The time of packing has befallen us! Or did, earlier this week. Jess and I went through our outfits to pick out what we wanted a few days back to do a test run with our backpacks. I had to stitch mine up and we wanted to make sure it would hold without breaking while also checking that we could fit just about everything we're taking in the two backpacks. We managed to fit all the clothes in then and it seems like everything's holding up just fine! That was not, however, to be the final packing of the clothes. Packing everything up that early in advance is, to me, dangerous. You can't pack everything and people tend to lose track of things as they take them in and out and try to keep track of what is where and that's how mistakes happen. I am not going to leave the country and suddenly remember I forgot my nail clippers because I took them out for a trim and never returned them to their proper place in my bag! So, the clothes we packed were pulled out yesterday to be washed completely before we put on a mini-fashion show of the outfit combinations in order to document via my phone's camera what the outfits we'd chosen looked like and decide if we even actually liked them anymore. It's entirely possible to like something when you pull it out of the drawer only to hate it when you put it on. Thankfully, that was not the case this time and everything looks fantastic! We ended up only adding a few items we hadn't before: One black pencil skirt, a black string crop top, a gold scarf, and four chokers, none of which take up an excessive amount of room. All in all, every outfit looks absolutely fabulous and I can't wait to wear them throughout Europe! The plan is to look as little like a tourist as possible, excluding France where I will be wearing my red beret. It's probably a faux pas or a tacky tourist thing, but I just can't stand the thought of going all the way to Paris without wearing my beret for photographs! I'd never forgive myself if I missed a fashion opportunity of that nature!
Other important packing prep occurred besides clothes though! The other day we also went shopping at Dollar Tree (the Promised Land) and picked up a bunch of travel supplies we were lacking. Toothpaste, hand cream, energy shots to fight the jetlag, gum, empty bottles to fill with shampoo, and other necessities that come in 3 ounce or less containers we acquired, sorted, and placed neatly in our backpacks in the front pouch of out backpacks, accompanied by our freshly washed and re-packed clothes. While I know none of those products are going to last very long, there's something so satisfying about holding or even just seeing those miniaturized products! Tiny mouthwash is especially adorable for no particular reason. Maybe it's because miniature versions of big things remind us of items in a dollhouse. Whatever the reason, we stocked up and fit everything into our now perfectly rotund backpacks.
So, initially, the plan was to only have carry-on bags. Jess and I would have our backpacks stuffed to the brim with clothes and toiletries and then, for the international flights at least, I would have my purse with my tablet and other do-dads and gew-gaws that we'd want close at hand for the flight and Jess would have her laptop bag with her necessities. While we are still planning of having those bags, my mother created a list of items we had to bring over to our relatives in Ireland, including several pounds of coffee and bottles of maple syrup, neither of which can get through on a carry-on. This was not realized by my mother until she spoke with us and we brought it up, so a new plan was devised. We went to Goodwill and purchased a rather ugly, but largeish, bag. This bag will be loaded with all the gifts for the relatives and sent in as a checked bag. While I'm sobbing at the thought of paying for a checked bag at all, it will only be a one time cost for for the flight into Ireland. When we arrive we will present the gifts to the appropriate relative and once the bag is empty it will be left behind before we travel onward to France. It's a roundabout plan, but it checks out.
As of right now, everything except our electronics and the gifts have been packed up, tight and secure in our happy little backpacks! Everything is feeling realer and realer as we get closer to the 'Launch Date' and all the loose ends are tied up. That's a bit Columbo to say, but it's true. Planes are booked, and the bags are packed! That's not to say everything is handled because we've packed our bags! There's still, of course, because it's us, a number of important tings left to do. Number one is to handle our transportation across Europe, particularly across Ireland where we're gonna be traveling from one side of the country to the other with very little direction. Our relatives are all over the place and we're gonna get in a lot of mileage on buses across the country! We tried purchasing the tickets in advance, but it's us, so naturally that's been a hassle and a half and nothing worked out right but the bus thing's probably never gonna get settled completely until we get there and work it out. It's gonna be quite the adventure, I can assure you of that! In a number of hours a five year old can count to Jess and I will be sailing over the world, Europe-bound for the first time ever! The next time you hear from us, we'll be international travelers and I can't wait for it!
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