I have a friend in Atlanta who I haven't seen since 2007, even though she's one of my absolute favorite people in the world. When you live a couple thousand miles away from each other and money is an issue, you don't always get to get together unless there's some big event that gives you an excuse to travel. This morning I was thinking how much I miss her and want to see her, and idly checked flight prices, only to discover that now that I'm in the middle of the country, prices are actually really good. I asked if she'd be up for a visit sometime soon, she suggested dates, and thanks to my schedule I'll be in Atlanta for the first time a month from now. And a Facebook post about that got our group of friends talking about a get-together trip later in the year, because that's how my life is going right now.
When I tell people about this, their first question seems to be "Can you afford it?"
And yeah, I can.
Don't get me wrong. I am by no means rich. I work hard to be able to get out and go places and see people, and it's always going to be that way. My last few years in LA, I was working a job that didn't pay me enough, especially given rent prices, which meant I was really damn poor. If an emergency came up, or if I did go somewhere, I actually had to start living on $10 of food a week or so in order to break even. More than once I only got by because friends or family helped me. I was lucky there. But especially in that last year, after a cancer scare and when I knew I was moving home (even when I hadn't told people yet), I had an idea of things I needed to go, places I had to go. It meant I had to get a little more creative in achieving these goals, but it was good training, and I really should write a post on that.
Flash forward to now. I've been staying with a friend since I got back, rent-free, which has allowed me to save. I'm moving into my own place soon, but that's all accounted for and I already have that set. I work a job that I love, but which requires a good amount of overtime at a decent rate. I'll be splitting the costs with travel partners or staying with friends. I have a set plan for how to afford the things I want to do. There's a good chance it'll involve some sacrifice, but I know now that I can do it, and I'm actually excited to get to it.
I know people are concerned. When you see someone who's booking (cheap) travel on a whim and clearly making it a priority, it's probably natural to raise an eyebrow. But maybe consider why they're making it a priority in their life, and if they're serious, try to support them. For the record, I do have a great group of supportive friends (and family, and coworkers) who hear about this and think it's great that I'm getting out. For instance, today I had lunch with my boss and our coworker:
Me: "I accidentally booked a trip to Atlanta."
Coworker: "Accidentally? How?"
Boss: "How do you keep doing this? ...You know what? You've earned it."
Yep, I totally have.
No comments:
Post a Comment