It's Really Getting Real

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance."

Bumper Sticker

Sometimes you plan a thing for so long you never actually believe it will ever happen.  You pick a random date, say "this is when I'll do it" and then go about the business of your everyday life until one day that date is staring you in the face and you're like "OMG! it's actually happening!"

I just had my OMG day.  Walked into my travel agent, plunked down my credit card and booked my flight.  My stomach butterflies are in a flurry just thinking about it.  It's real now.  I'm really going to do this thing.

Oh I know what you're thinking -- "What's a travel agent?"  You know, they're those people that sit in offices with computers and book trips for people who don't have the confidence to do it themselves on line.  Yup, I still use a travel agent.  In my defence I've already done all the research at home, but I need someone else to hit the BOOK IT button.  I've tried to do it myself.  But my finger just hovers there over the return key, like there are opposing magnetized fields at work.  No matter how hard I try I just can't get my finger close to that button.  'Cause the way I figure it, if something goes horribly awry, if I've booked with a travel agent there is a real live person I can go back to, not some random cyberspace entity or a recorded voice on the phone telling me to press 1 and listen to the options, none of which apply to me.

Okay, I'm not a total old fart -- I once booked a cruise on line (but I was much younger then.)  And I will book hotels and other random shit.  Just not flights. I think it's called aerobiblioilektronikosphobia.  Or something like that.

I booked a return date even though I have no idea when I'll be finished my Camino.  And I may stay a few extra days somewhere, who knows?  I can always pay the penalty to change the date and it will still work out cheaper than booking two one way tickets.  One ways are stupid crazy expensive. Anyway, it's a done deal.

September 1st...just 114 days...