Getting Ready

We have less than two weeks before we leave on our trip and a few milestones to check off before we head out west. School plays were last night (check!), end of school picnic is next week, and Midcoast Dance recital is next Saturday. Yet still, I feel the constant pull to "get ready" for our trip. My dear darling husband quietly chuckles, shakes his head, and moves into another room when I start babbling about my plans to prepare for our trip. AAA trip tik is done. Rand mcNally Kid's road atlases purchased and are in special envelopes filled with colored pencils, crayons, road bingo games,and travel journals for each child. I even have the girls iPod's loaded with their favorite music and movies, soundtracked for a long driving trip.

Granted, we approach these things very differently. When Michael is about to head out on a six month trip across the world, he waits until about an hour before bedtime the night before he leaves, grabs his enormous yellow sea bag from the basement, and begins to throw items into it until it will no longer fit the kitchen sink and goes to bed. When we first met and he would come visit me in Boston for a day or two, and he would bring this same yellow seabag, filled with all his worldly possessions. No compact backpack for him.

Things were a bit different on our honeymoon, being a newly wedded couple and all. We spent several months sailing and traveling across the US and then embarked on a three month European honeymoon (Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Greece), and we EACH only had a small black LL Bean backpack and a small overhead carry-on suitcase. We wore a lot a khaki, white, black, and navy and had two pairs of shoes each--one for walking one for dressup. Michael was a terrific new husband and he let my little travel/packing pyschosis slide and it worked out great for us. I seem to have a need to be as efficient as humanly possible when traveling. It's my own personal challenge to pack everything I will need in the least number of items and in the smallest possible space. My blood starts racing, my skin gets flushed. God forbid I pack something and don't actually wear it! What a waste of space! I recognize I have a problem. Is there such thing as Efficient Packers Anonymous?!

But we no longer travel as a couple, but instead travel as a family of five. And many of you MAY NOT yet know this about me, but I tend to sway on the side of being uber-organized. So as Michael quietly practices his guitar and puts together iTunes playlists, I am anguishing over how many suitcases to bring (I've decided on three) and whether I pack a 5 or 7 days worth of outfits in plastic baggies for the girls for easy "grab and go" when we stay somewhere for only a night. Toiletry bags are organized by color for each of the girls and compactly fit into each of their color coordinated rolling backpacks. I have to admit, looking out over my "getting ready" preparations, I get a little thrill. . . my blood is racing, my skin is a little flushed. . .

And then my wonderful husband begins to tell me about the plans he's made for our trip. The wonderful dude ranch in Wyoming, complete with horseback breakfast trail rides and a visit to Jackson Hole. And the camping trip to Bear Lake where he used to go as a child. His heart is beating fast and his skin is flushed with excitement. And I remember why we make such a great couple. Together, we keep each other balanced. He knows that I will take care of all the behind the scenes details so that we and our girls will have everything we need to have a great trip, and I know that he will keep us focused on the wonder and awe of the new experiences and adventures we are embarking on. And we are both better people for it. . .and our girls get the benefit of both of us.

Now to get the dance bags organized for the dance recitals. . . .