I think I got too carried away with the planning. From no travel plans (back then), I am now OVERWHELMED by - not ONE, but - FIVE different trips come 2012.
I should be happy, right? I should be excited! But instead, I am worrying about how much of my vacation leaves this will eat up; I am worried about how much it will cost me (travel expenses PLUS the unpaid leaves); but most of all, I am worried about how this will affect my work. I know that I've said that my obligations will be done by the end of 2011 (MBA - check! Mind Museum - by December! House - by January!), but in trips 1 & 2 alone, I will be using up ALL of my paid leaves, and I don't know if I can focus properly on a new project what with all these "breaks."
Trip 1: Honolulu, Hawaii.
I asked my girl-cousins to join me on my big birthday trip on February 2012. I was planning a solo birthday trip (see previous blog entry), but I thought Hawaii would be so much more fun if I spent it with girls who also want to let loose and have fun. :) The only week when all of us are available is the 3rd week of February, so it's cutting it REAL CLOSE to my trip #2 plans. I might have to fly directly from Honolulu to Melbourne. Jet-setter kung jet-setter! Hahaha! (Total VLs = 6 days)
Trip 2: Melbourne, Australia
A few days after I barraged my cousins with emails about the Hawaii trip, I received a message from my high school kabarkada based in Melbourne, Australia, that we should save the date for her wedding on the 3rd of March. I've been to Melbourne once before, with my parents, and Licua took us around the city, recommended a great steakhouse for us to eat in, and took me around the night spots. I've also been witness to her love failures and love triumphs through the years, so I am not one to miss her get married to the love of her life. Finally, she gets her happy-ever-after! :) (Total VLs = 6 days)
Trip 3: Boracay
Ok, remember that I mentioned in my previous blog entry that I've claimed my free Boracay ticket from my free miles? Well, I have the option to rebook it (for free), but I still do not know for WHEN the adjusted schedule will be. My dad's cousin is getting married in Boracay on March 8, so I'm thinking of making the most of my vacation leave and just go straight to Boracay after arriving home from Melbourne. But because I'll be gone for a total of 2 weeks for trips 1 & 2 alone, this Boracay trip will take the total up to 3 weeks. This should be fine, except that trip #4 is also 3 WEEKS LONG, and trip #5 is 2 WEEKS LONG. Ayayay. I guess I should reschedule this to another month. Question is, when else will I be allowed at least 4 days leave? Maybe I'll schedule it on the next long weekend. I have to ask PAL till when I can rebook it. Augh, what to do, what to do?? (Total VLs = 4 days)
Trip 4: San Diego and Florida, U.S.A.
As a graduation present both for me (MBA) and my baby brother Laurence (high school), my family is going to the U.S. to visit relatives in San Diego and to have some fun-under-the-sun in Floridaaaaa! The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, here we come!!! This trip is going to start during the Holy Week, so at least, I won't be shaving off too much leaves from my total. Oh. Wait. I will have already used up most of the 15-day allotment for vacation leaves in trips 1 & 2. So this will be an unpaid leave...3 weeks of unpaid leave. :/ (Total VLs = 15 days)
Trip 5: Holy Land + Greece + Turkey
My parents have been planning to take another trip to the Holy Land with their travel group, but it always gets postponed due to their busy schedules (my parents are the ultimate jet-setters, so they're always flying off to some out-of-the-country location for a business meeting, conference, or for leisure). The year it will finally push through (2012) also coincides with my 30th year of life, so they decided to bring me along as a 30th birthday present to me (hurray!). I'll be the only "young" person in their group, but who cares? I get to go to Israel, Jordan, Greece and Turkey for FREE!!! (Total VLs, approximately 10 days)
All sounds like fun, right? Bad thing is, I can't go to all of them. My dad is going to kill me if I take a leave for a grand total of 41 working days. Sosyal. So I have to choose a trip (or 2) to drop.
I was originally thinking of dropping Hawaii...but in my heart of hearts, I know that I am already set on riding the waves of the North Shore and I am set on swimming with the dolphins. So even if this trip alone will set me back A LOT of money, I cannot bring myself to postpone this birthday trip. I JUST CAN'T. :( Next option is Australia...but I also cannot stand to know that I will miss Licua's big day. How often will she get married, eh? Knowing that she's a very devout Christian, and her husband-to-be is a Christian pastor, I think it's safe to say that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
For trip #3, I wasn't really invited, just my parents. Haha! But it would be convenient to schedule my Boracay trip to coincide with this event because at least my parents are paying for my accommodations. Sneaky! And since the Melbourne wedding is also a beach wedding, at least I can wear the same dress. Thrifty! :))
I definitely can't drop trip #4, because my mom (efficient as she is) already booked our hotels. Galeng. :D
So I guess the only "droppable" trips are #3 and #5. :( Ok, I shouldn't even THINK of how much I really REALLY want to to go the Holy Land (and to Greece! And Turkey!). I shouldn't even THINK that out of all 5 trips, this is 1-of-3 FREE trips I would have had (how crazy am I that I am retaining the 2 most expensive, self-sponsored trips, Hawaii and Australia???). I should just drop trip #5, resched #3 to 2013 if possible, and finally BOOK trips #1 & #2 already!!!
I should also make sure that all balance of works are finished before February 18th. If not, I will be totally, totally screwed. CRUNCH TIME NA!!! To my family and friends, I apologize in advance: since I am throwing all of my money into my 2012 vacation-extravaganza, I won't have a budget left for Christmas presents. :D Kiss and hug nalang. :) I am also accepting donations to the "Sponsor Lesley On A Trip Around the World Foundation." (contact me for bank deposit details, hahaha!)
126 days to go till the adventure(s) of my life!!! Time to get crackin'! Thrift-mode and workaholic mode ON.
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Update, as of October 18, 2011.
Just found out that I can only rebook my Boracay ticket up to ONE YEAR after it was issued. I bought it last June 30, 2011, so I will have to rethink my strategy: either I go with my parents to the Boracay wedding (March 8, right after my Melbourne trip); or I book it on the only long weekend of June...June 8-11, 2012). Auuuugh. What do I do???
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