Soon, soon it’s time for us to hit the road and head for France and back. I’m really looking forward to our trip as I haven’t been abroad for ages! It’s especially exciting as it’s Little A’s first proper trip abroad. Now the question is how to prepare for three weeks away from home. I thought I’d write an update on our preparations and expectations, please let me know if I have missed something.
Time to Hit the Road: Expectations
Long days and nights in a car, a heat wave that is harassing Europe. A screaming baby. Is this really a good time to hit the road? Last year, during our trip to Namibia, we did spend quite a bit of time in the car. And it was hot. But there was no screaming baby present. The thing is that I try to keep my expectations low – the chances for a pleasant surprise are greater then. It is also easier to prepare. But let’s take a look at my expectations, shall we?
- We will spend a lot of time in the car. The best way to survive this is to take plenty of breaks and also move. Take some carless days off when we walk. We also need to consider the fact that A is still very little, and so we must listen to her and read her signs. It is also important to try to stick to her routines (as the ones she have are really good!)
- The heat. I’m actually looking forward to some warm weather – the summer here in Sweden has not been the best one. Hopefully it won’t be too hot, though. Again, I’m thinking about Little A. I’m actually not sure what it will be like at the places where we are staying, I’m hoping the temperatures will be decent. But, considering the temperature in our own flat at the moment, nothing can be as bad as this.
- Believe it or not, I’ve never been to France. I’m looking forward to the food and all the historical places we will see along the way. I’m hoping to visit a few bookstores as well.
- We will also be able to cross some countries off our list, countries we’ve never been to. Like Luxemburg.
Before We Hit the Road: Preparations
I love lists. And now it’s time to write one final list of the things we need to do before we hit the road. Jesper has already checked the traffic regulations for all the countries we are visiting, all our documents are also in order. What do we still need to do?
- Pack. This certainly is not a strength of mine. And now I need to pack for a baby and for myself. For the baby I’m thinking almost her entire wardrobe (who knows what exactly she’ll need?). I could survive with dresses only. Add to that diapers, hygiene products, towels, sheets, food, shoes, vitamins, etc, etc. Good thing we’re not traveling by plane! And maybe I should write a list?
- Bake some muffins. When I get hungry, I usually regress to the age of a toddler. So, I need food. Jesper will also need food as he drives and we wouldn’t want him to faint at the steering wheel. We’ll probably buy some food as well, but some things I want to make myself – like muffins.
- Clean our home. I hate coming back to a mess.
- Buy all the things we need, but don’t have at home.
- Plan some activities. Our itinerary is pretty much ready, but we haven’t really decided what we want to do in the different places. I need to take a moment and google all our destinations.
- Prepare our blog, and everything else we need for documenting our trip.
Getting prepared and ready for a trip always creates a bit of chaos. So, did I forget something?
