Train Dilemma

[Liiisa]

Continuing to plan and re-plan this trip….

I’m starting to think that staying in Chicago during what’s looking like it could be a reprise of the 1968 Democratic Convention would be fascinating but not particularly relaxing. So I am pondering scrapping the entire eastbound portion of the trip and flying home from California.

[ozziegiraffe]

Does that mean you still get to travel by train east to west?

[Liiisa]

No, if I just stopped in Davis it would be down the west coast, which is just one overnight. I'd miss the really beautiful parts, since Davis is in the central valley - the mountains start up after that.

I suppose I could take the train to Denver and fly home from there instead. Or just leave my plans as is... but I talked to a friend who's a history professor in NYC whose campus is currently a big protest scene, and she was like "yeah if you want a RELAXING vacation, avoiding the Chicago Democratic Convention sounds like a good idea."

Sigh. This should really be in First World Problems, like "the protests about the horrible situation in Gaza are disrupting my vacation plans" is a peak FWP sort of thing.

[shilgia]

Is Chicago a required part of the trip? Is there a route that avoids Chicago?

[Liiisa]

No, all the eastbound routes in the northern part of the country go through Chicago.

If I spend an extra day in Davis, I'll be there when the UC Davis Bohart Insect Museum is open, which is a big plus. Insect collection vs the Rocky Mountains, hmmm

[Liiisa]

In case anyone still cares, I’ve decided to stop obsessing about this and just go through Chicago after all. I can always change my plans at the last minute.

[Liiisa]

Ha ha ha ha ha so yesterday at brunch my friends all begged me not to be in Chicago during the convention, so I've added an extra day in Portland and an extra day in Davis, California and therefore I will now arrive in Chicago on the day AFTER the convention, and this stupid trip is going to cost so much money that I could have spent a week in Paris, and I had to spend much of the afternoon changing everything.

[ozziegiraffe]

But aren’t you going to see Spawn, who isn’t in Paris?

[Liiisa]

For the amount of money this is costing I could pay for Spawn to join me in Paris!!

[tzarine]

May 6, 2024 5:37:50 GMT -5 Liiisa said:

Ha ha ha ha ha so yesterday at brunch my friends all begged me not to be in Chicago during the convention, so I've added an extra day in Portland and an extra day in Davis, California and therefore I will now arrive in Chicago on the day AFTER the convention, and this stupid trip is going to cost so much money that I could have spent a week in Paris, and I had to spend much of the afternoon changing everything.

maybe, it's the exjourno in me, but i would love to be in chicago for the convention

maybe you & spawn could meet up in paris.
as bogie said we'll always have paris.

[Liiisa]

There's a part of me that really wanted to be there for the convention too, but the other part of me is like "you're on VACATION, you should RELAX." Plus it made pero and our friends happy and gave me an excuse to spend more time in PDX with Spawn

[Liiisa]

Aaaaand I've just canceled the Chicago-DC train leg and replaced it with a flight that I got free with miles and instead am spending one extra night in Chicago. By the time I leave on this trip it's going to be completely different from what I'd originally planned!

[sophie]

Isn’t that the way plans are supposed to work? Evolve rather than be written in stone…

[Liiisa]

Yes but one hopes to evolve it BEFORE buying all the tickets and stuff