Hey there! I recently made a spontaneous decision. Instead of taking a short trip to the US in September, which was part of my financial plans for 2013, I’m heading to Europe for a couple of months!
I often browse for flights just for fun, comparing prices between places like Miami or NY and last-minute flights to Europe. I came across a $150 flight from Cancún, Mexico to Madrid, Spain. The catch was that the flight was less than 48 hours away, and I need at least 24 hours to get to Cancún without stress. The trip involves taking a microbus to the Belizean border, crossing Belize, crossing the Mexican border, and then a 6-hour bus ride to Cancún.
While it was possible, my boyfriend wasn’t thrilled with the idea of such a last-minute plan. He had a point; there wasn’t enough time to arrange for someone to watch the house, feed the animals, and get a substitute to check on our land subdivision efforts. So, I passed on that flight, hoping for another opportunity in a few days.
When I spotted another flight five days later, I tried to book it, but my credit card didn’t work, and the flight disappeared again! Now I’m without a flight, possibly needing to pay more and travel from Guatemala City.
Update: I made it to Paris! The details and costs are for another post!
Traveling to Cancún costs about $120 round trip, involving crossing two borders, which is annoying but not much longer than going to Guatemala City. The flight to Spain was $150, and then another $150 to get from Spain to Paris, making it $300. Because last-minute flights and European low-cost airlines have high rates, crossing the ocean from Madrid to Mexico and back would bring the total to $600. Add in the $120 to Cancún, that’s $720.
My boyfriend paid $1,250 to fly from Guatemala City to Paris, with stops in Miami and Madrid, plus $100 to get to Guatemala City, totaling $1,350.
He’s joining me in mid-September, and we’re taking my motorcycle to Morocco! I’m thrilled! He’ll be here for six weeks, and we’re planning to head straight to the South of France, visit Bordeaux, the Basque Country, cross into Spain, visit Santiago de Compostela, head south to Portugal, take a ferry to Morocco, explore the Sahara and imperial cities, then back to Spain, visiting Barcelona, and finally returning to Paris by the end of October.
As usual, I’m a bit disorganized and have few posts prepared, but I still have two weeks before my boyfriend arrives to come up with content. Expect some travel updates, and if you’d like to guest post or host the Carnival of Financial Independence, just let me know at the email provided on this website. See you!
So, what’s the last crazy decision you made?
This post was featured on the Lifestyle Carnival and Savvy Scot’s Lifestyle Carnival. Thank you!