Danny Goes To Canada

I am off to Canada in two month's time and I can't wait. Naturally, I've booked everything, well, almost everything in advance to make sure that I can get there and do all the things that I want to do. I know where I want to go, I have some backup ideas and I've planned out some of the best vegan places to eat...But first, let's go back to the beginning. When you know that you want to go somewhere what do you do first? Besides a rough budget, you look at accommodation. And these days there are so many different choices out there: hotels, motels, shack rentals, private rentals, private rooms, timeshares, bed and breakfasts, cabins, hostels, dormitory style hostels. budget hotels, the list goes on. I wanted to stay somewhere that would afford me privacy, but also the opportunity to work on my anxiety. My social anxiety is getting almost unbearable again and I don't want it to control my life or continue to get in the way of things that I want to do. I thought of the place I stayed at in Boston a few years back; it was kind of like university housing, private rooms, shared living areas like the kitchen, a lounge, etc. I wanted to try and book a similar type of space.
I found one on booking.com and booked it. I've been using booking.com for the better part of 10 years for almost all my travels and trips across the world. I've never had any sort of problem with them, unlike Airbnb. Remember that story? When it ended up being a mattress on some creeps floor, not the entire flat like it promised? That situation still bothers me even though it happened almost years ago. I don't trust Airbnb; it's shady as fuck at best, like the other time I used it. It wasn't a flat like it promised. Ir was some bloke's patio done over with a bathroom and bedroom with a dorm sized fridge shoved in the corner. The pictures and descriptions really weren't what was there. I can't help but feel cheated by the owners and the site. Either way, I won't use it and I tell everyone I know not to use that shady as fuck site. 

I booked this back in January when I knew that I was going to be heading to Canada; you never want to wait to book things when you know that dates that you're going somewhere. A few days ago I decided to extend my trip a few days longer so I went to amend the booking. It said that I couldn't, so I just went to re-book the same property for two following dates, which the site allowed me to do. I wanted to let the property owner know that I was the same person staying, it's not really a separate booking, so he doesn't have to do another check-in. I contacted him through the site, informed him and asked for the check-in details for the property a day before I'm due to stay to ensure that it goes through smoothly after a 7-8 hour journey there. 

It took him a little while to get back to me and when he did he told me that it was overbooked and that I'd have to go somewhere else for a few nights and come back. Excuse me? I booked this in fucking January. The two nights he told me I'd have to go somewhere else were in the original booking that had been confirmed for just about 4 months now. I asked him what the fuck and he said it was overbooked and I maybe could not stay the extra dates I was allowed to add. Why the hell would the site allow this? I told him I didn't want to stay at his property if this was the kind of shit that he wanted to pull and cancelled the reservation. About an hour later, I got an email from him saying he had room at his property unit next door and I could book that one. Yeah, no. I had things together for months and in all that time, you didn't look to say "Oh, I've made a mistake, I should let someone know, preferably the couple that booked after he did." I'm tired of being treated like a second class citizen. I really resent him acting like it was no big deal and that I could just move next door. Why don't the other people fucking move? I booked the first week of fucking January! I planned almost everything out like I always do. He messaged that I didn't need to cancel the reservation, I could just re-book. I don't think so mate. He'll probably turn that into a giant piss up too. I'm not in the mood for that.
I found a nicer place closer to many of the things that I want to do, it's a little more expensive, but I've already got all of the log-in details and information I will need for my stay! All of it came less than an hour after I booked in there. That's how you run a rental business; I should know, I worked in my family's rental properties for 3 or 4 years as a teenager. 

On that note, I've added a few extra things that I'll be doing in Canada. Updates will be coming! I'm really looking forward to going and clearing my head. I think some time away will do me good; I always come back feeling better and recharged from trips. Another aspect of my personality gets to come out and stretch its legs when we're not home and it relieves some of the psychological stress. I just get to sit back and watch it all unfold.