thankful - a trait (aka ... kick-ass skills)

i've always thought i was a travel agent in a past life. i loveeeee planning trips. love. love. love it. sometimes, i love the planning stage more than the actual trip. when i was gearing up for my 15 day, 5200 mile road trip along the oregon trail, i realized that there's three components to a vacation:

- 1/3 of the trip is the planning stage. here's where you think about your dream plans, where you jot down your wish list and the "don't miss" sights and tastes and sounds.

- 1/3 of the trip is the actual traveling to your destination, the getting from point a to point b, seeing the sights, eating the food, smelling the smells and hearing the noise.

- 1/3 of the trip is the destination. some might say the "relaxing" part of the trip. i beg to differ, but to each their own.

once i figured out that there's more to a trip than the destination or even the actual travel, trips become that much more fun. plans become that much more elaborate. lou has backed down from anything more than offering a suggesting on what music to listen to in the car and left me to dig through the details.

so today, i'm thankful for my kick-ass trip planning skills. in my ripe old age ... i can finally say that i can set up one hellva a good trip. i got a bit of a knack for it, a talent if you will. yeah, there will be bumps and there will be headaches and quite possibly some snide comments but in the end, we all come out unscathed and better, no less worse for the wear.

i like to think there's a wee bit of organization required (alright, more than a wee bit). a wee bit of creative interpretative for the sights, sounds and tastes one may encounter. and a wee bit thriftiness - 'cause the shady motels always make the best stories.

so, anyone planning a trip anytime soon? maybe i need to tag along?!

i'm trying something new this month - i love me a good challenge - and joining Chasing Happy for The Thankful Project. while i can't promise a post-a-day, maybe i'll get close? today's prompt - an experience.