I've been posting, lurking, and searching this sub for the last while. However, at this point-I can say that my trip is set. I'll be going over the summer.

This is a graduation present to myself. I will be finishing my undergraduate degree two weeks before I leave. I took around seven years off between my previous attempt at undergrad and my current (final) attempt at undergrad. I work full time and have a set vacation schedule. This will take up the vast majority of my vacation with a few days at the end to decompress/process the trip before returning to work.

When I clicked "submit" to buy the plane ticket, I kept thinking "I can't believe I'm doing this, I can't believe I'm doing this". Now, I'm extremely excited for the trip, to explore my ancestry (Dad's side traces to Scotland, Mom's side traces to England), and to be finished with undergrad.

Here's my itinerary T = Travel Day OFP = Own F#cking Program.

T1: Flight Boston to London, late evening flight that arrives in London 0940 local time on Day 1.

1: Arrive in the late morning, rest of day OFP in London-probably a hop-on/hop-off bus tour followed by exploring the area surrounding my hotel.

2: Stonehenge Day Trip (debating between a few different ones, and I'm leaning towards an inner circle early AM tour).

3: OFP-museums, landmarks, etc. If I'm going to have booze or try adventurous food in London, it will be this night.

4: OFP in London

5: late morning train to Edinburgh, arrive early afternoon.

5 cont'd: Check into hotel, Hop On/Hop Off Bus Tour of Edinburgh, explore area around the hotel to end the day.

6: I booked a day tour to Oban & the Highlands-it covers several areas that were important to my ancestry on my Dad's side. It is an all day (10-11hr) tour. That day is also a Sunday, so I'm not banking on much being open before or after the tour.

7: OFP for museums, food, and wandering. End the day with the Scotch Whisky Experience-once tickets unlock for that weekend, I plan on booking the Platinum Tour. Bonus: the Gallery & Bar there has my last name.

8: OFP bulk of the day, and then take bus/tram to area near Edinburgh Airport (I have an early flight, so I booked a hotel down the street from the airport for the night before)

9/T2: Early flight back to Boston, with a 5hr layover in London. My layover options were: 90mins in London, 3hrs at JFK, 4hrs at JFK, or 5hrs in London. I opted for the 5hrs in London since the flight is not incredibly early, even after my plan to arrive at the airport 3hrs early yet arrives early in Boston that I can make the drive home before it gets dark (I hate driving after dark). If I'm feeling too tired to drive when I get back to Boston, I'll find a hotel near the airport before driving home the next day.

I have a list of museums and landmarks that I want to visit.

The Edinburgh side of things is motivated by ancestry and my love of scotch. I like doing tastings, so the Scotch Whisky Experience is right up my alley. There's a cemetary in Edinburgh that a distant relative is buried in. Beyond that, it will be checking out landmarks, enjoying local cheap eats (I want to try Oink for pork sandwiches, some place for haggis, and local pizza), and trying to get a mix of touristy experiences with venturing out to see how the locals live. For the bulk of my OFP time, I'll have my camera on me, and I'm hoping to wake up early enough to catch the sunrise.

For the London part of the trip-I know that I want to find a tour to Stonehenge. There are a ton of them, so I'm seeing if I can one with the combination of activities that I'd like (inner circle AM tour of Stonehenge, Oxford, and Bath). There are two museums that I would like to hit that appear to be walking distance from my hotel. I'm still considering the feasibility of adding a trip to either Warwick Castle or Ufton Court from London since those sites have a strong connection to my Mom's side of the family. Beyond those few fairly firm activities, it will be hitting landmarks, and trying a variety of local foods.

Food: I'm budgeting $75 (USD) per day for the 8 actual trip days and $50 for the travel days. Breakfast for me is typically a sugar free Redbull. I tend to eat frugally for lunch and save whatever splurge (gastropub, decent sit down restaraunt) for dinner. I don't plan on drinking much alcohol during this trip beyond the tasting during the Scotch Whisky Experience. I might have a beer in London.

Accomodation: I opted for similar level hotels to what I stay at when I travel Stateside. Smaller rooms in great locations with minimal frills yet good quality. Average cost per night is $220 for London and $205 (all USD) for Edinburgh. I booked via Hotels.com. This trip will give me enough nights/credits to cover a decent chunk of a quick trip to Montreal or Quebec City this fall. More expensive than hostels and hotels that are further away from the places I want to see, but it is worth it to me to have my own space and to be close to the attractions. The idea of sleeping in a hostel gives me boot camp flashbacks, so no open/squad-bay style dorms for me.

Luggage: More than likely, I'll just be traveling with my backpack. It fits with a week's worth of clothes under the seat in front of me on a narrow body plane. The trip is 10 days total including my travel days. There's a slim chance that I'll bring a small checked bag, but that mostly depends on if I think that I'll need more cool weather gear. I get cold easily, and tend to bundle up (light jacket with a hoodie and a hat) once it hits 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

One of the big things that I've learned from reading this sub, and my planning, is that I know this will not be enough time to fully experience these areas. I know that it will be a snapshot...and will give me ideas for my next trip.