Thursday, or Thereabouts - September 22, 2016

A Sea of Scribbled Post-It Notes

While I'm in danger of being clobbered by the ever-faster swirling tether ball of things to do before Monday's flight overseas, Schwartz sits calmly atop my backpack ready to go. His packing is done. Seasoned traveller that he is, he really knows how to pack light! Actually he just really knows how to choose the best sherpas.

With just four (4, FOUR!!) days to go until departure, the accumulation of scribbled post-it notes, scrawled lists and neat entries in the official travel prep booklet does not seem to be diminishing as planned. This was supposed to be the most organised departure ever. This was supposed to be the least stressful departure ever. Of course I make those predictions every time we travel.






Each adventure teaches me how to pack less clothing. Coordinating pieces, washable, crushable, rollable are de rigueur. But with the turn of the age clock past the 60 mark, the medicine bag keeps expanding with every year. The trip to China in 2014 taught me a tough lesson: always travel with the over the counter medications I know work for me. Prescription meds, of course, are never optional. So the little pharmacy store in a kit bag needs an expansion.

What would truly ease the space problem would be have pill bottles that were actually more full than empty. We're told it's important to have meds in original bottles with original labels. Well that's no longer just for customs and border control folks. With so many capsules and pills at hand, it's hard (and maybe dangerous!) for me to remember what's what based solely on size, shape and colour. So the meds bag has acquired a pup trailer.

Notice: neither one is packed - yet!

All part of growing up. AND going on adventures!

This one will take us to Berlin just in time for Oktoberfest (Schwartz is very excited about that!), then on to Barcelona for four days including a side trip to Montserrat, an evening tapas tour and visit to Sagrada Familia. Then we board a ship to cruise around Spain (Granada/The Alhambra) and out past Gibraltar to Cadiz/Seville and then Funchal, Madeira before laying in a course due west to Bermuda. From there on to New York City, entering the same port my European ancestors did when they first set foot in North America some 175 years ago. An epic journey for them and indeed for me too.

I gotta get back on track with the mighty ToDo list. I'll let you know Monday how I fare.

Happy Autumn!

©2016 April Hoeller