How well thought out travel decisions are made.

Many of you have asked, "So how do you guys choose where you want to go on these trips?"  

Well, it's not really as complicated as you think.  While in Australia, we had already begun the process of deciding where we would like to travel next.  Though the place I'd like to see most right now is Japan, we knew that after last February's trip to Northern Spain we wanted to go back to Europe.   Europe in the off-season was a great and relaxing experience.  We rushed when we wanted to.  Maybe it was just laid-back because it was Spain, but either way, traveling at that time to those places was really nice and beautiful.

Traveling to Japan for only a week would not have been a good option - too long of a flight and if I don't sleep, forget it, I'd be screwed the entire week.  So we discussed where in Europe we'd like to go.  There is a strong possibility that we will be going to Germany and Italy again this summer to meet up with Jess' parents, who are going on violin business.  Well, her mom is going for violin stuff.  Her dad is going because her mom is going.  He'd much rather stay here and watch baseball but I think once he's there and seeing cool stuff he's gonna love it - especially all the history.


We both loved Scotland and talked about that being the place to go.  There are a ton of places in the north - Inverness and the Highlands that we did not see when we were there in 2006.  So after some further discussion, we agreed to start looking for cheap flights to Scotland.


So how the hell did we end up deciding to go to England?


While Jen, Jess' teaching assistant from Western Australia was here in October (as I write this it's still technically October.  Ok it is October) they were traveling on the train from the city.  I was at work, which makes you wonder who else should have been at work and since Jen was on vacation, you can guess who I'm talking about. 


Well, I'm cruising through my day at work - and for those of you who know, that's just an accomplishment in itself.  I get back to my office and my pants start buzzing.  Jess is frantic on the phone.  I'm thinking they're involved in some sort of terrorist attack or something and Jess is like, "Quick, you got a minute? Quick, I'm forwarding you an email from cheapfares.com, there's a really good deal on the UK and I can't see it on my phone."


Without breathing, I sit down and start looking and click the link and go to the British Airways site.  There it is, what we're looking for, along with the message:  Book now only 3 seats left!!!  That stupid sign is flashing at me.  I'm trying to check the dates to make sure they are the ones I'm looking for.  I have two seats, it matches and we're looking good.  

Then there's something about the two free hotel nights that come along with it.  But they're attached to a package of like seven days all in London.  Shit, if we go I don't want to spend the entire time in London.  There's tons of cool shit around there that I want to see.  Well now I'm saying no, I want the flight but not the room and I click some other button and I think we're good.  So I start filling in all the necessary information and press to go forward and it's gone.  What the f*ck!


I call Jess back and now I'm frantic, "I don't know what the fuck just happened but all that shit is gone and it said there's only three seats left.  Goddamn!  I hate this shit!  Why do you have to call and drive me crazy here at work?  The deal is I tell you where to go and what I want to do and you do the planning!  Shit!" 


Well, I should have known that that deal was also off when the original deal of, "I'll make you lunch everyday if you clean off my car when it snows" deal died a horrible death when we moved in here and I'm still cleaning off two fucking cars in the snow!


So I go through the whole thing again and the flashing sign is still there, which makes me wonder if it's just horseshit anyway.  Oh wait, is Liverpool playing and where?  So I have to check their site and find out that that the second Saturday they are playing - in London against West Ham - so, I gotta change the dates and hope the fares are good.  Normally I like to come home a day early just to chill out but screw that, there's a chance to see them play, and even though it's not at Anfield, it's Upton Park, I don't care!  I go through it all again and I'm waiting for it to process.   I'm stressed the hell out, the bell is ringing and we need to get down to the lunchroom - it's like a heart attack victim, any delays and there can be a major catastrophe!  


And, we're good.  We have the flights and we're going to London.  Friday to Sunday of February break.


Didn't we agree on Scotland?