Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Pardon me while I take a moment to be overwhelmed...

OK.

I'm not exactly freaking out yet, but I'm starting to get anxious.

Spring Break. Less than two weeks away.

The travel documents came yesterday, which, without a true airline ticket anymore, amount to the itinerary and luggage tags.

Driving to Florida for a cruise is one matter, where you can stop at any Target or Walmart on the way and buy what you need. Flying to Europe and back on long flights is a completely different matter. Try going into a foreign land with a foreign language and asking for contact lens solution. Best not forget it in the first place (Fern).

I gotta buy some quart sized zip bags so the security guys will be nice to us. I gotta find mini shampoo bottles, enough for everyone.

I know I'm going to forget stuff. So I'm getting anxious about trying to remember it all now before it's too late.

I bought a new memory card for my camera. And extra batteries, too. I bought a solar charger for cell phones and iPods.

Oh, and laundry. I have to find that balance of washing clothes to pack and washing clothes to wear in the mean time.

And what to pack anyway? That kinda depends on the weather. And weather can be temperamental in mid-March. Don't want to over pack, but don't want to be spending time in foreign laundromats, either. I gotta pack the correct weight coat so I won't freeze or smolder. How many pairs of shoes? Do I even mess with "dressy?"

Got to come up with portable activities to keep the kids occupied. Got to set aside books and/or knitting for myself.

Did I remember the camera? Should I take the non-digital Nikon and film, too. With all the lenses. Tripod either way. Polarizer filter too.

eye yai yai.

Thank you for enduring this little moment of anxiety.
I'll write all this down in a notebook, before I forget.
But first, I have a killer headache and need to go get a coke.

Travel pillows for the plane?
And a copy of The Blade.....

8 comments:

Unknown said...

I missed the destination? Going abroad?! Oh, lordy! I understand your stress.
Well, I'll send organizational vibes (yeah, like mine are going to be better than yours- sheesh). And I'll send smooth sailing vibes too so everything will fall into place.
Now you have to spill and tell me where you all going.... I have to live vicariously, ok?

Anne said...

I kinda left if off so it didn't seem like a huge brag, (just a little brag), we're doing a 9-day bus tour of Croatia and Slovenia.

just me said...

just two pieces of advice -
1) don't pack more than you can carry (or easily wheel). I would suggest a small packet of laundry soap so you can "Lux your undies" (as my mother used to say).

2) Layers are key. You can always add or subtract as needed.

Enjoy - our spring break trip is a "pilgrimmage" to the Baseball Hall of Fame :)

Mom said...

Make a list of what you need and then only take half of it. If you forget the Blade you can just photoshop it in. Have a wonderful time. Bring home lots of pictures and stories to share.

Unknown said...

Oh, wow! What a tremendous exciting trip! Yes, yes, please come back and have a slide show for us.

barbie2be said...

oh, i want to go! can you pack me into one of your suitcases?

Shephard said...

Croatia/Slovenia... supposed to be lovely! You'll have a wonderful time. I'd recommend taking a look at Magellan's... a fantastic travel site filled with gadgets and useful items (not outrageously priced, either) that make travel easier.

We always use their "envelope-shaped" shirt bags... I can get 12 shirts in one! We took these in carry-on bags to Italy for 9 days, and never checked one bag. :) They even kept our shirts from wrinkling. The site if filled with helpful stuff.
Visiting from Michele's. :)

http://magellans.com/

carmilevy said...

Ah, memories of distant travel. Sounds like you've covered all the bases and then some...I particularly like the solar chargers for the portable electronics. Anything that allows you to avoid connecting to the local grid is a good thing.

Michele sent me to beg your forgiveness for the commenting problems that have vexed a good chunk of the blogosphere today.