Getting closer to leaving...

And getting more excited as the week goes on.



Yesterday I did a complete packing run-through to make sure I had everything. It's hard to know what to bring for a 7 1/2 week trip and I am working on keeping it as minimal as I can, but in the end it didn't all quite fit into a 22 inch carry-on. Andy wants a couple of t-shirts and other souvenirs and I usually buy pressies for my niece and nephew so I figured I better have a tiny bit more room. The only other suitcase I had was my 26" REI duffle (this one I took to Iceland last year) so even though now it has a few inches of extra room when it's closed and upright, I imagine I will fill up the spaces as I travel.

The problem with carry-on anymore is that going to Europe you are only allowed a very small bag (no more than 13 pounds) which is like a heavy daypack (like mine with all my electronic gear since I do not want to put the Netbook* or any other electronic necessities in the suitcase in case it gets lost). So after those things and my art travel journal and such, my pack is at the pound limit.

So even if I had been able to get it all into a 22 inch carry-on I would have had to check it anyway. I just don't want to have to schlep a lot of weight around when I travel.

*Yes, this time I am bringing my Netbook. This is unusual for me because I usually prefer to travel lower-tech and not have to worry about things like a computer and all, but Andy wants me to Skype along the way (beats having to pay for phone calls I guess and we can video, so he can show me the cats and dog and I can remember how much I hate hairballs!)... the interesting part will be to see if the supposed "Free WiFi" in the hotels and B&B's I am staying in really exists. If not, there are always coffee places and libraries and I think most of Europe is more "connected" to the Internet that most of the US so it shouldn't be a problem.

So... just have a few more days of school to go (I think the teachers are just as if not more antsy than the kids this year) then I am off... leaving on a jet plane.