Packing and Planning

Ok - so, for those of you who don't know (Logan), I will be using this blogspot to keep a record of my time in France as well. The reasons for this are legion but the one that means the most to me is that all of our family and friends are comfortable with navigating to this spot to keep updated. See if you can see the difference between my posts and Logan's. Ah, you've caught it already? Yes.....it is the spelling - well done. Let's see how I fare on the Euro keyboard because, clearly, there could not be any other reason........right, Logan?

I could say that I have been planning for this trip my whole life and maybe I will take this Hallmark moment to say that if you are thinking of travelling - stop thinking and start doing. The time will never be right, you will never have the money, people will be sorry to see you go (or come back), world disasters will happen days before you leave and the minutaie of your life will rise like a wave to drown you but that will occur whether or not you travel so make like Nike and Just Do It.

I want to be the person that drops onto a spot on the map and feels a sense of kinship with the journey, that rides the wave of change (person, place, time and underwear), that soars through the unseen bumps in the road with glee at what might be hiding in the valleys and shining at the peaks. The kind of person who glances at a map and keeps the compass point in a concrete portion of the brain for future reference and can look around and enjoy. But the last time I checked I was me so my planning so far has consisted of the following:

• 4 guidebooks - each one progressively smaller as the idea of weighing my suitcase began to seem closer to reality. All have been read thoroughly once, just to get the feel for the info. Twice, just to check what might be repeated and therefore definitely worth knowing. Thrice, to make a few notes and the final (4th!) time to solidify details (phone numbers if I can figure out how to dial a phone in europe and hours of operation if I can get my clock to keep time). Now I am definitely ready to read them again during the 20 hours of travel time. Man, just think how much time I saved!
• A phrasebook - phrases like: "where is the bathroom", "how do I find the metro", "HOW much" and "M-I-D-O-L (suprisingly the same)" - these things cannot be overlearned and since the powers that be who write these books do not include indexes it is important to know that the section on dining out is next to the section on getting robbed - oh wait - that is the same section....
• City of Paris and City of Dijon sites - how can I stuff each of my days so full that I need to actually schedule sleep? These are the place to go because hey, these sites couldn't possibly be exagerrating the exciting life their city leads...oh, except Sunday when God and Everyone (seriously, they're Catholic) is tending to their immortal souls. Still that mushroom festival sounds like a blast! In all seriousness - it is Paris - we will run out of time before we run out of things to see (breathing into a paper bag, stay calm, can't see everything, be zen)
• Train tickets. Ok, French folks are funny - in order to get cheap fares you have to go to the site IN FRENCH and book IN FRENCH and receive confirmation IN FRENCH. Yes, we get it, you want us to try the language and hey, I am all about that but you do have my credit card number and I really do need to get to my destination. But switching to English adds 20 Euros to the price so I am game.
• Hours of operation and special notes for every church, monument and museum in Paris written in a notebook for easy access with critical phone numbers, cut out google maps and 4-5 places to eat (complete with phone numbers and prices) in each district because even though I will have all 4 guidebooks with me it won't be conveniently placed in 10-12 pages of cramped crib notes - much easier access. (shut up Logan)

And then we get to Packing. So, somewhere along the way I have heard that rolling up clothes is a great way to keep things from getting wrinkled and helps to fit everything in. So finally, it is my turn at 38 to test this theory and I am left wondering..........what size are the people with so much room in the suitcase? Is it like shoes? It looks really good in a size 6 but the size 10 is not so sexy? It must be the same with a size 4, university aged, MEC wearing bohemian versus a size 14 (ok, 16 but it depends on the brand), middle life, Walmart wearing frazzled mom. The clothes don't look much smaller...shit! Not sure the rolls as large as a Christmas goose are easier to pack either. But hey - I have waited all this time so they are packed in there like sausages. Everyone kept asking - are you packed? Why would I be packed? I have three kids and left svelte behind years ago so I have 5 outfits (for the 5 days of the week) that I bought sometime in the past 5 years and one pair of sweats for the weekend when you don't even try anymore. 3 pairs of shoes - one brown, one black and a pair of runners. Ok 4: the sandals are dusty but I got my toes painted so damn it they are coming too. How long does it take to pack it? I mean, I am wearing one now (Monday blue)! Anyways - it is all in there, alphabetized and color coded and organized according to the Almanac's prediction of the weather in France.

The planning and packing done, all that is left is the anticipation. Not so much yet. The guidebook says I might feel that in the plane on the way there so I will pencil that in. Or maybe I should sit back and enjoy the ride. I choose door number 2.

Love you all - Kim