Planning a Trip

I'm going on my own, which removes much of the stress.  I love my husband dearly, but travel is not his forte.  On trips like these, I'm better off alone.

It takes a whole day to get from Tucson to New York City.  When we decided to move here, it was possible to fly on Jet Blue direct from Tucson International Airport to JFK.  That lasted for a few months; the flights were cancelled as soon as we unpacked the last bag.  American ignores us, too; forcing me to change planes in Dallas or Chicago.  I pick the trips with the best connections, and travel early enough in the day to change my plans if I'm delayed.

These are the things which put TBG over the edge.  Alone, I can manage my anxiety without having to consider another person.  For me, that makes all the difference.

I'm traveling between Long Island and Manhattan and I'm trying to avoid renting a car. I have people who will willingly drive me between destinations, but I have to be within a reasonable distance.

I have people with whom I can stay, saving hotel fees and maximizing my pleasure.  If only it were possible to get between Kings Point, Bethpage, and Long Beach via public transportation.  Somehow, the layers of railroad tracks were not considering my current needs.

Then, there's the issue of fitting it all in.  I want to go to the theater.  I want to go to MOMA.  I want to feel the sand between my toes.  I want to see my nieces.  I want pizza and Chinese food and pastrami on rye.  I have time to do all these things, as long as I don't mind ignoring other things.  I have friends and relatives ... and I have people I would just as soon avoid.

Since those to be avoided are known to those I wish to see, I am in a bit of a pickle.

At this point, I have purchased my conference ticket and the accompanying hotel room, I have an appointment on Tuesday and a place to sleep that night and the next.  The air travel is on hold until 11 o'clock tonight, as I ponder the unanchored bookends of my trip.

Will I sleep at the Marriott near LaGuardia so I don't have to wake up at 4am to make my flight home?  Will I go out to Long Island when I arrive, forgoing the pleasures of the big city to make the next day an easier excursion?  Will my friends be in town... and can I hide from those I don't want to see?

Sometimes, in the planning, it almost seems easier to just stay at home.