Saturday, March 14, 2009

Travel Preparations

The Eldest and I will be traveling in a couple of months taking our first trip to Europe for her 16th birthday present (a little early). This is the trip of a lifetime for me, the one I've wanted to take since I was a teenager. I'm so thankful I can give this gift to her at such a young age; the educational opportunities provided by world travel are unparalleled, for starters. I also have this funny feeling she's going to travel when she's a young adult so I want her to acquire some travel skills while she's still under parental supervision! ;) We're in full out preparation mode now. Even though we're going budget, I've been shopping for appropriate (and inexpensive) clothing. I'm NOT a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination and I pay little attention to my clothes beyond trying to look neat and tidy; The Eldest seems to have acquired the same values, although the neat and tidy thing can be a little sketchy were she's concerned. Given that, I realized we don't really have much to wear on a trip. We don't want to take a lot, but some appropriate clothing a little dressier than our usual jeans/jean shorts is definitely in order. (We hear they'll spit on you in Paris if you wear jeans and sneakers.) (OK, maybe that's a little drastic, but I'm just sayin'.) We spent this afternoon at a couple of local discount retailers trying on clothes and actually managed to find a few things and have fun at the same time. I really enjoy her company; she's a delight to hang out with. I frequently say to my kids "how did I get so lucky that I have the 3 of you?" because I am truly, truly blessed with each of them.
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3 comments:

  1. LaikaMarch 14, 2009 at 10:02 PM

    I'm really excited for you both, and can't wait to read the updates while you're there!

    I'd say, yeah, definitely aim for dressier. White tennis shoes and fanny packs are a sure sign of a tourist!

    Also, living in Florida for extended periods seriously thins your blood. You forget how *cold* cold is! Even though things should be warming up some by the time you're going, dress in lots of layers, and consider gloves and scarves (though you should be able to get some there if you feel you need them).

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  2. TristinMarch 14, 2009 at 11:32 PM

    Man, I'm gonna miss you guys. Though if you spiked your hair you could get away with the jeans and sneakers, as Punkers can get away with it in Paris.

    You guys are going to have so much fun, for one semester when I'm in college I can attend a college in the UK and they let you get out two weeks early for travel.

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  3. KimMarch 16, 2009 at 10:40 PM

    Hi Mark:
    Thanks for the words of wisdom! We're kinda nervous about this whole traveling to another continent thing, but looking forward to the adventure. I've warned Kevin- I'm taking him back there with me one day, kicking and screaming if need be! ;)

    Hi Tristan:
    I told The Eldest I'd go for the Punk Rock look for sure, and she just rolled her eyes at me and said no, although I can't imagine why! ;) I think it's great you'll be able to travel in college- take every opportunity for that; those are memories you'll cherish forever. We'll try to do the internet cafe thing to update our blogs while we're gone, although we'll have to play it by ear.

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