Planning and The Road to Hell

I'm surrounded.

Not in some shoot-em-up random illegal way or anything, but by people. People who are planners.

And then there is me, stuck out like a sore thumb. (I never understood that saying, whenever I have hurt my thumb it A. never stuck out, and B. still looked, well, like a thumb)

But I keep reading about and hearing about all my friends, family and acquaintances who are counting down to things they had planned. Babies, weddings, new jobs, house buying, vacations. Basically all adult themed life decisions.

And I sit and read in silent awe.

I am so not a planner. I try, I do, but then it all sort of crumbles away like a dried up coffee cake and I am left surrounded by crumbs and a big old mess. Fat and happy sure, but messy nonetheless. (well not FAT per say, but you get the point)

I have good intentions usually, trying to plan things in advance; it just never seems to work out in my favor.

I'm not so much complaining about it as I am just making a general observation.

I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of gal. Not exactly the most responsible way to live, especially as a mom, but it so far seems to be working in a "will I or won't I" kind of way.

Take for example our first "family" vacation. The Boy and I decided I think on a Monday or Tuesday night just randomly that we should take the kids to New York City that weekend. On a whim. No big planning involved, just load the kids in the car (my new car obviously) and trek off to the big city.

It started out as an idea, and then we looked into hotel rates. Not so bad. Then we started Googling random things to do. We had a few ideas of what we knew we needed to do when we were there, and the rest all just sort of fell into place.

We pre-purchased tickets to the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty (2 days before so that was thinking ahead, right??). We knew those were things we were going to do. Everything else was a hope. A wishful thought that we could fit it all in within the brief 36 hour period we were there.

We got there, went to the hotel to check in. It was right in Times Square. How the hell THAT happened we have no idea, I thought we were going to be in some ghetto-like Guam area, but it was actually nice. Then off to the Carnegie Deli (because we HAD to bring the Adam Sandler song to life), then to the Empire State Building. From there back to the hotel to get skates, then walked to Rockefeller Center to ice skate.

A light snow was falling as we waited with the kids anxiously to get on the ice. We watched a marriage proposal right before our eyes. And then we skated. An entire hour and a half on that iconic landmark. Straight out of a movie. Tourists falling to the ground left and right. It was magical.

Then off to walk through Times Square, gawking at oversized TV screens on buildings and more lights and people late at night than I had ever seen. We briefly roamed in the cold and then walked back to the hotel for some room service and bed.

Up early, we headed to Battery Park to catch the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. And we RAN (thinking we were missing the boat). Went through what rivaled the airports as far as security and then off to the island. Toured the museum and up inside the famous green lady, all in amazement.

We took enough pictures to rival the paparazzi, re-boarded the ferry and headed back to land (after a quick pit stop at Ellis Island). Walked through Battery Park to Wall Street, passed the Trinity Church and then off to Ground Zero.

Ground Zero was heartbreaking. Hard to believe that was where so much happened that changed our country's history. Something we had watched a decade earlier unfold before our eyes on every TV screen. It was unbelievable.

From there we went to 1 World Financial Center, then off to get the car and head to Park Avenue. Dinner at Mickey Mantle's (yes Red Sox fan's in a Yankee restaurant, lucky we didn't spontaneously combust) and a carriage ride through Central Park. A perfect ending to a wonderful trip and then we were ready to make the 4 hour drive home.

All planned on a whim, and yet executed as though we had put months of thought into it.

I am lucky that my Partner in Crime is also not a planner. Neither one of us tend to look too far ahead. Well maybe we look, but then just sort of sit back and let things happen. Although, then again...maybe if one of us planned things it wouldn't be so bad.

I suppose if I planned things as a rule I may be more prepared for things. Like if I was good at saving money, or planning vacations. Thinking more than a week ahead may have its benefits.

I do have goals, I swear, but then I just sort of shrug my shoulders and change my mind set to "starting fresh on Monday". All forgotten. Monday seems to be my mystical go-to day.

Of course by Wednesday I have likely screwed up whatever my initial plan was, so again I will have to "start fresh on Monday".

But maybe not planning makes me feel better about the things I DO plan blowing up in my face?

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, no?