Packing light!

I am not someone who is fond of checking bags ... one bad experience about 15 years ago, and I was cured of checking bags!

In recent times, when I've had to pack for a work-related trip, I have been able to fit everything and then some into my favorite carry-on bag. It makes travelling and transfers easier not to have to worry about bags arriving or not. It also makes getting to my ultimate work-related destination a lot faster.

But what about when you travel as a family? I was watching a video produced by Heathrow Airport Authority about packing.  They suggest laying out everything that you think you'll need and taking a third of the stuff away. Just my luck, I'd take the wrong third!

What I've done for this trip is take basics: two pairs of jeans - one that I'll wear and another skinny pair - and a pair of leggings.  My tops are almost all tunic-style and mix and match with my cardigan (lucky planning on my part).  I'll be wearing an all-purpose pair of walking shoes that slip on (great for our flight and security) and I'll be packing a pair of dressier shoes as we plan on going out one evening for special meal. My husband always packs light - I just have to make sure that he brings everything that he might need. My daughter, however, takes after my mother in her packing...she'd bring everything but the kitchen sink.

To solve this problem, and some 9 year old angst, I created a packing list related to a daily activity list that Finn and I created together. By looking at what we'd need generally for the activities we've planned, having an idea of when we'll be visiting certain attractions helped to cut out stuff that she'd not wear.

We've limited ourselves to two bags - a classic carry-on and a backpack - each; we won't be bringing toiletries as given security issues with liquids, it didn't make sense to bring stuff only to have it take up room that could be used for other more important stuff - like stuffies!

If worse comes to worst, we can add to our limited wardrobe once we arrive and I am pretty sure that they have similar toiletries there to what we have here. Our trip may truly be an adventure once we're faced with using brands that we have never heard of before - but that, I expect, will be part of the grand adventure. Just like that kangaroo burger at the Christmas market... :)

Time has flown!

As I write this, I am looking at my smartphone's countdown ticker showing me that there are nine days left until our adventure begins.  Eek!

I still have stuff to take care of - getting money exchanged, laundry, packing - not to mention a fundraising supper, a meeting with my daughter's teacher to review her progress (more on this later) and a baby shower for my niece and grand-niece (and no, I am not that old although that makes me sound like my mother - eek, again!) and an assortement of work-related projects that need to be taken care of before I leave in a week. So much to do - so little time!!!

On the other hand, I've confirmed our reservations, double-checked arrival and departure times, met with the nice people who will be doggy-sitting for us and printed off most of the directions we'll need during our trip (my husband drives and I navigate - it's better that way!)  I've updated my email contact list to include my daughter's teacher so that we can share our daily adventures with Finn's class (the way I look at it, emails get where they are supposed a lot faster than mail, especially postcards - I remember, when I was my daughter's age, and my family and I went to Florida. We'd been back for close to a month before our neighbour got her postcard, sent on the very first day we arrived!) 

Alas, all is well that ends well. Everything that needs to get done will get done - even if I have to sacrifice a few hours of sleep to do it. Money will be exchanged, laundry and packing will get done and I will have time to spare - it's just that it seems like time has flown!

I even planned for homework for my daughter and her teacher let me down. Finn is doing really well this year and the teacher believes that she can easliy catch-up to where her class will be once she gets back.  It isn't like the kid has a tonne of homework - it seems like she had more in the English public Grade 1 than she does in French public Grade 4 (kid is happy about that).  It makes getting everything and everybody packed and ready just that much easier so I am, truth be told, happy that Finn has a vacation from homework.

Only nine more sleeps! Eek!

Only 18 days left and a new contributor!

In about 18 days, hubs, the kidlet and I will be setting off on our adventure.  We've booked passage, reserved an environmentally-friendly cottage and vehicle; I've even booked a few activities.  To say we are excited is an understatement! Even the dog, our beagle of the Baskervilles, has met her doggy-sitters and inspected her doggy cottage where she'll be staying while we are on our trip.  Even my mother - 92 years old - is counting down the days until we leave (more because she's tired of hearing me talk about the damn trip!)

Today, my daughter Finn joins the blog as a new contributor.  She'll be chronicling the trip from her perspective. So, let me turn over the keyboard to her to say a few words:

Hi, Finn  here. I think I am The most exited person in this family! I've even picked a Nintendo DS game for the trip. You'll hear more from me soon! Back to Mom!

Mom-lady here! Finn and I are probably the two most excited people in the family.  Hubs has been more than patient with me which I really appreciate - I imagine that he's mostly nervous and hoping that I haven't screwed up!

Right now, we are off to work off some of the Halloween candy and treats we've been eating at our local dog park - it's a treat for our doggy who has been very good over these last few days!

Talk to you soon,
Me

Let the countdown begin!

In about 60 days, my family and I will be in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for an overdue family adventure. This trip - or a variation of it - has been in the planning phase for the last two years or so but with family illness, job loss and a variety of other things, we've had to postpone it until now.

To say that I am anxious is probably putting it mildly - especially if you ask my hubs! He's nicely put up with me and my planning for the last several months and loves to tease me about our plans.  Our daughter, a bubbly nine year old, has a lot of my sense of adventure - or at least indulges me with our planning.  She has definite ideas about what she wants to see and do while we are there.  Soon, she will be blogging here, too, as we get her to chronicle her adventures - and those of a motley crew of stuffies that will be her travelling companions for our adventure: Rosie Bear, Mairie-Gold and Clarabella, two cows, and a small monkey named CoCo.  I think that our beloved family beagle, Tesla, is quite happy to be going on doggyvacay while we are away... she looks mildly annoyed when we mention travel of any sort because of the number of times she's been loaded into the hatch of our vehicle to make the 3.5 hour trip to my mom's home over the past 18 months!

Over the next few weeks, I'll be blogging about our plans, about the cottage we've rented, and about getting my hubs, my daughter and myself ready to travel.

Slainte!
Tracie