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so i wasn't going to chicago for the AWP conference. and then maybe i was going. and then i wasn't, and that seemed pretty final, but now it's seeming like maybe i am going to go. enough that i'm getting kind of excited. i talked to Regina (my boss's assistant) and she thinks Kip (Kippo, the Kipster) will be cool with it because he's really good about supporting his staff's creative endeavors. she even suggested i could make up some of the hours on selected saturdays, because he's been known to do that before on occasion too.
my main worries about this trip were financial. however, travelocity has dropped their boston/chicago fares back down to $201 (up from $161 last week, down from $240 earlier this week). that's a do-able price. i'd be splitting a room with stina, which would come to, tops, $60/night for four nights. i'm not going to actually pay the conference registration fee, because all that $40 got me last year was a cool tote bag and a schedule, and i can print the schedule off the internet. i'll also have to worry about taxis to and from the airport, and possibly to and from late-night entertainment. plus food, but last year's AWP conference in baltimore proved i can live on nothing but pizza and bagels for five days with no problem as long as i've got water. books will be a significant expense, but i think i'll be able to hold myself back a bit since i haven't been reading any poetry since before i graduated. there will be some books, sure, like Gar's new one if i can snag a discount, or Sandra's new one that just won some big award, plsu i'll want to subscribe to a few lit mags. but on the whole i should be able to hold myself back.
so i figure expenses for this trip will run to around $500 if i'm lucky and careful. okay. i get two more paychecks before then, with which i'll pay some credit card debt and pay the rent for april. the 2-3 days off from work for the conference will cost me, since i can't use my vacation time in my first three months, but it won't be that bad; i just won't send as much to the credit cards in april.
and--here's the best part--i filed my taxes, and i'm getting a refund. a chunky refund. a refund that will almost pay for the trip in its entirety. and i know there's more important things to spend my tax refund on than on a frivolous trip to chicago, but... i want to go. i've never been to chicago before. i had an awesome time last year, and here's stina willing to ditch her other plans and get a room with me so that i can go. i'm thinking i should go.
and on that note, i really should go, because i've got my hair appointment in a few. yay hair appointment!
my main worries about this trip were financial. however, travelocity has dropped their boston/chicago fares back down to $201 (up from $161 last week, down from $240 earlier this week). that's a do-able price. i'd be splitting a room with stina, which would come to, tops, $60/night for four nights. i'm not going to actually pay the conference registration fee, because all that $40 got me last year was a cool tote bag and a schedule, and i can print the schedule off the internet. i'll also have to worry about taxis to and from the airport, and possibly to and from late-night entertainment. plus food, but last year's AWP conference in baltimore proved i can live on nothing but pizza and bagels for five days with no problem as long as i've got water. books will be a significant expense, but i think i'll be able to hold myself back a bit since i haven't been reading any poetry since before i graduated. there will be some books, sure, like Gar's new one if i can snag a discount, or Sandra's new one that just won some big award, plsu i'll want to subscribe to a few lit mags. but on the whole i should be able to hold myself back.
so i figure expenses for this trip will run to around $500 if i'm lucky and careful. okay. i get two more paychecks before then, with which i'll pay some credit card debt and pay the rent for april. the 2-3 days off from work for the conference will cost me, since i can't use my vacation time in my first three months, but it won't be that bad; i just won't send as much to the credit cards in april.
and--here's the best part--i filed my taxes, and i'm getting a refund. a chunky refund. a refund that will almost pay for the trip in its entirety. and i know there's more important things to spend my tax refund on than on a frivolous trip to chicago, but... i want to go. i've never been to chicago before. i had an awesome time last year, and here's stina willing to ditch her other plans and get a room with me so that i can go. i'm thinking i should go.
and on that note, i really should go, because i've got my hair appointment in a few. yay hair appointment!
