Planning My Next Adventure

I am going to Boston for 4 days in April…..You call that an adventure?  YES I DO! But, The adventure I am speaking about now though is the PLANNING part.  I am excited, nervous, and to be honest, a little bit scared.  You see…. I know how to ride a horse, but not a subway, or even a bus for that matter….So there you have it….Country girl meets Big City?  Not that I have never been to a Big City, but it is something I try to avoid since being diagnosed with MS.  When I do go to Chicago now, it is only to see my “MS Specialist”, at the same place, taking the same route that I have taken numerous times a year for the last 7 years.  I drive my own car, and use the valet parking at the hospital (yah discount because I have a handicap placard? …. If you call $13.25 for an hour a discount….smh)  I have that routine down pat.  But a new city where I don’t know my way around?  The fact that I have continuously heard that Boston is the “Walking City” makes me a bit nervous.

Anyone up for a road trip?

On New Year’s Eve, Einstein and I had his best friend and his wife over to celebrate.  Us girls, were making small talk in the kitchen while the guys played “Kung Fu Jenga” in the Living Room.  “K” was telling me about a “you-tube” conference that her daughter wanted to go to in Boston during the month of April, but she was a bit nervous (also not liking big cities), and not knowing much about You-Tube.  I told her, I thought it sounded like fun!!!!  (I want to learn more about making videos for You-tube, I love meeting new people, and YAH ROAD TRIP!!!!)  She asked me if I wanted to go……. UM HELL YAH!!!!!!!!!!!

As the excitement built in the kitchen, the guys came in to see what we were making such a fuss about. We told them that we were planning a road trip to Boston. Before the night was over, it was decided that we would take my car, they would pay for gas and the hotel.  I just had to “get the girls there and back in one piece” .”D” (Einstein’s best friend even offered to throw in a lobster dinner)  DEAL!!!!!!

Let the adventure begin.

I spent the next week trying to plan the best route and times to travel.  If we drove 10 hours the first night, we could make it to Niagara Falls, New York, get a hotel, crash for the night, see the Falls in the morning, AND still make it to Boston Thursday evening in time to get rested for the big conference the next day.  We could do the conference on Friday, lobster dinner that evening, and head home on Saturday morning.  Easy peasy right?  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA  Who the hell was I kidding?

INTRODUCING LIFE WITH MS

Now the doubt, insecurity, and anxiety come in (another invisible symptom of MS). It’s NOT that I COULDN’T do it, it is more that I shouldn’t do it.  I fucking HATE MS!  If I spend that much time in a car, my body is going to be in SO much pain for at least a week afterwards. (How could I have forgotten this after last year’s 15 hour road trip to see my niece get married?!?!?)  I ended up in the hospital on steroids for a flare up, and another new symptom…Sciatica.

Traveling with Multiple Sclerosis

What if the car breaks down?  It’s not like I can WALK for help.  What if I fall?  Will my insurance cover me for an accident in Boston?  and so on and so on…

Ok pity party over. Ok Grace you’re scared so what? MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! Did I mention I am not Dead yet?  I also am NOT going to let MS make me feel like I am.  I may have to make some adjustments, but this is going to happen!!!

Back to the drawing board.  Yah determination!!!!  Just for the hell of it, I decided to see what it would cost to fly in comparison to driving.  After adjusting our dates and times a bit, I was able to find round-trip airfare for $136.00 a person.  NOT bad at all!  Obviously it isn’t first class, but sitting uncomfortably for a couple hours on a flight sure as hell beats 17 hours of it. First hurdle handled!

I have no clue how I am going to navigate my way around Boston without my car, but I’m up for it.   I still have a few months before we leave, so plenty of time to research and you guessed it…..BLOG about it….. Challenge Accepted!

If anyone has any tips or tricks, or must see things in Boston please let me know!!!