Going to see a Space Shuttle Launch!

More exciting travel developments this week! Since I have so much studying to do for my comprehensive exams, I've been trying to avoid planning weekend trips, but an opportunity presented itself that was too good to pass up.

Here's what happened: The NASA Administrator invited the GW Space Policy Institute students on a VIP tour of the Feb. 7th Shuttle launch. Each of the students gets to bring a 'plus-one' with them, and my co-worker Tommy, who is a current SPI student, offered to sign me up as his plus-one. That means I'd get to go on a VIP tour of the facilities, see the shuttle up close, watch the launch from a special location, and all that fun stuff. Also, since there's a big group going, I don't really have to organize anything - just get myself to Florida (and roundtrip tickets to Orlando were $150!) and then just stick with the group. There are only five shuttle launches left, including this one, so who knows if this opportunity would come up again?

I convinced Jeff to come too - he won't go on the VIP tour of NASA, but he will get to hang out on Cocoa Beach all weekend, so it wasn't too hard to convince him.