I don't remember how I got it in my head that I wanted to go to Sicily. I had one friend who'd gone there as a teenager and told me about it and I'd seen the movie adaptation of The Leopard a handful of times and that was about all I knew about the place, but I was sure I would love it. Last fall I figured out a way I could get there cheaply by using miles to get to Milan then flying a discount airline from there to Palermo. I would only have 6 nights there, which was hardly enough time, but it would have to do. I figured out my itinerary, lined up lodging, bought a new travel bag (I highly recommend the Patagonia Transport MLC), packed light and smart (novel, for me) and was all ready to depart 24 hours ahead of time, when I got a text message from the discount airline saying that my flight from Milan to Palermo had been canceled. One international phone call and several minutes on hold later, I learned there was a general strike scheduled in Italy for the day of my arrival in Milan/departure to Palermo and all intra-Italian flights were canceled for 2 days. If I booked myself on the next possible flight to Palermo, I would only have 4 nights there and I was afraid I'd be stranded at the airport 20 miles outside Milan for the duration. So, I called Delta and spent a good half hour on the phone with two different - both very helpful! - customer service representatives trying to book a trip to somewhere - anywhere, though preferably with a similar climate to Sicily, as I had already packed - for the following day. I ended up getting a flight to Madrid for only a small additional charge, from where I took the train to Barcelona and had a lovely substitute vacation.
I planned an international vacation on 24 hours notice and it was not that hard and not that expensive. When I got back home, I was like, "I should do this more often." So then I started thinking about getting TSA PreCheck, which I'd heard some things about. I visited the website and saw that PreCheck is $85, while for just $100 you can also get Global Entry (which speeds you through customs), so I thought, what the hell? and filled out the form right then and paid my $100 and scheduled my appointment with Customs & Border Protection. I am someone who makes enough money that I can spend $100 on a splurge item without thinking too hard about it, but not so much money that I don't feel guilty about it. Immediately after signing up for it, I asked myself why a woman who has gone abroad twice in the last decade (not counting Canada and Tijuana) would need Global Entry. Then I decided: if I have it, I better use it. So I visited 7 countries in 12 months, including a much better-planned trip to Sicily last April. (Hot tip: Meridiana Airlines has weekly direct flights from JFK to Palermo from April through October!)
