Trying to plan a trip is stressful.

Trying to plan a spontaneous trip is even more stressful, especially for someone like me, who tends to worry about every little thing.

Over the past week, my mom and I have been trying to plan a last-minute weekend trip to Boston.

Assuming everything has gone right, that’s where I am as you read this.

And, at this point, I keep saying it’s a spontaneous trip, but, with the amount of research that went into it in such little time, I’m not sure I’m allowed to call it that, anymore.

When we fell into certain circumstances in which both of us had the weekend free, I teased that she and I should take a trip, seeing that my dad and brother were headed to North Carolina for a race this weekend.

When I called her later that day, she said, “Well, where would we go?”

From there, we kicked it into gear to plan the trip.

I’m a city girl at heart, so there was no question that we’d find our way to a big city, preferably one I’d never been to before, and that’s how we landed on Boston.

Then I went researching “things to do in Boston.” Of course, there were plenty of articles recommending places to visit, top things to see and do, where to eat, etc.

The more I looked, I started to keep a running list of what I wanted to see, like the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Harvard University, Boston Public Library, Fenway Park, etc.

I also reached out to a friend of mine whose brother lives in Boston. She has visited the area many times. I asked her what we absolutely had to check out on our short trip.

My uncle also gave us tips and tricks, referencing a trip he took there not too long ago.

At this point, I question if it’s even a spontaneous trip anymore.

By definition, spontaneous means performed or occurring as a result of a sudden inner impulse or inclination and without premeditation or external stimulus, according to the Oxford Dictionary.

If I compare my situation to the definition, it fits the first half, but kind of falls apart in the second.

Yes, the trip was planned as a result of a sudden impulse, but no, it did not pan out unmeditated.

So, maybe it became less spontaneous, but we were excited nonetheless.

However, we were still planning to fly by the seat of our pants.

Yes, there are certain things I know I’d like to do and things I want to see, but we planned to play it by ear once we landed. Maybe we’d catch a Bruins game at the last minute, or, if we just needed time to relax, perhaps we’d hang at the hotel for a bit.

We were looking forward to figuring it out as we went.

That seems to be a pattern for the two of us when we travel.

For my high school senior spring break trip, my mom and I traveled to California.

We spent a week there and we took each day as it came, starting in San Diego and making our way to San Francisco.

It was a similar situation to this weekend: There were things we wanted to do and see, but no pressure to rush to them. It was nice knowing that we could just travel and enjoy the trip without a strict agenda to stick to.

As stressful as spontaneity can be, it can also be comforting, as there are fewer expectations to meet. It’s calming to know that it’s OK to figure things out one step at a time.

Being spontaneous allows you to really live in the moment, embrace new experiences, and let things go with the flow.

And what’s more compelling than that?

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@TheAlpenaNews.com.