Travelled Down the Road and Back Again
It was really hard to make a final decision on where to go for New Year's after getting so many cool suggestions, including some invitations from people on my friendslist here--especially since, as I mentioned before, I'd just like to go ahead with every possible option. ;)
Even though I understand that choosing one option means forsaking the others, it still makes me sad to know about all the festivities I'll miss out on in making that choice...
I did briefly consider Dagobah, thanks to this compelling advert from their Tourism Bureau:
It turns out, however, that costs are prohibitive without any regularly scheduled flights there--unless you're willing to go in some sort of one-seater that you have to pilot yourself--so I had to give it a pass.
Ultimately, it was an invitation from my friend Theresa to visit her in Chicago which won out this time around...amongst other things, the logistics of a single short-haul flight are appealing when the holidays provide their own sort of time crunch. Although I made a habit of it for a few years, it's been a while since I've booked a trip in December, and I'd forgotten what holiday rates were like, so that was also a crucial factor to consider.
This won't be my dream trip to Chicago (that would, of course, be a recreation of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which can't happen if only because it isn't baseball season), but The Art Institute of Chicago might get a revisit, and I'm sure there are all sorts of things to do in the Chicagoland area at this time of year. Nevertheless, if anyone has any thoughts on what I should be sure to check out in the Windy City (I know, I'm all about asking for advice lately), feel free to tell me in the comments.
As someone who sometimes feels like he's barely come to terms with the fact the Nineties ended, the end of this decade is a weird moment for me, but I'm glad I have the chance to make that moment as memorable as I can.
Even though I understand that choosing one option means forsaking the others, it still makes me sad to know about all the festivities I'll miss out on in making that choice...
I did briefly consider Dagobah, thanks to this compelling advert from their Tourism Bureau:
Click to viewIt turns out, however, that costs are prohibitive without any regularly scheduled flights there--unless you're willing to go in some sort of one-seater that you have to pilot yourself--so I had to give it a pass.
Ultimately, it was an invitation from my friend Theresa to visit her in Chicago which won out this time around...amongst other things, the logistics of a single short-haul flight are appealing when the holidays provide their own sort of time crunch. Although I made a habit of it for a few years, it's been a while since I've booked a trip in December, and I'd forgotten what holiday rates were like, so that was also a crucial factor to consider.
This won't be my dream trip to Chicago (that would, of course, be a recreation of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which can't happen if only because it isn't baseball season), but The Art Institute of Chicago might get a revisit, and I'm sure there are all sorts of things to do in the Chicagoland area at this time of year. Nevertheless, if anyone has any thoughts on what I should be sure to check out in the Windy City (I know, I'm all about asking for advice lately), feel free to tell me in the comments.
As someone who sometimes feels like he's barely come to terms with the fact the Nineties ended, the end of this decade is a weird moment for me, but I'm glad I have the chance to make that moment as memorable as I can.