So, advice--should I, or should I not?

[mmeeshal]

I would like to take a vacation...not a terribly long one, just a week, because I don't really think I can afford more time off of work than that.

 

I have a plan and everything, I'm ready to actually book the trip (flight+hotel), it's in the second week of June...

 

I'm just not sure if I should do it or not.

 

I want to go to Provo, UT, for a week.  Partly because I've never seen mountains in person and partly because DSage lives about 20 minutes from Provo.  He won't be able to get enough time off of work to come visit me until at least September, and I'd like to be able to at least see each other once before then if possible (that's a long way away, ya know, when you've wanted to meet for a couple of years already, almost were able, and then couldn't).

 

So that's why I want to go there in particular.  I can book flight+hotel for about $750, which is pretty good, I think, considering I spent more than that on DCon, all told, and I took a bus there (which was still cheaper than flying). So I found a deal I like.

 

I have the money to book it right now, I'm still living at home and I no longer pay rent (back to chores and helping out around the house), so I can save up my money a little more.  If I estimate about $800 for the trip, I still have about $500 in my bank account, and I have a couple more paychecks coming before the trip, plus I'll have some afterward.

 

My main concern is school.  I have to pay for a couple classes I failed my first semester, and then I can reapply for financial aid and start fresh in the fall.  I do want to do that, surprisingly, since I've gotten a lot of priorities sorted out since the beginning of this year.

 

If I take this trip, that does set me back a bit, school-wise, though.  I mean, with my next couple of paychecks I'll be more than able to pay off the debt for those classes, I believe, though I'll have to call and make sure.

 

I guess my main dilemma is this: I can afford the trip money-wise.  I want to go, I have reason to go...  I am just having a hard time seeing the downsides of the trip but I know there have to be a few, and I want to know what other people think--is it smarter just to wait till September, for DSage to come here, or is a week-long vacation in June, funded by myself, a good idea?

 

Obviously if anyone has any questions I will answer them, I don't think I've put all the relevant information in here but I put everything I can think of at the moment.

 

Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks! :D

[U4ea]

You're going by yourself, I take it? Here are my thoughts, in no particular order:

 

1- Is there a compromise? Instead of a whole week, can you make it a 4 day weekend, instead?

 

2- School is probably more important than a boyfriend and (from experience) I can tell you that sitting around for 8-10 hours a day while the person you went to visit is at work is BORING AS HELL after the first day. Once the novelty is gone, you're stuck in an unfamiliar place, afraid to spend money because you don't have much to work with and BORED STIFF. So, how much of a "set back" is the trip going to be  in regards to school?

 

3- See if you can get someone to go with you. They split the hotel costs AND you have someone to do stuff with so you're not going crazy for 8 hours a day while you're waiting on DS to get off work. The downside is that you won't get any alone time with him,  of course.

 

4- The sooner you book your flights the cheaper they will be. Try flying out on a Tuesday or a Thursday and flying back on those days, too. You'll be shocked at the price change! Hotels are usually cheaper during the week, too, so that saves $$! :)

 

 

Yeah, I know, a lot of that sounded like I'm against the trip. If it were me, I'd get my money for school first and see what I could do with the leftovers. It's a bad habit to start putting off getting caught up with school. There'll always be another reason/excuse to do it again and again until you're 30 and still haven't done it. This is why I don't have a masters already, so believe me when I say, it just gets harder the further away you get!

[mmeeshal]

1. Well, I could, but I'd like a whole week away from work; I'm actually wanting a new job anyway, I've had it with being abused by McDonald's schedule-wise.  I don't like overtime one week, then "undertime" the next. UGH. Main reason for taking a week is that I can afford it, and it's the shortest time I'd be fine with going away for.  DCon was fun, but it was jam-packed full of things to do so it seemed a little longer than it really was.  I'd LIKE to take a couple weeks off, but again, I don't think I can do that if I'm staying in a hotel, plus if I am stuck with this job, then blech.  They'd hate me. :P

 

2. Well, I do want to point out that it's not a trip just to see my boyfriend; in fact, we might not get to see each other at all while I'm there.  I chose Provo because it's close and would make it more possible for us to get to meet up than if I went to, say, Florida, but I'm taking this trip for me. :D  (it'll be the summer, which means he'll be pretty busy and may not even be able to spare any time to come to Provo so we can meet)

 

But in response to your school question... I don't know for sure.  I can't take classes again till the fall anyway, so right now all I need to worry about is finding out how much in debt my 2 failed classes put me.  Once I pay that, I should be home free to reapply for financial aid and to register for classes again.  My mom has failed a few classes, and she's $500 in debt--I could still pay that off right now even if I paid for the flight and hotel first.  I say it'll set me back just as a precaution--the main setback will be in saving for anything my financial aid might not cover (which at the community college really isn't anything--I don't have to pay tuition or for classes or for materials, unless somehow they don't give me as much money as last time), or saving to move onto the main campus if I ever choose to do that.

 

3. I don't think there's anyone who can, unfortunately.  I mean, I'd ask my dear friend/Twin Emma, but I don't know if she can afford it or not--I will ask, though, as it's something I'd never thought of and I think it would make the trip 10x as fun, especially since we haven't seen each other in a while and we MISS each other. :D

Again at the bored silly part...I plan on sightseeing, or relaxing.  I'm going on this trip as a break from work and the house, a break from the tedium.  While I still can.  I don't think I'm going to make it to DCon unfortunately because of school, so this is my chance to get away.  I shall be bringing my camera, I can practice my photography while I'm there. ;D  If Emma can come, that would be doubly fun.  And it wouldn't be so bad if it ended up that we don't manage to get together at all while I'm in town.

 

4. Yeah, I want to book now if possible to keep things cheaper, which is one reason I'm trying to figure this out now. :D  I didn't know about flights on Tuesdays or Thursdays, that is something to consider and I will definitely take a look into that. :D

 

I think you're right, though, about school first--I should call the school tomorrow, see how much I owe them, and then decide once and for all if I can swing this.  I think I will be able to, but yes, it's better to take no chances. :D

 

*hugs*

 

Thank you, Lor, I figured that I could ask about this here and be sure to have things brought up that I'd never have thought of. :D  I really hope I can take care of school and still go on the trip, but if not, then I will listen to you and be grateful for being able to get an education at all, since it's so important. :D  And just make a calendar counting down the days till DSage can come visit me. :D

 

I guess, thinking about it...if I need a vacation but can't travel, I could always just take a week off of work and go visit a friend nearby for the week...it wouldn't be as great, but I guess it would be better than no break at all. :D

[U4ea]

Or just pick a place that's closer to you! Flights are generally cheaper when they're closer, so you can do more while you're there, too. There are some beautiful places near you, you just have to find 'em! :D Savannah was one of my favorite places because I could make the trip in 5 hours by car (for $30 in gas, one way) or book a flight for about $100 (round trip). that left me plenty of money to do things with when I got here! OK, so Dana was here, but I love the city, too! The point is, it's 280 miles away and I could do it over a weekend for under $500. So, do a little search... what's near you that sounds interesting? You never know, you're buddy may be able to do things if you stay closer, too! Win-win!

 

 

*hugs back* I didn't want to sound like an old lady, wet blanket, dear, so I'm really glad you didn't take me that way!

[Bellanoire]

First off let me say Hi  mmeeshal , is it alright i call you M&M's? love nic names, second I'm Bellanoire/Nicci Sedai been around lol 1&1/@ deceads!my way of saying I lurk or just pop in on occassion.

 

Now i know i don't know You and you've probably never heard of me but i find i enjoy staycations better then trips, if i have a week vacation and money in my pocket i treat the area i'm in like i'm a tourist, anything within a 100- 150 mile area is fare game, you save the travel money from a flight, you sleep in your own bed which is fun, and the one point Lor made about making a habit of putting school off is so true, i'll be the big 40 next, *coughs* this year and have only just started to take a class or two, and fyi its so much harder to get yuor brain into learning again then it is to just keep on doing it.

[Nynaeve]

We all know you should just scoop me up from this forsaken land and take me with you. We'd have fun :P

 

 

 

Nyn

[twinflower]

ah Meesha my love!  *hugs and grins*

 

Ok I basically agree with the other thoughts here...but I will be the old lady and hopefully this will sound like wise advice and not a wet blanket!

 

First, baby take care of school first and foremost!  Not just the debt of the failed classes, but EVERYTHING!  Find out how much you will need for supplies, the class cost..all of it and make sure you have it tucked away and ready to go.  This will insure that you have it when you need it..and when you go on vacation, you won't have it nibbling away in the back of your mind, everytime you want to spend a dime for fun on your vacation!

 

Second, although you are saying this is a break for YOU..and not really about seeing DS..*grins*  honey that is the motivation for the destination, and really, it will be very depressing to be so very close to seeing him, and then when you don't...it would be better if you could make it a sure thing you will hook up when you go that far!

 

Third...you want to get away..but do you want and need alone time too?  It is usually a lot more fun to have someone to hang with!

LOL  You could always drive or hop a bus to OKC and hang out with me..except I'm not that exciting and OK is definitly not a tourist mecca in my mind!

 

Dearling...I so understand needing to get away from it all!  But I also know that putting off debts and school can be habit forming...I am estactic to hear you want to go back to school!  You are so smart and talented and have so many options in front of you...with an education in your resume you can do anything!

 

Is the remote possibility of maybe getting to hook up with DS really worth the cost of the trip ALONE?  or would you be better off doing something closer, less expensive, hooking up with a friend going to satisfy your need to get away?

 

Of course, whatever you decide, we are going to wish you well and fun fun fun!  *hugs again!*  I'm anxious to hear what you decide to do!

[mmeeshal]

Ahh, Twinnie, you have such a way of putting things... :D

 

Well, first of all, while I had such a temptation to just book flight tickets today and then take care of hotel and whatnot later, I first went and started seeing about school.

 

So I called them to find out what's going on with that, I only have to pay $219 and I'm good to go registration wise.  I still need to call the financial aid office to figure out some other details, but I'm pretty good to go--my financial circumstances are such that my mom and I both were able to get a lot of financial aid through FAFSA, and it covers everything at the community college because the community college is so inexpensive.  The only reason I had any trouble this semester was because I didn't register when I was supposed to and then didn't call the school like I should have to figure out what was going on.

 

Anyway, once I get the details involving my late-start classes and financial aid sorted out (due to circumstances I wasn't aware of, I'm still registered for those classes and am probably failing them, since I thought I wasn't in them anymore, so I need to drop them or else talk to the professors and see if I can work with them), I'm actually all set for now, since I wasn't planning on going back till the fall, and not taking any classes this summer.

 

I'm still not paying for anything trip-related till it's ALL figured out, though, because you are all right, it's important to take care of my education first.

 

 

As to seeing DSage...you're right about that, too. :D  He's a bit more pessimistic than I am about it, though--I honestly think that he'll have at least one spare hour during the entire week I'd be there, at least enough for us to see each other face to face.  But we don't know for sure, so while I'm still figuring school out I should probably talk a little more to him about that to help the final decision.

 

I dunno, really, about where to go...Utah seemed great because I know more people than just DSage there, I've never seen the mountains and always wanted to (and for our first real meetup DSage wants to come to Iowa, so I won't be able to see Utah then, either), and I want to go to college out there eventually (BYU has always been where I wanted to go).  But if it does prove a little pricey...I just don't know where else to go, though.  I don't have any friends that can afford to go away, as it turns out.  Since most of them have just been finishing up with the school year instead of working.

 

So yeah, I don't actually know where except Utah to go...  If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to them. :D

[Nynaeve]

I say take the money to the trip and get a tattoo  *nods sagely*

 

 

>.>

 

 

 

 

Nyn

Filled with helpful advice... and candies >.<

[Celarisa]

I'm going to have to go with Nyn on this one!  ;D

[twinflower]

*laughs and twaps Nyn*  you are such a nut!  gotta love ya!

 

*grins and throws an arm around Meesha's shoulder*

 

Well I did say I was going to be the old lady,  ;)

 

But you have added new details..you DO KNOW other folks out there!  So that is cool if you can hook up with them!  And as a Mountain Girl, born and bred, I can certainly understand wanting to see mountains!  I just know you'll love them!  :D

 

You know babe, if you could manage a tour of BYU while you are there as part of your trip that would be really good! I don't know where the school is, but if not in Provo, maybe plan to stay in Provo for a bit and take a side trip to the school!  If it isn't far..you could rent a car for a day and drive there even!

 

Have you checked wiht the other folks you know in Utah to see if you can hook up with them for some of the time? 

 

Good girl on checking on the school stuff!  *grins*  As long as that is taken care of..then I'd say go for your vacation!

[Nynaeve]

I'm going to have to go with Nyn on this one!   ;D

 

Ladies and gentleman, my new best friend  rofl

 

 

 

 

Nyn

[Bellanoire]

hell I agree with Nyn on this, get a tat! *w* we can even hold a contest to draw it and you can get the one who wins*l(*

[Celarisa]

My new motto in life:  When all else fails...go for the ink!  ;)

[Bellanoire]

mmm I have this thing for pain, guess I am  glutton for punishment!

[Nynaeve]

I just got a new tat today and it was wicked painful >.>

 

Fourth one  ^_^

 

 

 

 

Nyn

[Bellanoire]

I'm to chicken i still have virgin skin, I want my daughter to put my first one on me, a wolfs head, that she draws all the time

[Celarisa]

Yep, 4 here...it's been 4 years since I've gotten one...I'm thinking I need something to commemorate my monkey!  lol ;)

[Bellanoire]

omg you have a monkey?!!Love monkeys, but would never have one as a pet.

 

ooo your so lucky, or is this a figurtive monkey on yuor back in which case theres help.....

[U4ea]

monkey is what she calls her kid, Nicci. ;) Mine is a monster, hers is a monkey. *laughs*

 

And ya'll are nuts. I'll get around to a tattoo at some point, but I have this fear of needles that makes me cringe just thinking about it. *laughs* I came up with a design to incorporate everything I love into one tattoo, but, naturally, it's getting a little big. *laughs* Ah, well, I better get the ink before I get more things to love, right? *smirks*

[Celarisa]

It's probably a good idea...otherwise you might run out of space and you'll have to get someplace really REALLY sensitive done!  Yikes!  >.<

[Bellanoire]

rotfl I'm so sorry, i though you had a real monkey! rotfl, my bad, but then again i always called my kid my little spider monkey she was all arms and legs when she was born.

[Celarisa]

I think for me it's more about the fur...and the tail!  ;)

[Bellanoire]

hey a tail is a wonderful thing, a top made of rubber and the bottom made out of springs!*w*