<$Tuesday, January 29, 2008$>
Dreaming is (also) free.
| I mentioned earlier that we're expecting another check from my husband's student loans to arrive soon. What I didn't mention is that we're feeling very tempted to use part of it to take a vacation. I can only bring myself to feel a little guilty about that. We haven't been anywhere since our honeymoon, and while neither of us are used to going on a trip either year, we do both work hard, and we're feeling a little burned out. Last year, all of our attempts to plan short weekend getaways fell through. Even an overnight trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the town where we got married, would be a nice change of pace. The check, though, will be large enough to finance a really nice vacation, if we chose to go that route. Of course we won't--we have too many other things to pay for that take priority, and the knowledge that we'll be able to afford to travel once in a while after our debts are eliminated is enough to help us hang in there and do the responsible thing. Still, that doesn't keep me from checking flights to Canada, where there are two different online friends I'd love to meet, or to California, where I've got another friend I haven't seen in years and where my husband spent his formative years. He's dying to take me back there and show me his old stomping grounds. Those trips are probably still out of our reach for the time being. We're better off keeping our heads out of the clouds and our tires on the ground, looking at destinations within driving distance. Of course, that conveniently includes a few major cities and a port of departure for relatively inexpensive cruises to the Yucatan. THIS is where temptation has the best chance of ensnaring us. Most likely, we'll be responsible with our loan money. It could knock a huge dent in our credit debt, plus we need to have some expensive tests done to our dog, we still need a computer, and I'm sure any extra money we have will come in really handy once the time comes to move into our own house. Even so, I'm about three Corona commercials away from booking a stateroom bound for Cozumel. Labels: disclosure, dreaming, extra income, travel |
<$Monday, January 21, 2008$>
Pets Allowed
| *Sponsored Post* Having pets can sometimes make it difficult to plan a trip. What do you do with them while you're gone? Do you hire someone to walk and feed them, or do you board them with a kennel? Cats tend to be less of a worry--put out clean litter and a week's worth of kibble and water and get a neighbor to check in once in a while to make sure they haven't managed to somehow burn the house down while you're gone, and they'll be fine. Dogs, though, tend to need more maintenance, not to mention more company. I've always had portable dogs, so whenever feasible my favorite option has been to take them with me. Pet Friendly Hotels can be hard to come by, so I've got plenty of stories of sneaking my chihuahua into hotel rooms by hiding her in my purse. If your dog weighs more than five pounds, though, chances are you'll need to find a hotel that welcomes pets. Taking them with you can be a bit of a hassle, but you'll save on kennel and/or dog sitter fees, plus have the peace of mind of knowing your dog has the best caretaker available while you're gone -- it has you. Labels: disclosure, pets, PPP, travel |