Post by froyonomo on Jul 31, 2017 20:50:41 GMT -5
I need some advice because I feel like I change my mind almost every other day about this one. I know this is definitely a first-world-problem so I feel very blessed. I need an outside perspective - I'm really struggling with this. Thank you!
The question is should I go to Paris for a two week vacation in late October or should I not.
Why I want to/potentially should go:
1) It's Paris and I've never been (I'm 43 in September and have been a financially struggling single mom since 22 years old).
2) My coworker and his wife got me a $500 American Airlines gift card for Christmas in 2016 and I promptly bought the (at the time) dirt cheap tickets round trip from Denver to Paris for only $50 of my own money in the end. These ticks are non-refundable BTW but I bought insurance. (How common is it to buy RT Denver to Paris for $550?? I took the opportunity so the plane tickets are taken care of.)
3) I have reserved every hotel room, car, etc. (totally refundable - pay once I'm there kind of thing) so the trip is planned.
4) My 20 year old daughter will be in Paris at the same time studying abroad and hopefully she'll have at least 4 days to travel by car with me to South of France. This could potentially be the trip of a lifetime for us - we've always struggled financially and we both love France though neither of us has been.
5) I have enough vacation time left at work for this one. (almost exactly enough - 2 weeks + 1 day).
6) I'm starting to find myself again since I've raised my daughter and artistically I'm coming out of my shell again - I was an art major when I met my daughter's dad. This trip may be like a match to the artistic fuel that I feel is around me right now. It could be incredibly inspiring and eye opening for me. I want to see Chagall's work with my own eyes in the South of France.
7) I'm starting a small business that I'm not relying on financially but it's a photography and design business - I would love to take photos and do some art in France.
So why WOULDN'T I go?
1) I've been trying to put myself in a better financial position since my daughter went to college now. Though I've saved almost $1,300, I would have to go into debt about $1,200 for this trip (0% interest card BTW until March). I'd feel 2 steps forward, 1 1/2 steps back financially having this debt and then cleaning out my savings. I'm hoping for enough of a tax return to pay that off but I won't have any savings for 2018.
2) I'm starting a little business on the side which is mostly covered by a grant of $5000 but could use about $1000 of my own money to really give myself everything I need to get the business moving - though I don't see this business really taking off at the start - just a build-slowly kind of graphic design/photography business that I won't rely on financially for 2-3 years initially.
3) My daughter is coming home for 3 weeks in August before she goes to Paris in late August. I'd like to use some of my vacation to be home with her and I'm totally burned out at work however with the Paris trip, I only have enough vacation time for this. I am not sure I can hold out until late October to get away!
4) I'd like to get my daughter some stuff for her trip and pay for a couple of fun excursions why she's home - before she goes away. If I go to Paris -- we might be able to just do a day trip with a picnic lunch kind of thing one weekend while she is home in August. And we have tickets to a play that I bought awhile back too but that's it for the time she's home in August.
5) I'm not the most laid back traveler. Like probably more people than I think would admit it - travel is fairly stressful for me so not only would I not be able to get a vacation day in until October, I'm going to be a bit of a stress ball for the travel part of this trip. I have very high maintenance pets at home that I always worry about.
6) Is it uncool for a mom to visit her daughter while she is studying abroad? My daughter assures me she would love my visit (but would be okay too if I couldn't make it) and I wonder if once she's there and settled in, she'll want that experience in Paris to be only hers? I would be that way I think... Or she may feel homesick and love love my visit and it will make her feel special.
7) Finally back to the money thing -- My daughter wants me to come out with her in January when she goes back to college and help her set up her first apartment. I LOVE doing this sort of thing - she doesn't ask a lot from me and works her butt off in college - Dean's list every semester at an Ivy League. I anticipate that with the cost of this and going into debt for Paris - I will probably feel the repercussions for all of 2018.
Thank you good people. I know it could be WAY worse
but it's sometimes those little things so I appreciate your advice.
The question is should I go to Paris for a two week vacation in late October or should I not.
Why I want to/potentially should go:
1) It's Paris and I've never been (I'm 43 in September and have been a financially struggling single mom since 22 years old).
2) My coworker and his wife got me a $500 American Airlines gift card for Christmas in 2016 and I promptly bought the (at the time) dirt cheap tickets round trip from Denver to Paris for only $50 of my own money in the end. These ticks are non-refundable BTW but I bought insurance. (How common is it to buy RT Denver to Paris for $550?? I took the opportunity so the plane tickets are taken care of.)
3) I have reserved every hotel room, car, etc. (totally refundable - pay once I'm there kind of thing) so the trip is planned.
4) My 20 year old daughter will be in Paris at the same time studying abroad and hopefully she'll have at least 4 days to travel by car with me to South of France. This could potentially be the trip of a lifetime for us - we've always struggled financially and we both love France though neither of us has been.
5) I have enough vacation time left at work for this one. (almost exactly enough - 2 weeks + 1 day).
6) I'm starting to find myself again since I've raised my daughter and artistically I'm coming out of my shell again - I was an art major when I met my daughter's dad. This trip may be like a match to the artistic fuel that I feel is around me right now. It could be incredibly inspiring and eye opening for me. I want to see Chagall's work with my own eyes in the South of France.
7) I'm starting a small business that I'm not relying on financially but it's a photography and design business - I would love to take photos and do some art in France.
So why WOULDN'T I go?
1) I've been trying to put myself in a better financial position since my daughter went to college now. Though I've saved almost $1,300, I would have to go into debt about $1,200 for this trip (0% interest card BTW until March). I'd feel 2 steps forward, 1 1/2 steps back financially having this debt and then cleaning out my savings. I'm hoping for enough of a tax return to pay that off but I won't have any savings for 2018.
2) I'm starting a little business on the side which is mostly covered by a grant of $5000 but could use about $1000 of my own money to really give myself everything I need to get the business moving - though I don't see this business really taking off at the start - just a build-slowly kind of graphic design/photography business that I won't rely on financially for 2-3 years initially.
3) My daughter is coming home for 3 weeks in August before she goes to Paris in late August. I'd like to use some of my vacation to be home with her and I'm totally burned out at work however with the Paris trip, I only have enough vacation time for this. I am not sure I can hold out until late October to get away!
4) I'd like to get my daughter some stuff for her trip and pay for a couple of fun excursions why she's home - before she goes away. If I go to Paris -- we might be able to just do a day trip with a picnic lunch kind of thing one weekend while she is home in August. And we have tickets to a play that I bought awhile back too but that's it for the time she's home in August.
5) I'm not the most laid back traveler. Like probably more people than I think would admit it - travel is fairly stressful for me so not only would I not be able to get a vacation day in until October, I'm going to be a bit of a stress ball for the travel part of this trip. I have very high maintenance pets at home that I always worry about.
6) Is it uncool for a mom to visit her daughter while she is studying abroad? My daughter assures me she would love my visit (but would be okay too if I couldn't make it) and I wonder if once she's there and settled in, she'll want that experience in Paris to be only hers? I would be that way I think... Or she may feel homesick and love love my visit and it will make her feel special.
7) Finally back to the money thing -- My daughter wants me to come out with her in January when she goes back to college and help her set up her first apartment. I LOVE doing this sort of thing - she doesn't ask a lot from me and works her butt off in college - Dean's list every semester at an Ivy League. I anticipate that with the cost of this and going into debt for Paris - I will probably feel the repercussions for all of 2018.
Thank you good people. I know it could be WAY worse
but it's sometimes those little things so I appreciate your advice. 
