Belize or Bust (Times Two)

I should have been a travel agent...really I should have. So far due to my public service announcement 17 tickets to Belize have been purchased so far (and those are just the ones I know of for sure)! And 15 of those tickets are either for me or for people traveling with me. I think American Airlines should at least give me a free t-shirt or something for all the business I've gotten for them...or maybe a kick in the pants for helping so many people know about their dirt cheap airfare. And don't judge me people, but I'm actually going twice. Once in January and once in February. Too bad my mom isn't on the same continent as me so she can control me better...I'm an out of control orphan. I just figure with such cheap airfare it is actually cheaper to meet up with my friends on trips to Belize then it would be to actually go and see them. For example, my friend Kate from Ohio...I could either spend $331 over Presidents' Day weekend to go see her in Ohio (BORING) or meet up with her in Belize (EXCITING) for $224. What would you do? Most of the time being single sucks. We single people don't have the benefits of marriage and family such as:

1. tax breaks
2. being considered "normal" by society
3. fulfilling your purpose in life
4. having someone love you and someone to love
5. not having everyone wonder (and talk about) what is wrong with you
6. having cute little kids (aka tax breaks)
7. not having to wonder what is wrong with yourself
8. not having to date anymore
9. not having to be in a Singles' Ward
10. not having to always worry about how you come across (too quiet...too loud, too independent...too needy, too educated...not educated enough, blah, blah blah)
11. not having to feel guilty for not going to the 5000 Singles' Ward activities per week
12. etc.

HOWEVER...sometimes being single is AWESOME. Like:

1. When there is cheap airfare to Central America and you have to decide to go on the spur of the moment
2. When you want to go to Belize twice in two months there isn't anyone to tell you that you're crazy and ridiculous...and if they do you don't care anyway
3. When you see moms in the grocery store with super bratty kids screaming and begging for that Hannah Montana diary, Thomas the Train toy, or those mini M&M tubes (Yum)

So today, yay for Spinsterhood!

So who did I talk into making the quick decision to go to Belize with me??? Trip #1 (January): Every single one of the SINGLE cousins on my dad's side of the family except the one in high school and the two on missions....EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US. And that (AMAZINGLY) even includes my blogleech brother Russell...due to some amazing fishing spots in Belize. Plus my cousin's two friends. So there are 9 of us so far on that trip Trip #2 (February): Me and 5 of my single girl friends are going to be celebrating Single People Awareness Day (Feb 14) in style! Tallie asked in her comment how I get so much time off of work. Well, first of all, I just bought these two tickets without even asking for time off...so hopefully it will work out. With my current feelings about my job what they are if it came down to losing my job or going to Belize I would take Belize. But really, I do get quite a few days off...I think like 18 or something plus holidays and I'm going over holiday weekends for both of my trips to Belize and am just going for 5 and 6 days for each of the trips...so I really am not having to take much time off work at all...especially since I work four days a week so I always have three day weekends. And...sometimes when I go on trips I just take leave without pay like this summer when I was in Paraguay and Brazil. I figure the less money I make the less taxes I pay...funny how our American system just makes me want to work less. Anyway...in conclusion, now is a GREAT time to travel. That is if you have any cash and can get over the depression that looking at your retirement funds will bring you. The dollar is SUPER strong right now and airfare is cheap and getting cheaper. For example, today I found round trip to Honolulu from SLC for 400 bucks (including taxes). I think that is pretty dang good...not as amazing as the Belize deal, but still good. And...what is with all the SUPER cheap flights they have directly out of Idaho Falls right now...like New York City for under 300 dollars from Idaho Falls? And tickets to Fortaleza Brazil where my parents are have dropped like 500 bucks just in the past few weeks. Luckily they haven't dropped around Christmas time or we'd be mad...but I'm glad they are dropping for the rest of the year. So you may have lost tens of thousands in your retirement fund, the housing market may be crap, and our future as wealthy Americans may be uncertain, but for now, I say, "Spend it before you lose it and TRAVEL!" The end.