have you looked at the cost of plane tickets yet? can't we go somewhere slightly cheaper?

that didn't take long. good work michele.

you should completely go on vacation. you haven't had a vacation in years. you're worth it, just like the makeup commercial says.

Yes I know how much the plane tickets cost, but I'm not going anywhere that is in the middle of winter and I really want to go to New Zealand

Oh! you SO should go to New Zealand!!
It is truly the gem of the Pacific,
So beautiful and untouched and lovely.
Everyone has cool accents, too.

I've been all over the North Island, and I hear the South Island is gorgeous and scenic.

Go, go, go.
Kiwis rock.

Kati, Thank you for saying that. all I've been getting lately is go somewhere else.

I would stump for Australia maybe, but you can't really go wrong with New Zealand. You're not crazy - this is exactly what you should be doing with a big chunk of free time and cash. Are you going to look back in five years and reminisce about the interest you accrued from your big check, or are you going to be poring over photos of real-life Middle-Earth? =)

i'm not against your going to new zealand, miss touchy, in fact i am delighted that you are going. i am only irritable because i probably can't go.

seriously though, how much money are they giving you? have you found any tickets under $2000?

I know you're not against me going. I'm sorry. I feel like some people here in SB think it's stupid. Which they probably don't. I probably am being touchy. Everyone should probably ignore my ramblings

Yes I've found tickets for $1000. And I know it's expensive. But I don't care. I'm sorta throwing my normal caution to the wind at this point. I'm going crazy!

Where else might you want to go that would be affordable?

1000?! that's affordable! 2000 is the cheapest i found, and i was against that. but 1000 i can totally get behind. where did you find that? hmm, maybe it is cheaper because you are staying a month? i could only stay till the 17th. when are you planning on leaving? not till the 1st of january?

I would be against $2000 too. I found $1000 at STA. I probably wouldn't leave till the 1st week of January. It's all still up in the air at this point. So if you could go for two weeks that would be so cool....we'll see. I should probably stop jumping the gun and see how this interview goes tomorrow and find out when I'm officially getting sacked.

kati vol you should come too and then we can stay for free with relatives!

what i meant to say there was less conniving and selfish. you should come too, kati vol, so we can have super kati vol filled fun! (for free. at relatives.)

Actually, my presence isn't even necessary for you to stay for free w/ my relatives. Kiwis are very Pro the general idea of having people - any people - come to stay.
(It is, of course, required for kati vol filled fun. But that can happen stateside too if we're in a jam.)

Besides, since my family is one of few in America, we have long been "on the circuit" as my father calls it, and housed kiwis with less relation to me than Kevin Bacon.

Is central america cheaper? I've seen good tickets to Costa Rica and Belize recently. This isn't to say that I don't support New Zealand--it's definitely on my list--I just want to go down to Central and South America too.

where, but oh where, do your relatives, who so kindly will put up strangers, live? are they places we would want to visit?

bah, central america, bah. don't say that around christine, she just went to peru.

kiwikiwikiwikiwi

i want to go!!!!! i am so jealous - but you really should go, you'll regret it if you don't. you can get a job when you get back, take a well deserved vacation :)

Bloody hell....the new hotel may offer me a great position. I'll know more in a couple of weeks, but damn. And it may start before I can get my check from the Ranch.

Damn damn double damn. I hate things being in flux.

what did they (or might they) offer you? details woman!

take the job! then i won't have to feel bad about not going to new zealand.

and really, michele, this is all about you :-)

that's right marina, it is. don't you forget it. i came up with this drop everything and travel plan in the first place. so neener neener neener. (did that work by the way?)

It's true. She so did. She came up with the idea in the first place. And I totally can't type right now because I'm happily tipsy

well did you get/take the job or not?

They haven't offered me anything yet.....They called me again later. It looks like I'll definately be getting an offer but for what and how much I don't know......

you should still go on the trip i say. go on the trip, come back to your old place, take the bonus and then look for a new job. this won't be the last great offer you ever get, and what's your rush? jobs will always be there, but new zealand will sink into the sea in 2006.

But I could also take the job get a lot of experience and save up more and go when it's a little less expensive...say next fall.....

I dunno...everything is up in the air anyways....we'll see.

let's go next fall!!

I love how excited you get! Let's go! In the meantime I need a quick getaway! Quick! Quick!

ummm....let's go to vancouver! (OOOR! you can come to vegas with me, my mom, and aunt mary in january-ish to see 'O'! hmm, but you were just in vegas. maybe vegas doesn't count. i vote canada then. i've never been, and it's not too expensive.)

Vegas is always good. But January is far away....whatever I am just complaining. Vegas! Vancover Woo hoo

Vancouver?!?!?! Fuck Vancouver - come to New York City!!!

january is not so far away. and that's when you were going to go tripping anyway.

I know but I feel like I need a mini break