Last night, we booked our flights online, tag-team style. We logged into Delta airline's website simultaneously, searching flight numbers and airfares. We wound up with two round-trip seats for the days and times we prefer. We picked our aisle-seats, clicked "Submit" and - presto - we're officially invested in this trip.


My route is ATL to NYC and Mer's is Charlotte to ATL to NYC. Homegirl's Charlotte flight lays-over in ATL and then we ride the same plane (to indulge her shutterbug urge to take inside plane-pics) . We fly in on a random weekday, go find the hotel, dump our luggage and take over the city.

We chose LaGuardia (LGA) arrival because it's closer to the neighborhood we're staying in (midtown Manhattan). One day, I'd like to see JFK (the other major NYC airport), but you can keep Newark (the step-child of NYC airports). It's soooo blah. I've been inside LaGuardia before, but the convenience thing is key here.

I follow airfare changes and subscribed to Yapta (heard about it from my longtime favorite hometown tightwad, Clark Howard) to follow flights from ATL to NYC for that day. We felt the time was right to go ahead and make the purchase because air fares have been steady for the past two weeks, and will probably increase. I hadn't seen much change in prices and wanted to beat the summer travel rush. So, we put our heads together, made the necessary mouse-clicks, and purchased. There may be some last minute deals we'll miss out on, but it's worth it. There's a certain security to having your flight booked in advance, no?

Why'd we decide on that time and airline? Mer explains it best, "We did our research and everything they had met out criteria. Plus, Delta doesn't charge a fee for baggage. It all came together." I second that emotion, holding my breath that they don't spring in a baggage fee until the summer travel-season has passed. Am I naive?



Ideally, I would have loved to hop a train and roll into Grand Central Station, arriving refreshed after having spent hours lazily napping, reading, and listening to music from a private sleeper-car on Amtrak. I can picture me and Mer popping out of the train-car, smart leather train cases in hand, sashaying down the platform, striking poses and spreading our fabulousness throughout the station. I do love the old-school glamour of train-travel.

But time, budget, and convenience all wrap on the door, and bring me back to a cool, but different reality. Modern ladies jet-set, flying in and out of metropolises with speed and grace. Except for our penchant for hopping into cars and making quick road trips down Southern highways to visit friends and family, plane travel fits me and Mer already. We've done it all our lives and have no time to waste. So, I'll keeping loving the idea of train glamour, while flying into NYC in a little over an hour.

Anyway, yay for flight-plans!

...you coulda been anywhere else in the world right now, but you're here with us! Thanks for that.

So, I'm guest-blogging here because I'm the other half of this travel-duo. Meredith's my best friend, my shoulder to cry on, my partner in crime - all that stuff. I'm side-kicking on her blog because I loved watching her document her first trip to Asia and naturally cheerlead all her other excursions. I've got my own blog - a rambling, scrapbook-ish, little page, with few readers, but plenty of love and inspiration - so I'm already comfy in the medium. But I publicly thank my homie for inviting me over and sharing her blog.

As we plan our excursion, we bounce ideas off each other and share excitement. During one of our exchanges, the idea came that I'd post over here because Mer's blog is dedicated to this subject. She's got a scrapbook blog, too, but this one is specifically for her travels. I'm not the biggest photog, yet, but Mer inspires me with her shots and images. She'll post plenty of pics from our trip, just like last time. I'm more about words and narrative, so I'll probably hit you with play-by-play stuff during the planning and the journey.

Well, here's the specs of our trip:

• Where: New York City (Manhattan)
• When: 3rd week in July 2009
• Rationale: While we have world travel experience and aspirations, we're both young career girls on budgets. Why not travel domestically this summer? Our pockets may not be large, yet, but we don't have to be stuck at home.
• Goal: To be tourists in one of our favorite cities (we've both return visitors), on cultural safari. It would be serendipitous if we met cute African twins - one a doctor, the other an IT-guy - on our visit, who swept us off our feet, married us at a dual New York Public Library ceremony and reception and moved us into neighboring Brooklyn brownstones. Then we'd travel the world as a foursome (growing our little families), spreading Brown people love wherever we went. ;-)
• I'll cover the travel and lodging stuff and many other details in days to come. Our planning process is a story within itself.

But for now, here's the take-away: We have the same initials (M.T.) I'm an ATLien, she's a Carolina-girl. I'm a library-lady, she's a health educator. We're college classmates, sorority line-sisters, cute single sistahs who're trying to live the lives we want -the way we want. We're travel buddies with computers, zip drives, cameras, iPods, dreams, and ideas.

Mer and Mon are definitely trippin'.

Then I got to work and it hit me again. May 15th I'll be preapring to head to NYC for a party. Its an over night trip with my cousin Jonise! I'm excited about that. Even though she is only 3 years older and we grew up as sisters, she like a mom. I call her BOSS and I'm BIT{ Boss In Training}. Before the party, I'm taking Boss Shopping :101 at the Woodburry Common Premium Outlets. If you own a credit card, DO NOT CLICK THE LINK!

February 26th: Today was my last day in Japan. I was determined to see the Tsukiji Fish Market..so once again, I got up at 4:30am. Hoped a cab and 2 trains went to the market.

Febraury 25th: Up at 4:30am to see this famous fish market.Tsukiji Fish Market! After a cab, 2 trains and a 10 min walk...I get there to find this!

So, I spent the day shopping again! Later I met Matt for drinks before meeting Jason and Big Daddy Chris at Big Mommas! Another quaint little place. One way in one way out place, but it was full of soul and hip-hop! Alot of it! Dinner was tasty. She makes soul food with a Japanese flare. I tasted the crab omelet, cabbage roll and the chicken stew. Everything was good and Big Momma is so pretty!


I spent the night packing and repacking. Thank goodness I am allowed (2) 100lbs bags to be checked.