Upcoming Travels and Budgetary Sacrifices

As many of you know, I really love traveling. I have lived in several different states in the US and in Spain. I've spent significant chunks of time in Mexico and Canada and have traveled in Europe and North Africa. Due to financial and time constraints I don't get to travel as much as I would like, but I'm excited to report that I am in the middle of planning some upcoming trips.

At Louisa May Alcott's home in Beacon Hill

While I will need to take some work with me, I'm planning on going to visit my sister in San Antonio for part of my spring break in March. Most of my time will no doubt be spent adoring my new niece and catching up with my sister and brother-in-law, but San Antonio is a great city. I've been twice - once early in grad school and once a little over a year ago to visit my sister and to run a half-marathon. I wouldn't mind going back to the River Walk for a long walk or a run, checking out the Art Museum and eating more than my fair share of delicious Tex-Mex.

Later in March I'll be heading to Boston (a city that I really, really like) to give an invited lecture at another institution and to attend a conference. I'm excited for that trip because I have close friends who live in Boston, so, in addition to my scholarly and professional activities, I'm sure I'll spend some quality time with them eating cannoli and visiting a museum or two. Also this trip will fall within a week of my birthday, so it will be like getting an extra celebration.

In May, I'm heading to Columbus, Ohio to run a half-marathon with a dear friend. It will be her first, and I can't wait! We will undoubtedly celebrate by eating Jeni's.

At some point this summer -- probably also in May -- I will be heading to Madrid for a few weeks of research. I am seriously jonesing to get back into the archives. I'm applying for some funding from various sources, and if I get a grant I'll be able to extend my stay and possibly spend a week in Seville doing research there, as well. I've been pricing tickets, and it's really tempting to just go ahead and buy. I'm hoping that some friends will be willing to put me up part of the time that I'm planning to be in Madrid, so that my dollars will stretch a bit farther than they otherwise might.

One of my favorite cafes in Madrid

Of course, all of these trips will cost money. I think that my trip to Boston will be completely covered, but tickets to San Antonio seem to be pretty spendy these days. I hope that I get some grant money to cover all of my time in Madrid, but I'm currently operating under the worst case scenario assumption. So this means that I'm going to have to buckle down and pinch pennies in some other areas of my life for the next few months. Apart from replacing my running shoes, I've decided not to buy any new clothing, books, or music from this point until May. I'm limiting myself to one coffee/latte purchase a week (rather than the 3-5 I was buying each week last semester). I also won't be registering for any other races over the next few months. Race registration fees add up quickly, and I'd rather have those discretionary funds for travel.

Do you have any upcoming trips planned? Is travel a priority for you? How do you organize your budget?