There’s so much preparation for my trip to Boston. I have to do the laundry, print out directions from online, straighten out my apartment, make arrangements at my job, pack (of course!), budget my money and put together a bag of non-perishable foods for the three-day trip. I’m rather anxious about the cost of room service.

My boyfriend and I are staying at the Courtyard Marriot in a town called Revere. When I booked it on Priceline.com, at first I freaked out when I saw that this hotel is not in Boston. I used the “Name Your Price” option for the booking – an option that does not come with refunds or exchanges. I immediately figured this trip started off on the wrong foot because I booked a hotel room that could be one hour away from Boston. But when I found out, via Mapquest, that the hotel is only 15 to 20 minutes from Boston, I figured, “Hey, not bad.”

I’d also want to purchase a travel guide for Boston. Frommer’s print out good traveling guides. I saw their recommended one-, two- and three day itineraries online. The itineraries are very simple and well organized. They make me feel like, even if I’ve never been to Boston, planning a trip isn’t so intimidating. The one-day itinerary recommends starting off at the Freedom Trail, a 2 ½ mile trail which features 16 historically significant sites on its path. The second day itinerary includes the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Duck Tour (this should be interesting!) and Beacon Hill.

The more I think about this trip, the more excited I get. I want to take lots of pictures on this trip. Hopefully, I’d have enough money not only for the admission prices and hotel room, but also for gifts to give people.