Surprise VayCay!

I've talked a bit about how a couple buddies and I have been planning on a get together.  We used to be really tight as we hung out together in addition to working massive hours together at the same company.

As the years passed, we've stopped working together and all moved away from each other.  One even went so far as to move to China for several years.

That friend is back in the States now, and while the other friend and I hung out fairly often, we still hadn't seen each other as a group for a long time.

At first, the plan was simple.  We'd pick a city, all arrive, and have a weekend blast.  At the time of this initial planning it would be easy on my part.  I had just started 12 hour shifts and had every other weekend off.  As in Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday.  That IS something that I miss about the 12 hour shifts.  But as good plans often do... they changed.  The friend that was close to me had to move about 1000 miles away.  We would all now be separated by massive amounts of miles.  Plus picking  up  your family and moving can be draining, so we put the plans off.
The first friend and I did eventually hang out in Chicago (and that was a BLAST!).  But we still intended on hanging out all together.  We initially put our eyes on June.  But between my now 8 hour schedules (leaving me with only every other Saturday and Sunday off), I would have to take some extra time off.  Summer is of course the time where everyone wants to take their annual leave, and being 'low man on the totem pole' meant that just about everyone could pick their time before me.

The next best time for me requesting time off became the weekend of July 19th.  We all agreed, and I put in for that time off.  It was far enough in the future that I didn't have to buy tickets or anything.  Then a few weeks ago one of the friends had to cancel that weekend.  No problem... I just emailed my supervisor and changed to the next best weekend for us... the weekend of August 2nd.  I didn't hear back from my supervisor and just assumed that all went well with changing weekends off.

Then the new schedule came out.  She did get the email, but didn't get the gist of it.  First, she still had me taking the weekend of the 19th off (three days of annual leave).  Instead of her also giving me the weekend of August 2nd off, she gave me the week of July 2nd off.  Between the holiday and my regular day off I only needed three days of annual leave.  But if I took that week off AND the weekend of July 19th off, I wouldn't have enough remaining days of annual leave to take the weekend of August 2nd off.

So I went to her office and she was FAR more accommodating than I expected.  I got back on the schedule for the weekend of July 19th, took the weekend of August 2nd off... and kept the week of July 2nd off.  Why?  Well... why not?  I mean I'll get out of work on Sunday night and not have to be back to work until the following Monday.  I haven't had a week off from work (obviously I had a LOT of time off between graduating and getting this job, but that wasn't FROM any job) for years and years.  And even when that DID happen it was most often a STAYcation.  I stayed at home, watched TV, played on my comptuer, and really didn't do anything else.  It was because I couldn't afford to do anything else.

'Now' is different.  'Now' can be a lot more fun.

So Friend 1, Friend 2, and I all want to hang out.  Plans change allowing Friend 1 and I to hang out.  Plans change again... so why not go hang out with Friend 2!?  With the entire week off I wouldn't even need to brave the new world of flying (at least it's still new for me... I've never flown anywhere before).  I could just drive Fiona down.  The trip is about 1000 miles so it would be just over 16 hours of driving.  But that in no way scares me off.  Firstly, I love driving.  Seeing the landscape fly by as I travel through state after state is completely satisfying.  It wouldn't even be the longest trip I take all alone.  When driving an 18 wheeler I was 'on my own' driving 14 hours a day for three months.  Maybe I'd have to stay in a hotel one night each way, but hey how hard is that.  Stop, pay for a room, sleep, check out, continue driving.

I contacted Friend 2 and made sure he'd be cool with me coming down for a visit and he was fairly excited at the prospect.  It's not as though this was instead of us all getting together... this was in addition to that.

Then I hit the Coyote.  Fiona may well not be back on the road, and even if she is the thought of having an accident 'on the road' has given me plenty of pause.  So... I'm currently looking at flights.  Sadly, flying the week of July 4th is quite a bit more expensive than most other weeks.  The August flight should cost me about $250.  Flying the week of July 4th costs about $450 if I return on Sunday the 6th and $350 if I come back a day earlier.

Anywho.... I'm planning my first flight and my first real 'vacation' ever.  To say I'm excited is to completely downplay how I really feel.  Not only do I get to see a dear friend, not only do I get to actually have a 'vacation' instead of a 'staycation', not only do I get to fly for the first time in my life, this all acts as a validation of having this job and how it's changed my life.

I'm going to drop at least $300 to fly down in August.  I'm going to drop at least $400 to fly down in July.  I've just dropped about $600 on getting my car fixed (damned rental fees).  And I'm not even worried about overspending... I got this!

YAY surprise VAY CAY!