Actually, SB's sister and family are already on their way, having to travel from Pittsburgh around the world. I am packed; in fact, I have packed and repacked twice. That's normal, right?
Hello, my name is Archi and I am a type A personality. Now, people say that the alpha/beta personality descriptions are obsolete but I took the Myers-Brigss and I still came out ENTJ. When I cheat, I can sometimes come out as ENFJ.
The problem with my packing is that I have a bit of room in my bag which has caused me to have second thoughts about packing more clothing, accessories and snacks, just because I can. Maybe I can add my watercolors. Maybe I can bring my Kindle...
Meanwhile, SB has not begun packing. I'm not sure that he has thought of what to bring. But then, traveling isn't what it used to be and it seems that you would have to work hard at finding a destination that is inconvenient. As long as he packs his clown shoes for his giant feet, I am not worried. Aside from Sasquatch shoes, we can likely buy anything that he forgot.
Twenty years ago when I was a teenager on my first solo backpacking trip of Europe, things were different. I did not have a mobile phone or an iPad. I carried a notebook that was my most valuable possession other than my wallet (stuffed with cash from my waitress job, because I did not own a credit card). The notebook had the lists of hostels and directions. It had maps, brochures, contacts, and most importantly my running budget, because what I had was all that I could spend. I had a marvelous time, but it wasn't without difficulty. The bank holiday meant that there were no hostel openings in all of London, but a hostel let me stow my backpack while I spent the night in a park with other unlucky backpackers. Someone had a guitar and no one cared that I was tone deaf. It was a lovely evening.
In hindsight, I also cannot believe that I actually got off the train in that godforsaken town in Northumberland where everyone stared at me like I was an alien (first sign of trouble) and the guest register for the hostel showed that the last guest arrived in 1994 (get out now!). The hostel owner was a sheep farmer who looked like what I imagine Captain Ahab might have looked like (large, white beard, craggy face), but thankfully I did not resemble a large, white whale, and I lived to enjoy the bucolic scenery.
In 2018, everything is a click away. It took only a week to compile comparisons of hotels, tours, and travel options. One evening after work, I went online and booked the entire trip, easy peasy. When we fly into Ho Chi Minh, we can pick up data SIM cards at the airport and be online within the hour, posting to this blog in real time.
If it was 1998, I would be checking my list thrice but now in 2018 I am typing this entry while relaxing on the couch with a glass of wine (Amarone, a splurge) with a hound at my feet (well, technically Elsie in on my feet but she is "big boned" according to SB) and another hound at my side. I will miss those two little monsters but their regular sitter, Auntie C, is coming over to stay at our place and entertain them. I am very much looking forward to spending the next two weeks with my in laws. The kids are pretty dang neat.
Oh, yeah, and SB. I am looking forward to a holiday with SB.
Hello, my name is Archi and I am a type A personality. Now, people say that the alpha/beta personality descriptions are obsolete but I took the Myers-Brigss and I still came out ENTJ. When I cheat, I can sometimes come out as ENFJ.
The problem with my packing is that I have a bit of room in my bag which has caused me to have second thoughts about packing more clothing, accessories and snacks, just because I can. Maybe I can add my watercolors. Maybe I can bring my Kindle...
Meanwhile, SB has not begun packing. I'm not sure that he has thought of what to bring. But then, traveling isn't what it used to be and it seems that you would have to work hard at finding a destination that is inconvenient. As long as he packs his clown shoes for his giant feet, I am not worried. Aside from Sasquatch shoes, we can likely buy anything that he forgot.
Twenty years ago when I was a teenager on my first solo backpacking trip of Europe, things were different. I did not have a mobile phone or an iPad. I carried a notebook that was my most valuable possession other than my wallet (stuffed with cash from my waitress job, because I did not own a credit card). The notebook had the lists of hostels and directions. It had maps, brochures, contacts, and most importantly my running budget, because what I had was all that I could spend. I had a marvelous time, but it wasn't without difficulty. The bank holiday meant that there were no hostel openings in all of London, but a hostel let me stow my backpack while I spent the night in a park with other unlucky backpackers. Someone had a guitar and no one cared that I was tone deaf. It was a lovely evening.
In hindsight, I also cannot believe that I actually got off the train in that godforsaken town in Northumberland where everyone stared at me like I was an alien (first sign of trouble) and the guest register for the hostel showed that the last guest arrived in 1994 (get out now!). The hostel owner was a sheep farmer who looked like what I imagine Captain Ahab might have looked like (large, white beard, craggy face), but thankfully I did not resemble a large, white whale, and I lived to enjoy the bucolic scenery.
In 2018, everything is a click away. It took only a week to compile comparisons of hotels, tours, and travel options. One evening after work, I went online and booked the entire trip, easy peasy. When we fly into Ho Chi Minh, we can pick up data SIM cards at the airport and be online within the hour, posting to this blog in real time.
If it was 1998, I would be checking my list thrice but now in 2018 I am typing this entry while relaxing on the couch with a glass of wine (Amarone, a splurge) with a hound at my feet (well, technically Elsie in on my feet but she is "big boned" according to SB) and another hound at my side. I will miss those two little monsters but their regular sitter, Auntie C, is coming over to stay at our place and entertain them. I am very much looking forward to spending the next two weeks with my in laws. The kids are pretty dang neat.
Oh, yeah, and SB. I am looking forward to a holiday with SB.
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