Story 10
The year after they get out of high school, four Montana girls go on vacation to Florida.
Hotel Treat
The four girls met when they moved into next-door apartments. Hannah Bome and Nina Pye lived in #8632. They had been friends in high school. Lana Tome and Gina Fry lived in #8633. They met in a playgroup when they were two years old. Lana was home-schooled, so they did not know go to school together. But, they were also on the same ball teams. They had been friends for 16 years. All four girls took classes at Link Trade School. It was hard work, and they needed a break.
The planning started while they were having pizza one night. Lana was looking at a magazine. She said, “Those people in Florida have it so easy. It’s always summer there.”
“Yeah,” Gina said, “but you can’t snow ski in Florida. I love to ski, and I love Maine’s snow. Florida is a place I want to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”
“When?” Hannah asked.
“When what?” Gina asked.
“Florida. You said you want to visit there. When?” Hannah asked.
“Well, I don’t know. Sometime,” Gina said.
“How about in March. We have a two-week break between classes. Let’s take a trip. It will be cold here, but warm there. It would be a perfect time,” Lana said.
“That’s a great idea,” Nina said. “The four of us could fly there and stay in a hotel.”
“That will cost a lot,” Gina said. “We are poor students. How can we pay for a trip like that?”
“Here’s how,” Lana said. She turned her magazine around so everyone could see it. “This is a new hotel in Tampa. The owners are trying to get people to try the hotel. So, they are offering a deal. We can fly and stay for a week for only $150 a person.”
Gina said, “There must be a catch. That’s cheap.”
Lana read the fine print. “I only see one catch. They require four people to a room. But, that is perfect for us. I think we should call.”
An hour later, the girls had booked a trip. Nina said, “I can’t believe that we are going on a trip without our parents. It seems so odd, doesn’t it?”
“I know,” Hannah said. “That’s why I had to call my parents. It was almost like I had to ask if it was OK.”
“You’re right,” Gina said. “We all did the same thing. It’s a hard habit to break!”
For the next month, thoughts of the trip kept the girls excited. Finally, the last day of classes came. After the last test, the girls had 12 hours to pack and sleep.
Nina said, “Hannah, are you taking a coat?”
“No, I am not,” Hannah said. “I know it is still cold here in Maine. But, it is warm in Florida. I’m going to wear layers until it is warm enough to take them off. I don’t want to have to haul a coat around. I’d only need it to get to and from the airport here.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too,” Nina said. “I’m going to wear two button-down sweaters. It will be easy to get them off.”
When it came time to leave for the airport, Gina called a cab. The girls came out with their bags. Nina started laughing. “Look at us! We are all wearing two or three sweaters. We look like we don’t have coats!”
“Yes, but we are warm! And, maybe we’ll start a new style!” Lana laughed.
“I’m not going to bet on it,” Hannah said. The four girls squeezed into the cab. At the airport, they put their extra sweaters in their bags. Then they looked around. They stayed together and followed the signs. They found Gate 35 and waited an hour to board. On the plane, they all fell asleep. The late night of doing laundry had caught up with them!
Gina was the first one to wake up. She talked to the man next to her a little. He asked her what her mother’s maiden name was. She told him she would rather not say. Then, she heard the pilot say to prepare for landing. She woke her friends up and told them, “We’re almost there.” They watched Tampa go from specks to toys to buildings. In the hotel shuttle, palm trees, swimming pools, and flowers caught their eyes. They sure knew they were not in Maine anymore!
In the hotel room, Nina lay down on the bed. Hannah said, “Get up lazy bones. It’s time to check out Sun World. I’ve got the map the check-in guy gave us. He marked the hotel with a red X so we won’t get lost. So, let’s go!”
Outside the hotel, the four girls huddled around the map. Hannah said, “Ybor City is close. Let’s go there first.”
“That’s a good idea,” Nina said. “We could walk up Adamo Drive and turn on 22nd Street.”
Lana said, “The check-in guy said that 21st Street is pretty. Let’s take it instead. I think either way is only about a five-minute walk.”
“Is ‘the pretty street’ good with everyone?” Gina asked. They giggled and off they went—four grown-up girls on an adventure!
What do you think?
- Nina told the man next to her in the airplane that she would rather not tell him her mother’s maiden name. What do you think of her answer?
- On the plane, the girls’ ears started popping. Nina chewed on ice chips. Hannah sucked on hard candy. Lana held her nose and blew hard. Gina ate a tuna sandwich. What do you think of their choices?
What would you do?
- The girls took the trip because they got a great deal on the flight and hotel. Now that they are there, they still had to spend money to eat and have fun. What would you do to keep the costs down?
Life Skills in This Story:
- Understanding talking and traveling
- Clearing ears in pressurized situations
- Budgeting
- Planning a vacation
- Reading a map
- Estimating travel time
- Watching and reading airport signs and screens
- Choosing the best route
- Considering weather when packing
- Making choices based on advertising
- Understanding how to use credit
- Doing laundry
- Packing for a trip
- Using public transportation
- Providing identification
