You traveled WHERE?? I HATED that place!!!

I tend to couch my opinions as just that: "Well, I thought it was good" or "We really liked it" because tastes vary and I hate to set expectations only to have it come back to haunt me.

Reminds me of the time my sister wanted a recommendation for a restaurant in Little Italy (Baltimore). I'd been to Sabatino's and heartily recommended it. She went and hated it. Completely different experience. From her description, I'd wondered if it was somehow possible that she'd been in a completely different restaurant. But, no. Well, even great restaurants have an off night. That's why critics go back several times before they write their review.

Recently, a work colleague (is that redundant?? do you have non-work colleagues? hmmm) went to Sandals. Not likely because I recommended it but I'd been to three of them and raved about them in conversations. I worried that she wouldn't like it. Crazy, I know. What's it to me if she disagrees with my assessment. Still, I'd feel a little guilty raving about some place to someone and then they go and hate it. She didn't. She went to Sandals Negril (Jamaica), one I haven't been to, by the way, and loved it. Yay! Rediculously, I feel pleased. Pleased for her. Pleased for Sandals. Pleased for me. Go figure.