Chronicles of a Shoemaker's Daughter

Hearing about all the recent changes to airline travel - cost saving measures, charges for checked baggage, charges for food and beverage - got me thinking about the good old days, when the customer was king ... or was he/she? I seem to recall that even when there were more (though not necessarily more affordable) flights in and out of the Caribbean, travelers were still at the mercy of any number of elements beyond their control, or comprehension. Though, admittedly there were fewer hassles in terms of baggage and carry-on restrictions, in the pre-pre-911 era, air travel was not without its excitement - and a story to tell at the end of it all! Picture this: St. Kitts, October 1988. My friend, Miss M (a Canadian ex-pat )and I were living at the only real resort on the island. OK, she was living there, while I was on a very, very extended stay - I say this bec ause, technically, I didn't actually have a work permit, but I was definitely working there! Anyway, her older sister,

On a youth counsellor's income, there isn't always a lot of "stretch room" in the budget to have the kinds of vacations that I have always dreamed about. In fact, for many years, I didn't travel at all, as there never seemed to be enough money left at the end of the year to justify the expense. Then I became the budgetting and cost-cutting queen ... and the empress of off-price-shopping ... oh, yes, and lest we forget, I sold my little townhouse and moved in with my aging parents. And so, I suddenly found a bit of cash to fund a trip or two ... or three ... or four. And I learned the art of rationalization: I can justify a pleasure trip even faster than I can engage an angry youth in a empowering converstation - and I am pretty good at the latter, even if I say so myself! I read recently on one of the travel forums that I love to frequent, that one of the best ways to deal with post-vacation-blues is to start planning the next trip. I was barely home for 24 hours