The Big Day

Through the wonders of technology, I am writing this entry previous to the date that it will actually be posted. It is doubtful that I will be able to post anything on the day we leave, but wanted to peek into the future and give you an idea what the day will be like, based on past experiences.





I will wake up exceeding early. Back when I was a kid, the only days I would naturally wake up early was the first day of school and day we would leave on a trip (either a move or vacation). This has not changed. There will be a quite calm as my son and hubby are still sleeping. It will feel odd not to have the dog wanting to hop up in bed with me, as we took him to my Mom's the previous day. I will lay there for a moment in the dark, realizing I will not be in my comfy bed again for two months.





I will think and/or say "Oh my God, we're actually leaving today," innumerable times. I will sitting on the plane, and still be saying this.

While we finish packing, the house will already feel empty. The cutains will be drawn, the refridgerator emptied, the timers will be set to light the house and water the grass, giving an illusion that someone is at home. But it will be a shell, as our bags and hotels will become our place of refuge.

I will be obsessively checking to make sure we have our medications, passports, tickets, Euro-rail passes, money and maps. I know we will be forgetting something - we always do. Instead of fighting it, I have learned to embrace it and just hope it is something small and replaceable, like a toothbrush, rather than something crucial, like a passport.

Even with all this checking, we'll do something absolutely clueless. Like the time we went to the US Airway ticketing desk, and our flight was with Northwest. Or DH (darling hubby) forgot his wallet in the van. Or when I forgot my entire make-up bag at the vanity sink. Something will happen, which reminds you that this is not a trip to the grocery store, this is a Trip with capital "T".