The Roland Allen Post

I did purchase the trip - well, an altered version of the original trip with a bit more finesse, I met a former student for coffee who told me about his recent whirlwind trip through Europe - pretty much all of it. He strongly encouraged me to add Prague to my itinerary, which I was able to do since I hadn't finalized with the airline. Splitting the trip equally between Paris and Prague adds more interest, to me. And, since I'm allowed one stop over in the itinerary, adding Paris as a stop over cost no extra miles for this trip. I'm fortunate that Air France is the partner carrier with my airline. The natural route is Los Angeles - Paris - Prague  - Paris - Los Angeles. The only add on was additional taxes of about $54. What's the lesson now? Perhaps there's not a simple take away. I'm glad that I acted. I'm also glad that I waited long enough to be able to have a creative option that is more satisfying and interesting than my original plan. .

Spontaneity is not my gift, I like options, so making a decision takes away options, because I've decided on a path. However, in keeping options open, I miss opportunities. This sounds like a no-brainer when I put it in writing: loosen up and take some risks. I wish it were that easy. I did, however, do two and a half spontaneous things yesterday and I didn't wake up today feeling like my life is a disaster. One: I joined the Bowers Museum. I bought and online membership and visited the museum with a friend yesterday afternoon. Two: I signed up for an online writing course with Gotham Writing Workshop. I'll begin a six-week course starting next Tuesday. One-half: I have a reservation on hold to go to Paris next month using frequent flyer miles. I was able to get a reservation on non-stop flights at a reasonable mileage rate. I'll also be able to add on a hotel room, using points, just steps from Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées. This is where the rub