DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m in a long-distance relationship. I live in Arizona, and my boyfriend lives in Maryland. We decided that I would fly out to visit him next month. He and I made a deal that I would buy my plane ticket and he would pay for my hotel room. I booked my flight right away, but he has yet to book my room. I know that he can afford it, so money is not an issue. My problem is his hesitation. I literally booked my flight the same day that we had the conversation, and now it’s been a week since we’ve talked about it and he hasn’t booked my hotel. Should I cancel my trip? If he wanted to see me that badly, he would’ve booked the hotel the same day. The later he waits, the more expensive it’s going to get. -- Book the Room
DEAR BOOK THE ROOM: Calm down. The fact that he didn’t book the room on the same day is not a dealbreaker. Instead of freaking out, remind him that it would be wise to book the room soon to get the best rate. As travel is opening up, everything is going up in price -- from flights to hotels to car rentals. If he hesitates, ask him why. Rather than imagining the worst, find out what’s going on. Also, let him know that you need the peace of mind of knowing that everything is set. I imagine you haven’t traveled in a long time due to COVID-19, and he needs to understand you want everything to be in place now.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)