Leaving on a jet plane

 I’m getting ready for a vacation trip

This is the first time I’ve had to do it by myself. So many little details that we use to share.

I leave Friday – Fly to Miami, change planes, fly to London, change planes, and fly to Budapest. I start out at 8:15am and arrive at my final destination 12:30 the next day. I’ll meet my friends in London since they are starting out in New Jersey. The tour is nine days by motor coach. We also considered a river cruise, but Bill was opposed to that because he felt there wouldn’t be enough to do in the little towns that the cruise stopped at. Maybe my next vacation.

What will the temperature be like? Looks like 50-75. Uh oh. That’s a wide range and means layers of clothes. The booklet says bus can only take one piece of luggage per person – no carry-on! I have to have all the toiletries in my bag so there is more stuff than you would think for half of a couple. There are some things in the booklet I never would have thought of – bring wash cloths, soap and laundry detergent. Huh? American hair blowers are a no-no. A universal adapter for electronics is essential. I’ll bring my iPad and iPhone. Calls are expensive, $1.29 – $1.49 per minute, but it is only for emergency. Texts are 50 cents outgoing, 5 cents incoming. If I can get Wi-Fi, I will email. The bus is supposed to have Wi-Fi, but only for browsing, not downloading. That may mean I can’t send or receive emails.

Put a hold on newspapers and mail. Arrange for car service.

Money! We are going to three countries. Bill always dealt with the currency. He knew what currency and when and where to get it. He also knew what credit card(s) could be used. I read that we could use euros. Great. I ran to the bank and ordered some euros. They came in the next day. Uh, oh. I spoke to my friend, Maria (one of my travel companions) and she pointed out that although they use euros in Austria, if they take euros in the Czech Republic and Hungary they will charge you extra. Back to the bank to order Hungarian and Czech money. I also got a credit card with no conversion fee. If I run out of currency, the plan is to use a debit card at an ATM.

Bill was the one to deal with the excursions. Now I have to see what is being offered, figure out how much it costs, talk to my friends to see if they want to go and decide whether to go myself if they don’t want to take the same excursion.

I always get very stressed when getting ready for a trip. Now I have no one to holler at but myself. I am making a mess trying to pack. I guess I always did. But I am surprised by the amount of the mess. I think of myself as very organized. I’ve taken out much too much and laid it out all over the place and expect to whittle it down. I bought some inexpensive clothes that should travel well and are comfortable. I plan to bring a light down jacket that can double as a pillow on the planes. They said to bring hats and gloves. Really?

I played tennis this morning but will take the rest of the week off from pickleball and tennis. I don’t want to risk injury. I’ve only started playing again a couple of weeks ago, but I see a big difference in just the couple of weeks. Enough so that I plan on getting a better racquet. I bought a $25 racquet just to see if I could get back into it.

I’m a little scared, but mostly excited. I will miss Bill. I already do. We enjoyed traveling together. At least most of the time. There were exceptions. But even before a trip, sharing the excitement and the plans was a huge part of the experience.

I don’t expect to post next week, and will probably be late the week after. But I’ll be back.

Thanks for following,

 

Facing fear

I arrived in NY Wednesday night. By the time we got to my daughter’s house it was nearing midnight. But I couldn’t go right to sleep, so I read my email.

Surprise! There was a message from my friends that I was going to Europe with. They had sold their house unexpectedly (it was up for sale, but real estate is not selling well in their area right now) and they had to be out by the end of September. They’ve been living in the house for nearly 40 years and there is no way they could go on the trip. They would be nervous wrecks and would not have enough time to pack. Would I consider going in April instead?

I was disappointed, but decided to sleep on it before responding. When I awoke, my feelings about it were crystal clear. I didn’t want to postpone it. I would go by myself! The trip is by motor coach, run by Globus. Bill and I had taken a trip though Asia with Globus for our 25th anniversary. There was no reason I couldn’t go alone. So I emailed Maria back and said I was going anyway! I am thrilled that the decision came so easily because I had expected myself to be scared out of my mind.

I thought back to that trip through Asia. I remember two women, each traveling alone. One was 22, the other was 82. Bill and I were in our 40’s and the rest of the group was in their 60’s or early 70’s. The 22 year old was from Puerto Rico and had a full mouth of silver braces. I remember that because on the Great Wall, Chinese people were stopping her to take her picture. The 82 year old, Jane, was from Australia and used a walking stick. At one point, Bill and I picked a side trip that Jane wanted to do as well, but no one else. The guide would not allow Jane to go because it was too difficult. Bill volunteered that we would take care of her. But the guide rejected that saying it was our vacation and he could not allow us to spend our time taking care of her. That was his responsibility. But if these women could do it, so could I.

Most of the time the activities were group oriented. But there definitely were times Bill and I were off on our own. I remember walking through the streets of Singapore and Hong Kong. In Thailand, we left the group to visit a temple on our own. And there were times when the two of us dined alone. I have dined alone when I traveled on business, but never in a foreign country where I might not be able to understand the menu. I was not sure how I would handle those days. Maybe I could hook up with others, maybe singles, maybe couples. Maybe I would find myself brave enough to go by myself.

And then, what is the worst case? I could sit in the hotel and read a book. And since most of the meals are included, if I skipped a meal now and then, it wouldn’t kill me. I could even bring some protein bars just in case. I didn’t think it was likely, but facing the worst case scenario, and coming up with a way to deal with it, removed the anxiety.

Having just moved after many years in the same house, I suggested they consider having the movers pack the bulk of their belongings. It’s a pain at the other end because you it’s harder to find things. But boy does it save a lot of stress, especially when time is of the essence.

Maria contacted the travel agent. Once they found out the cost of changing their arrangements, they decided not to cancel. I’m glad to have my travel companions back, and glad to have had the chance to know I was confident enough to go on my own.