Naysayers and Hardheads

We have arrived safely in the Big Apple and the long-planned trip has become reality! After looking forward to it for so long, I must admit that I suddenly started getting a touch of "cold feet syndrome" about three days before our departure. I wondered if I should question my own sanity about undertaking a trip of this magnitude as the sole person over the age of majority. It didn't help that I was hearing well-meaning but unsolicited comments here and there... "You sure have a lot on your plate!" "Wow, that sure is some schedule!" The biggest naysayer was DH, who has never really been 100% supportive of my plans. I think he knows by now that I'll go ahead regardless, and since he recently bought a brand new Harley Davidson, he really couldn't begrudge me this trip. He has been generous in allowing me free access to all his airline and hotel mileage accounts, and lent me his Citibank card to come away with. However, our recent conversations have been peppered with homilies and warnings: "Just remember, it IS the USA!" "Don't think you're invincible!" "Are you SURE you can drive over there? Be careful!" Like anywhere, travelling in the USA comes with certain risks, and certainly, some basic precautions and care are necessary. But you can't design a trip around the premise of, "What if something happens?" However, I am hardheaded, so I did my best to smile sweetly and just shrug off these comments.

I can happily say, so far, so good! We flew Continental and the food and in flight entertainment was a pleasant surprise. You hear so much negative stuff about American airline companies these days that you prepare for the worst. I am pleased to report that in the case of CO, there is nothing wrong at all with the basic package. (Legroom was another story--Air New Zealand definitely has the upper hand in that department.) Getting through customs at Newark and out to our hotel in Secaucus, NJ was a cinch, too. I chose the Marriott Courtyard in Secaucus based on it's proximity to NY city. I could get five nights at this property for the same amount of Marriott miles as two nights at a downtown NY location. The hotel is wonderful--spacious rooms, friendly staff, plenty of restaurants nearby and--very important for a mum on the road with three kids--a guest laundry! The kids are most impressed with the buffet breakfast--kids up to 12 eat for just $6--and have eaten enough each day to tank themselves up till well into the afternoon. This has been a big help, since it saves on meals. They haven't really wanted lunch so far! For me, the biggest draw card about this hotel is how easy it is to get to downtown NY. The commuter bus stops just outside, and depending on traffic, it is about 20 to 35 mins to the Port Authority bus depot in the middle of NY city. There are a cluster of hotels in the same area as our Courtyard, and I have noticed a number of other families, both American and from overseas, boarding the bus. Seems like Secaucus is a popular area for economical digs while playing tourist in NY.

Have Kids? Will Blog and Travel!!

I'd thought about starting a blog 'sometime' for the last year or two, but 'something' always got in the way: work assignments, running the kids to their myriad activities, PTA meetings, cleaning out our three cats' three litter boxes, i.e. that thing called 'life'. I write for a living--essay questions for a national English exam, study materials for high school courses, articles for magazines, even two books for Japanese parents about using English with their kids. How hard could it be to write a blog? Part of my reluctance to make it happen was my usual fear of technical stuff, real or imagined. Well, once I logged on to Blogspot and saw how ridiculously easy it was to set up my own blog, I knew I had no more excuses! Then all I needed was some opportunity to kick start my vague ideas and turn them into something concrete.

Another project that has been in the works for the last year was taking my three kids to the USA during summer vacation this year. Since we always go home to NZ for summer, we've not had a chance for extended trips anywhere else. New Zealand is wonderful, but occasionally I want to see other places. (My parents are coming to visit us this autumn in Japan, so we will still get to see them this year.) The last time we were in the USA was nine years ago, at the end of our five year transfer. I wanted to show the older two kids their birthplace, as well as taking all three around to various spots. DH (Dear Husband) had thousands of airline miles accumulated--miles with airlines that we couldn't use for trips to New Zealand.

Since the beginning of this year, I starting contacting friends in the US and going online to research locations, attractions and distances, and by March most of our schedule was set up: Taking three kids through fifteen cities in seven states and three countries (including Canada and Mexico) over thirty two days. (Naturally, this is without DH! Like most Japanese salarymen he is married to his job, and although he works for a US firm, he takes his responsibilities seriously. At best, he takes a week off for summer.) I decided not to take any work on the road with me this year, thus my 'holiday task' is seeing how far I can develop this blog.

As for funding the trip, with some pretty smart planning (if I do say so myself), a lot of it has been funded through flight and hotel milage. I used my own and DH's miles to pay for all the flights, domestic and international, literally cleaning out the accounts down to the last 50 miles or so. And we lucked out with accommodation, too: About one third of the time we're staying with friends, and another third is on DH's Hilton and Marriott hotel miles. Our main expenses this trip will be the remainder of the accommodation, rental cars, one trip by rail, meals and entertainment.