Packing...the arduous task that comes along with travel. Some love it, others hate it - I'm definitely one of those in-between people. I love the excitement that comes with packing and knowing that the reason that you are packing is because you are going to be taking a trip (no matter how large or small).
For me, packing begins with a list - yes, I am one of those people. Unfortunately, the older I have gotten the more dependent on lists I have become. I'm afraid I would truly forget my head if it wasn't attached (or on the list). In my younger years, I used to be able to wake up in the morning and decide "I'm going to head to the mountains for the weekend," throw some items in a bag, grab my camping tote and away I would go. No need for planning, I knew exactly what I was going to need and where the items were. Now - that is so not the case! After 3 major moves in less than 10 years, my stuff is strewn between multiple boxes, totes and seems to have found its way to multiple different places (the attic, basement and back of my SUV).
So the first step for me in planning this trip, as stated above, was to create my list and then go on the wild goose chase throughout my home to find all of my stuff. Nothing seemed to be where it was supposed to be, but alas, everything was found (or purchased new). Let me tell you, I don't know what we did in the past with Amazon.com and Backcountry.com when planning outdoor adventures. Clothes, tools, necessities, etc. all at my finger tips with 2 days shipping - AWESOME! (okay, enough product placement).
Once all my items were discovered or purchased, it was time to pack the SUV. This is an art I learned from my mother and it has become one of the most valuable skills in my toolbox. The car is packed and I am ready to roll - I'll check in soon with more from my misadventures across the west.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Adventure Time
Welcome back everyone (that includes me as well) - I seem to have taken quite the hiatus from my blog but what better time to get back into the swing of things when planning to take a much needed vacation.
Since my relocation to Louisville (and the job change that came with it) and the somewhat permanent nature of our stay (yeah for Quinn getting the tenure track position at IUS!) I have had the luxury of being able to take vacation at any time throughout the year. As many of you know, this has not been the case in the past. My vacations had to be planned around the busy seasons in retail and unfortunately, fall equals back to school which prevented me from being able to take time away from the store.
So this past winter, I determined that I wanted to go out west in the fall, coinciding with the week that my parents have at our condo in Big Sky, MT. I hemmed and hawed about flying to Minneapolis and riding out with my family or taking a massive solo road trip for the ages. I finally determined that the road trip was the best option and began planning. Initially, I wanted to take it with Hayley (my sister) but she was going to use this trip as well to introduce Hannah to the places she loved the most so that was out because what I had planned and she had planned did not mesh the best.
I figured then, what the heck, I would try to hit as many of my favorite places as well and share my misadventures along the way. So hold on to your hats and enjoy the ride - the next 12 days are going to be one heck of an adventure!
Since my relocation to Louisville (and the job change that came with it) and the somewhat permanent nature of our stay (yeah for Quinn getting the tenure track position at IUS!) I have had the luxury of being able to take vacation at any time throughout the year. As many of you know, this has not been the case in the past. My vacations had to be planned around the busy seasons in retail and unfortunately, fall equals back to school which prevented me from being able to take time away from the store.
So this past winter, I determined that I wanted to go out west in the fall, coinciding with the week that my parents have at our condo in Big Sky, MT. I hemmed and hawed about flying to Minneapolis and riding out with my family or taking a massive solo road trip for the ages. I finally determined that the road trip was the best option and began planning. Initially, I wanted to take it with Hayley (my sister) but she was going to use this trip as well to introduce Hannah to the places she loved the most so that was out because what I had planned and she had planned did not mesh the best.
I figured then, what the heck, I would try to hit as many of my favorite places as well and share my misadventures along the way. So hold on to your hats and enjoy the ride - the next 12 days are going to be one heck of an adventure!
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