Packing for this trip should be a
treat. Really, it should.
I'm not sure if I'm being sarcastic or
not when I write that. I mean we've done the trip to Europe enough
so that we know what we need pack. That's not a problem. But there
are three different things that we have to consider this year, three
things that in themselves aren't that big of a deal. But they're
three things that are at least making us think.
The first is that this is the longest
trip we've ever taken. Sure, it's only one day longer than the
previous record, but we still have to make sure we add the additional
pair of underwear and pair of socks, lest we find ourselves making
either a last minute stop at a German laundromat or a last minute
stop at a Mueller store to pick up the extra underwear and extra pair
of socks. So that's something to be taken care of.
The second factor is the weather.
Germany is in the midst of perhaps its hottest summer in history, and
the extended forecast for the first few days of our trip shows that
trend should continue. But a big chunk of our trip is in the Alps,
where the weather can be anything put predictable. I mean, we just
have to think back three years ago when we were getting ready to go
over with our parents, and Germany was then in the midst of its
hottest summer ever. However, when we we got there, the bottom fell
out, weather-wise, leaving us with many cool, rainy, and foggy days.
So while it SHOULD be warm and dry while we're there, we're not
taking anything for granted. We're packing for both possibilities,
just in case.
And then there's the musical we're
attending. Going to the theater is always kind of a big event,
especially in Germany. So that brings up another question—do we
just dress like American tourist schlubs and go see the musical, or
do we try to fit in a get a little fancy to attend? That's something
to consider; right now, we're thinking little black dress and sport
coat (the former for Loraine, the latter for me, obviously) so we can
fit in. However, that means we have to not only pack all that extra
stuff, but we have to make sure that it stays in fairly good shape
for the first four days of our trip (when we'll actually be going to
the theater). That's something new, and yet another thing we'll have
to take into consideration.
So, with a week left to go until we
leave, we're still not fully set, at least as far as the packing
goes. I mean, I have no doubt that we'll get it done in plenty of
time and with all these little things resolved. It's just that, for
the first time in years, we're actually having to think about what
we're doing. I'm thinking that's a good thing. It means we're on
top of it, and we're taking everything into consideration.
I just hope the four extra brain cells
we had to devote to the process don't get too mad at us!
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