Travel Bug

I do not have good luck when it comes to traveling and boyfriends.  Sure, it seems like a good idea to plan a romantic get-a-way, but when it comes down to it I panic.  The only reason why I bring this up is because I just bought over a thousand dollars worth of plane tickets to go to Honolulu in June with my boyfriend.

The bad traveling vibe began when I was 18 and dating a guy from Arizona.  We went to Disneyland with a group of fraternity people.  The crux was meeting his mother and sisters who were competing in a cheerleading contest.  I would say the highlight of the trip was watching my friend trip out on acid to the sidewalk by Space Mountain.  The worst part was having his mother not like me and then having to spend an additional three days with her in Phoenix. 

I abstained from traveling with lovers until I went to Tulane with another guy when I was 21.  Tulane was his dream school.  I got in + he didn't = we broke up.  Ok, moving on.

I did travel quite a bit when I was dating guys from back east, although usually those trips involved meeting parents and it wasn't a joint venture so it doesn't count.  This entry is to solely focus in on traveling WITH the person not going to see him.

Ok, well there was this one time when I was dating interracially and it was my turn to join his family for Thanksgiving.  He had just gone through surgery so LorTab was his best friend.  We drove to his grandparents in North Carolina and it was a cultural exchange to say the least.  We were in very small quarters, I was definitely the only Caucasian around, and they were equally fascinated with my hair dryer as I was with the fact that they shot Sammy the Squirrel, stewed him up, and served him for breakfast.  We broke up that following January.

In 2003 my current boyfriend asked me to join him for a wedding out in Pennsylvania.  It was an old friend from high school marrying a girl with my same name.  I apparently went to school with the guy, but I didn't recognize him at all.  Here is where the trouble began.  What he neglected to tell me was that his ex-girl friend was going to be there as well.  I don't know if he just thought the ostrich maneuver (stick your head in the sand) was a good one or what.  We had the most outrageous fight complete with the ex wishing me "good luck" (they had dated for 8 years), me smashing a scotch glass, and both of us standing out in the rain reconciling. 

We decided to try traveling again!  Another wedding!  Chicago that August for a medical school friend.  What he again neglected to tell me was that it was an interracial marriage.  Ok, so that pushed some buttons for me.  Her Irish family was not so accepting of the gospel singing way-to-do of the wedding, but as I hear it, they are still quite happy. 

Sure, third time is the charm... In January 2004, we again decided to go to Tulane for an interview for his residency. (Its like deja-vu all over again.)  An awful fight precluded me getting on the plane (although I can't for the life of me remember what I was upset about now).  Neither of us went.

I have bad luck with New Orleans and men.  Even my girlfriends from there tell me to quit creating awful memories with such a great city. 

Then there was a time when I almost went to Jamaica with an ex.  It was canceled because I was back together with my current boyfriend.

And then we went to one last wedding last August.  It was in Minneapolis and we went all out.  Great food, incredible hotel, and a very unique union of sorts.  Another interracial, intercultural, etc, extravaganza.  Imagine a born-again Ethiopian marrying a Russian Orthodox.  As I hear it, they too are very happy.  Come to think of it, the only hard part of that whole trip was I wasn't feeling very well and he was exhausted from being post-call.

 So, this brings me to now.  In June he has 2 weeks off.  My aunt has offered us a place to stay in Honolulu near Diamond Head.  Hello?  We would be crazy not to take it.  The search was on for airfare and today I found it.  I paged him and we talked for a brief moment before I hit "confirm." 

At this point in time all I can do is hope for the best, save for spending money, get going on my work-outs, and hope that good intentions produce incredible results.