TRIP PLANNING

This planning for my vacation is driving me nuts. I’m having to juggle several different parameters and they all have to fit together before I can go anywhere.

First and foremost is the American Airlines Advantage Miles I’m redeeming from my mother. This is where my free ticket is coming from. Unfortunately, because it’s the summer, I’m booking so late, and since AA makes no money off my ticket, there are a mountain of restrictions on where I can go. For example, I cannot fly to San Francisco anytime soon. Nor is Hawaii or Las Vegas available.

Second, even if I can get a flight somewhere, I then need a hotel with openings for my travel date. On top of that, the hotel has to be reasonably price, which leads me to my third parameter.

Third, I’m fucking dirt poor. I’ve been working all summer just to make tuition for first term. First term! I have no clue how I’ll pay for tuition in January. So let’s look at this. After subtracting tuition from my current bank balances plus my last paycheque, I’ll have about $700 in cash. Yeah, that seems like a lot for a vacation, but keep in mind these things. I can’t come home penniless for the start of the school year. I need $$$ to pay for things like, I don’t know, oh books, pizza, groceries, the telephone bill, and all of sorts random shit you need. Let’s not also forget that I have a Visa balance that totals in the thousands. Oh, and my periodontist wants a full workup on my gums… cost? $200.

Yeah, I hear you saying, “Erwin, you’ll be a teaching assistant in September!” Ok, that is true, but remember that’s barely $500 a month, and I think it’ll be two weeks into September before I see any of that.

Part of me is thinking I should screw the vacation and just stay home. Get lots of sleep which I haven’t been getting all summer. Go to movies during the day. Go out for dinner and drinks at night. Buy stuff with the power of my Canadian dollar. Be a tourist in my own city.

I bought a lottery ticket today, hoping to solve all my problems. It wasn’t the solution. I hate travelling when you’re poor. It’s a wonder that I had a bank account balance with five digits just a year ago. Geez, I’m watching Farley play Matt Foley on TV right now. I’ll be damned if I don’t wind up in a van by a river when I’m 35.