Squee!*

(*i totally stole that word from her.)


I'll be in New York in a week and I can't wait.

I have a ticket to see the New York City Ballet. They're doing an all-Jerome Robbins program. At Lincoln Center. I'm thrilled beyond belief. I've wanted to see them since I was a teenager, and I can't believe they're doing Robbins while I'm there.

I'm finally going to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I was seriously bummed that I missed it when it was here last year...but something came up that kinda threw me for a loop.

I might go see another show, but I can't decide which one. Plus, I don't really want to schedule every moment of this trip. I need to be able to wander. And New York's a great city for wandering.

This is only my second solo vacation (although I do have friends in NYC that I'll be seeing, so it's not like I'll be alone the whoooole time). See, one of the regrets I have about my life is that I haven't traveled as much as I'd like, but when you're financially strapped, single, female, and your friends can't vacate when you can, it's tough. But about 3 1/2 years ago, I was desperately in need of a complete departure from my life, so I took off by myself for five days in Hawaii.

I thought I'd be lonely. I was, at times. The nights were the most challenging. But I also really liked being on my own. I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I didn't have to wait for anyone else to get ready or to agree on plans. Some people I encountered seemed to be surprised to find that I was traveling solo, but I also found a lot of really nice people along the way. Restaurant staffers and bartenders went out of their way to make me feel comfortable. One night, at dinner, the couple at the table next to mine struck up a conversation with me that lasted through the entire meal. When I did the Diamond Head hike (at the crack of dawn, I might add), I ended up spending most of the hike with a really nice couple from Boston.

It was a really great vacation, even better than I'd expected. All I really wanted was to spend a lot of quality time at the beach, and I did. And more.

I also took along my journal, which served as a sort of security blanket while I was dining, and sent tons of postcards that I wrote out while having Mai Tais. I'd still like to find a way to sit at a restaurant table or a bar alone, without reading material or a project and be comfortable, but I'm not there yet.

Maybe soon I will be. Maybe even next week.