend to go on and on and then stop myself midsentence and says something like, "You look bored! I'm going to stop talking...How are you, by the way?"

I think there's a solution to this problem. People need to ask better questions. Instead of "How was your trip?," ask, "What was the yummiest thing you ate?" "Who was the most interesting person you met?" "Did you buy a great souvenir?" Specific questions like these have short answers.