u/Travel-Kitty

For the first time in my career I get to travel on a work trip. An outside group is sponsoring it and covering costs including flights, so they’re the ones booking them. I want to extend my trip on my own at least for a weekend to see some local stuff. Is this possible since I don’t have control over my flights? If so, how? Can I just take whatever tickets they give me and choose to rebook them through delta’s app? Is that even possible?

I received an email from the sponsor today with proposed flights and asking if they were acceptable. Is it kosher to respond and ask them to book me a return flight on a later date if I can find a comparable or cheaper option?

I’ll be honest your message was a shock to read to say the least. I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear from you again after more than a month of silence. And when I finally did, this is certainly not what I was expecting. It hit me really hard. That’s because I care about you deeply. I still do. Because of that, I’ve had a lot of trouble processing your message. That’s even more so given where we left things and all we had shared between us. It’s difficult because of how real and meaningful what we shared at the end of grad school and after felt (and admittedly - regardless of what my head says - still feels). I’ll always value that.

So many nights since December I dreamed about seeing you again and thought about what we might explore together in the future. When I was in Europe, I wanted nothing more than to come back there again with you one day to show it all to you and experience it with you. I wanted you there with me.

Even now, despite everything, I haven’t for a moment regretted anything we shared. You made me realize what it’s like to care about another person in ways I’ve never known or felt before.

Part of me hadn’t stopped holding onto the idea that maybe the distance, silence, and everything else was temporary or situational. I want you to know despite all the mixed emotions I felt/feel I don’t hold any anger or hurt towards you. I don’t think I could. Instead, it’s sadness more than anything. Especially with respect to timing or circumstance plus a lot of what ifs. I wish I’d let you know in 2024 how I felt when I had multiple friends encouraging me to do so. If we’d had more time I believe things would’ve gone quite differently (and better).

For over a month you left me wondering why I never heard back from you, which really affected me emotionally. All I had wanted was honesty about where your head was at. If you’d said in March that your life was in your home country now and not here anymore, I’d have understood that more easily than the silence.