Emergencies Happen; Long-Term Stay Required

wise owlOn March 12, 2000 — just after Spring break in our neck of the woods — my daughter’s and my lives changed forever. I got “the call” and rushed down to Galveston, Texas.

She was in a coma from a traumatic brain injury. Clinically, she had already died. Twice. In fact, she was the first survivor of the type and intensity of injury in the history of John Sealy Hospital, the teaching hospital for the University of Texas Medical Branch.

With nothing but faith for a compass, we were in for the long haul, and I was needed for something every day. Home was 600 miles north.

God provided and people were kind. We were not financially able to support both our five acres in North Texas and a month’s residency in Galveston at the same time. Donations of various ways and means helped make it possible for me to stay in Galveston for an entire month (not cheap at any time, but particularly not during the 6-week Spring Break season).

I wound up staying at a motel that allowed monthly residency. Torn rubber curtains and all. Not exactly a comforting environment during this crises.

Ironically I was a timeshare holder. And there was a lovely sister timeshare property in Galveston. But I couldn’t use it. Not my week. Certainly not my month!

If I had had the travel programs featured here, I could have stayed in Galveston for close to the same price as the motel. And at my very own timeshare property, by the way! At least part of the time.

In fact, given that several folks were also coming to Galveston for their own vacations during that time, I could have offered to share my resort condo with them. They would have saved hundreds of dollars, retained their privacy (about the same as adjoining hotel rooms), and I would have had part of my month’s stay covered.

Depending on the program, the venue might have changed each week, but there are plenty resorts in Galveston, so I would have had continuous nice accommodations the entire time. Again, for about the same as what I paid for the motel. Which was $600.

But I didn’t. So I stayed in a motel room with a funny smell, lumpy pillows, and torn rubber curtains. It did have a small refrigerator and a microwave oven (they called it a kitchenette). But for about the same price I could have stayed in a cheerful 2-3 bedroom resort condo with full kitchen, laundry facilities, and fresh linens.

So now I do have. I don’t expect to have to use these programs for emergencies in the future. But then again, I didn’t expect the first one, either. Who does?

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Filed under: Resort Advantages • Value Comparisons

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