Diary of a Frequent Traveler

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A frequent traveler is always planning for a trip or just returning from a trip. In this case I am now covering both ends. We just returned from a trip to France. It is great to be home but another adventure is already in the works this time to Washington DC. Traveling is like action happening under the covers it can be a long slow satisfying event or a quick fix until the next thing pops up. The trip to France was the long satisfying event and the upcoming trip to DC will be one to calm the natives until we head out for adventures across the country and to the caribbean. Let me introduce you to the natives. There is our 12 year old who thinks that we ruin her life with each trip, since she would rather stay home. There is our 9 year old who will hop in the car at a moments notice with the mere mention of the word "trip". My husband is next in the bunch and he absolutely loves to travel so I censor any conversations surrounding travel unless I really want to go and know it fits in the budget. Lastly there is me, once a reluctant traveler now the master planner of all travel. As a rule we travel with everyone even the 12 year old.

The current state of the economy has made us travel smarter. We take advantage of business trips and make them family vacation and we save a whole lot with research research research. We learn something new with each new adventure. At the end of the trip to France we learned the real cost of upgrading from coach to First Class on a transatlantic flight. We had paid only $300 plus tax for our trip that routed us thought Paris to London. When we asked the cost of upgrading the British Airways representative tried to muzzle her smile as she gave us the $8,000 figure. Since we were not interested in paying the price of a small car we politely declined to make the move. The kids had recalled another upgrade to first class on a trip to Florida that cost about $100 and they could not wrap their heads around the idea that we couldn't upgrade. So we sat on that trip home thankful for the ability to shop around and find low fares.

So the next trip is planned for Washington, DC but I would secretly like to take a flight to Florida. I have no idea how I would get the rest of the troops geared up for another flight after the security checks and rechecks that we had traveling home on Jan 3, 2010 from the airport in London. A driving trip might be easier to swallow!

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Photos

Eiffel Tower
New Years Eve