The Travel Bug

Its been years since I've gone on vacation. I've been on trips sure, but going to visit family is NOT a vacation. My parents invited me on a cruise of the Baltic Sea with them and hundreds of other older couples. Pass. My mom made mention of going to Hawaii with her, my dad, and my son. Which could be fun, but she says a lot of things and who knows if they will really come to fruition.

Throughout the fall, I had several thoughts of places I wanted to visit and always figured, "Oh I'll go with my boyfriend once I have a serious one." That didn't happen and its not on the horizon. I'm going on a trip by myself. I've taken flights by myself, sure, but had family or friends waiting at the airport to pick me up. This is going to be an adventure of my own.

I kicked around some ideas about where to go. I really want to go to Europe, but think I'll need to work up to that. So I started figuring out Stateside places I'd like to visit. Vegas alone sounded depressing. New Orleans and Boston were possibilities. Maybe New York? One of my degrees is in history, so I focused on cities with a lot of history. Going through the South and visiting plantations and civil war battlefields sounded fun, but a road trip that would be more fun with a partner. Ditto for a road trip through New England.

I settled on Washington D.C. I've been there before but didn't get to see enough. I'm confident I can navigate the metro and I know there will be more than enough for me to do, no chance to be bored or lonely. I did some research and figure a plane ticket will be about $400. Hotels looked to be the pricey part, but then I started perusing airbnb. I think I can spend a week in DC for less than $2,000.

The more I mull the idea over, the more excited I get. I can linger at a museum for as long as I want. I don't have to visit any site I'm not interested in. I figured out how to get signed up for a tour of The Capitol and The White House and The Pentagon. I'm excited for the adventures I'm going to have!