travel essentials: the art of letting go

I'm a planner.

I like details. I like knowing what's going to happen, what to expect, what to look forward to. My trips have always been planned out, in advance, in every detail. I researched hotels, read reviews, mapped out driving routes, requested costs, poured over Lonely Planet guides. It was a tedious, stressful, exciting process - I felt in control.  Well...those days are over. I'm entering the world of flying stand by and learning the art of letting go.

Having a partner that works for an airline allows us the unbelievable benefit of flying on the cheap. It's the perk of all perks except when you decide to fly at Christmas with every other airline staff member in the world. Flying stand by is a funny thing - you never really know if you're going to get on the plane so planning (in the detail I'm used to) goes out the window.  

So as you can imagine not knowing when we're leaving for our holiday trip to Vietnam goes against every fiber in my body screaming out at me to plan, plan, plan. My need for scheduling and to read TripAdvisor is calmed down only by repeating my new mantra, "think of the savings, think of the savings."  

So I'm letting it all go - the planning, the questions, the schedules, it's all gone. I'm taking a deep breath and heading into this vacation with a zen like approach and the attitude of a well traveled adventurer. I'm throwing my stuff into a backpack and heading off. We'll be trekking around, just the two of us, with no plans, no schedules, no obligations. I actually think it might just be some kind of wonderful. 

p.s - for those of you who know me, notice I haven't packed any black, shocking I know.