Theresa Balick
Austria Correspondent
Amidst the craziness of midterms week lies something even more daunting: planning 10-day.
10-day planning can be stressful. First, you have to figure out where exactly you want to go and find people to go with you. Of course, you can’t see Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Ireland all in one 10-day trip. Sure, when you put it like that it seems possible, but when factoring travel time on planes, trains and buses, it’s rather impossible. Or just really tiring.
That brings up the next point: you have to figure out how to get to your travel destination.
Do you fly? Ride a train? Take a bus? Rent a car? A combination of multiple or all of those? It depends on the location.
Then, you have to find lodging. Airbnb is a popular choice, but hostels or pensions are also good options.
Next, you have to think luggage. If you fly Ryanair, you have to pay for an extra bag; will that be a carry-on bag or a checked bag? How much do you actually need? Is it worth it to bring the high-heeled boots in a checked bag when you can fit everything without the boots in a carry-on?
After that comes COVID-19 testing. What are the requirements? If you’re not vaccinated, do you need a PCR test, or will an antigen test suffice? There is also the nail-biting waiting period as more and more countries close down and tighten their restrictions; will the restrictions change after you buy the plane or train tickets to the point where you can’t get into the country?
Finally, you have to meet with your group, discuss plans and finalize payments with each other.
Oh, and you’re doing this all during the weeks leading up to midterms week and midterms week itself.
As stressful as it can get, once the plan is finalized, it becomes an exciting thrill to think about where you’re going; it’s a reason to push through the stress of midterms and the promise of a relaxing break from the craziness of school.
From someone enjoying the fruits of 10-day while writing this column, the stress of the days planning 10-day is so little compared to what happens when God puts the pieces into place. God always closes the wrong doors and opens the right windows. You just have to trust that he will lead you to your final destination.