What shall I do today?

[CommonRoom]

I am on a train on my way to visit DM in her care home about 3 hours away from home. Care home have just called to say visit has been cancelled because of a case of covid (staff). I had planned my whole day around the visit so now I am not sure what to do. Help me decide!

Options:

1. Get off at the next stop and come back home. This would be a sensible choice as I can catch up with stuff at home. Downside is I would have to pay for a new return ticket
2. Get off at the next stop which is quite a nice large town, do some Xmas shopping and then come home. Downside, having to pay for return ticket. Upside, get some Xmas shopping done and still get home in reasonable time
3. Continue to the town where DMs care home is. Spend some time in the town library catching up on work ( have my laptop) do some Xmas shopping and then come home on my return ticket at the usual time. Upside would be I get my day away from home, could get some work done and Xmas shopping and don’t have to buy a new ticket. Downside I would get home really late and have to catch up with jobs at home over the weekend
4. I could get off at the next stop and by taking a couple of buses get to my favourite village where I used to have childhood holidays. Return journey would be complicated and expensive and would get home late plus no opportunity to get work done or shopping. Upside would be a mini escape to the countryside moment/nostalgia trip plus a long walk (great exercise)

What shall I do?

My instinct says 3

Which would you enjoy most? I suspect it's 4.

Life's too short - go and enjoy yourself

1. Take the hit on the return ticket and save yourself getting home very late.

Ah, yes I have described option 4 as the most appealing (albeit expensive and not very sensible). When DCs were little I used to long for that kind of spontaneous day out in the country by myself. It’s just if I am really honest, I don’t actually crave the escape anymore and all the other options are much more sensible!

It really does make sense to get home early for all sorts of reasons. Just seems like a waste of a day off, and money

Surely you don’t have to buy a new return ticket if you have a ticket to travel from a further point along the route?

In other words you already have a return ticket to travel from stop 6 to stop 1, that should be valid to travel from stop 3 to stop 1.

I'd do 2.

A nice day of some Christmas shopping, maybe a coffee and cake and/or lunch, then home at a reasonable time.

It’s a cheap ticket for a particular train only

Ah ok
I’d do 2 or 3. Too much chance of 4 going wrong and you ending up very delayed/stuck etc.

I'd go for option 3. You weren't going to have time to do things at home anyway. Get a coffee to take to the library with you and have a lovely relaxed day. Plus you don't have to buy a new ticket.

4

No.2

Whichever you’d enjoy most which I suspect is 4. Not sure what things you need to get done at home but if it’s just boring housework and admin type stuff then I think you’ll regret going home early and wasting no what could be a lovely day out. Live a little! Can you get up a little earlier tomorrow or Sunday to get those jobs done instead?

Otherwise 2 or 3 sound like nice compromises.

No 2 sounds good to me.

Option 3

Thanks so much everyone! I rarely have to make spontaneous decisions like this and am not very good at them!

It seems like options 2 and 3 are by far the most popular so I will go for one of those. The train arrived at my potential first stop at 11 so I will decide by then

3

I'd do 2! You'll feel productive and it won't throw off your whole day!

I'd go for option 3. Whatever you choose I hope you have a lovely day. I'm sorry your visit was cancelled.

Update: I got off the train at the next stop instead of going all the way to DMS care home town. I had never been there before and thought it might be an interesting place to pass time and shop. I won't say what town it was, but it was vey disappointing. Very few nice shops or anything else to see. So I eventually went back to the station and bought a return ticket. As it was not booked in advance and apparently off peak not possible (at 11.45) it cost £63! So I have paid £98 for this trip today and have achieved nothing at all. Did not get to see DM, did not do any shopping or see anything nice. To top it all, wifi was not working on the train back and I could not do any work either.

I should have:

1. Found out exactly how much single train tickets cost
2. Gone to the town where DMs care home is and amused myself there for the day. It's a lovely town

Sorry for the moan!

😰

Awww no