Leaving tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

Last minute chores are the pits! And we all have last minute chores to do, just maybe not quite as many as you do.

I am a list maker. One of the last things I do is call the bank where my ATM is and where the credit cards are to make sure they have noted that we will be overseas and where we are going. Don't want the accounts frozen. I notified them 2 weeks prior, b ut I always last minute check them.

Once you get to the airport it's all done or it will wait for you, so take a deep breath and try to relax.

Have a great trip!

Pat-as you probably know, we procrastinators do our work best under pressure. It sounds like you are ready for a vacation! Rest assured, the world will continue to spin while you're gone, and have a great trip.

pat,

Although my situation is somewhat different, I also get overwhelmed with last minute details just prior to a trip. It usually seems that as soon as I get one chore completed, I find six more that need doing. When the night prior to departure finally arrives, I'm usually a nervous wreck and don't get much sleep as I'm continually running over the "must do's" in my mind, wondering if I've forgotten any crucial details. When I leave the house on departure day, I'm still nervous but that starts to subside once I reach the airport. Once on the plane, there's nothing I can do about things at home so I try to focus on the trip.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

Have a great trip, Pat!!!!!!! You'll relax once you get there!

Got photocopies of travel docs done. Got luggage tags. Bought a converter adapter($$$) . Got a tablet case. Got one load of laundry done.. now to fold it.. and have appts today at 1.30, 2.45, ( yes.. 3!/) and 4.15.

Almost there.............

Won\t have time to vacuum. .lol

Well, Pat, what can I say? If you're reading this you can't be that busy! ; )

You'll have a wonderful time once you get on the plane (or, maybe, once you land). Whatever you forgot to bring you can get there. My only question is, why leave a beautiful place like Vancouver Island in our best NW season if you can visit Europe in spring or fall?

Let us know how your trip is going, unless you're having too much fun to report!

Happy hour (extended version) seems well in order.

Remember-don't sign your real name on the petitions, and never pay more than 5 Euro for a gold ring.

The last minute travel nerves and rush to get everything done! For me it all goes away once I am on the first plane. Have a great trip!

. . . Unless you realize, as the plane's taking off, that you don't have your dirver's license for your rental car, or the name and address of that place where you made reservations. If you're tight on time, take care of what you need while you're in Europe and leave the laundry & vacuuming for when you get back. Have a great trip!

Interesting to note that several people have posted about doing their wills at the last second. Me too! And I thought I was the only one silly enough to not already have a will, especially at my age......this makes me feel so much better.

I did one online, and had it notarized by an attorney less than 24 hours before my flight. I never felt the need to have a will for any of my other trips ( Guess I am not a very responsible parent/pet owner) but Malaysian Flt 370 was a reality check for me.

BTW --- I left all four of my cats to Eileen. And that was before I knew she would need them for her cat house...uh.. I mean Kitty Kafe. ;)

Thanks for all responses.. must say Rons did ring true for me.

Got everything done.

Did run out at 6 pm this evening and bought a bigger suitcase, a 24 inch.. seem luxurious.

Will is signed.

Whew..

Daughter driving us to ferry tomorrow. ( we live on island and fly from mainland)...

Thanks again.. will try and remember details to post on trip reports( suck at that)

Pat, don't you know you're not supposed to post your travel plans on line? While you are blissfully riding that ferry, I'll be launching my canoe and paddling across the strait. I plan to camp out on your sofa and watch the World Cup. I hope you have cold beer in the fridge.

Don't go, Sam. She didn't even vacuum.

I go through exactly what you're going through, it's a marathon of chores up until I leave for the airport... Whenever you start to worry remember it's good for your family to miss you and hopefully realize how much you do for them!

Sounds like you got everything done and problem solved the suitcase... Now get some rest and... Have a wonderful vacation!!

I'll miss your posts and look forward to more when you get back! Eat a pain au chocolat for me.

Have Fun and Bon Voyage!

OMG! I'm so glad I'm not alone!!

It's my dog. She mourns and I worry she won't eat when I leave her. I just know she is going to die.
I'm worried my husband will prune every shrub and tree to near death or that he won't change the kitty litter.
Once I'm on the plane and have a nice glass of wine I'll be fine. I'll be fine.

But you, Pat, will be great. You're going to London and Dublin, both cities I love, and you're going to Paris for a month!!

Oh, my gosh. DH and I just signed our wills, POAs, and personal directives on Tuesday, and I put the originals in the safety deposit box today.

Got my DPT booster yesterday, as I suddenly realized I was overdue.

Been running around taking care of all kinds of niggly details this week. We have until Tuesday, but it's a long weekend, so I can't leave some things for the last day, for sure.

Have a great trip!

Two folks in this thread mention signing their wills. Don't you guys have wills until you travel?

I changed and signed my will about 10 years ago and just leave it in the safe and at the solicitor's.

Don't go, Sam. She didn't even vacuum.

Ha!

Peg

Don't you guys have wills until you travel?

That is a funny thing, isn't it, Nigel? It is said that most accidents happen close to home, but we, indeed, finally finished ours just before we went overseas for the first time, last year. We're ready to go this year though, with at least one-or five or ten-fewer things to do in preparation.

Once my husband and I wrote out a will on the way to the airport leaving our teenage son to the people who were driving us. But we made it through that trip and it's 10 years later and we are all still alive.

Wha?

What is this 'vacumn' you speak of?

;-)

I have so many things that must be left until the last moments, most cat-related ^..^ But, as you mentioned, things like hair/eyelash dyeing, stocking the fridge/freezer for those left behind (depending on their culinary skills), washing clothing - you can't do many of these types of things too far in advance. I just try (live and learn!) to minimize the number of things I have to do at the last minute. I make sure my luggage is OK (zippers work, nothing has rotted LOL!), I locate my passport/€ well in advance, try to decant all of my toiletries a week or more before my trip, have my travel clothing washed and folded in their packing folders/cubes, etc. I've finally learned that all of those 'it'll only take me a few minutes' chores take more than a few minutes :-( especially when there are many of them to do.

But once I'm on that airplane...the meter resets. I'mgoingtoEurope!!!

Pat, I hope you're having a great time! I'm sure all is well back home...and hopefully Sam WILL vacumn before you return.

I must lead a sheltered life. Is eyelash dying a real thing?

Having a good time. Dublin is very crowded and expensive, and while the countryside is pretty, its too similar to where I live to be ooohing and ahhing like some folks might. London was fun, befriended pub !manager and we were"locked in" for two nights! ( locking in means you get to stay and party with staff after they close and lock up!) Lots of fun and we have made some good friends,looking forward to seeing g them again in a few weeks when we return to London!
Weather not super.
Grier if you have blond eyelashes and do not like to wear mascara then eyelash dying is awesome. I still put mascara on for body, but the week we r in Spain on the water and on the beach I won't bother.

If you have blond eyelashes and don't bother with mascara then u will never understand eyelash dying !lol

Glad to hear you're having a fun time, Pat! Please post more updates - I'm especially curious to hear what Majorca is like. For some reason it sounds really exotic to me.

At first I thought you all were referring to eyelashes that were dying, which can't be a good thing. Now I know you mean "eyelash-dyeing." :)

Pat, glad you made it out of town and are obviously having a wonderful time. Some great comments here... The part about checking that zippers work and things haven't rotted really hit home. Our daughter was married last month in Williamsburg, and life was crazy leading up to our departure. So I threw my dress and shoes for the event into the car along with all the other stuff, not bothering to check the shoes which my sister had had resoled for me over the winter. The morning of the wedding I'm walking around daughter's apartment and the soles seemed odd... it became clear that the shoes had not been resoled, and they were disintegrating on my feet. I took them off until I was actually walking into the church and they held together for the ceremony and photos afterwards. But from now on I promise to check clothes and shoes BEFORE heading out the door for a trip!

Small note on wills. Never in the safety deposit box. Wills need to be stored where they are accessible. Safety deposit boxes tend to get sealed on death. Should be a provision is the will that a copy is as valid as the original. Make copies and pass them around.

Should I put a copy of my will in my money belt?

Took Rural Pub tour last night. Wonderful way to visit some out of the way pubs in the countryside and have a designated driver! We had booked the shorter tour(7pm-12pm) but were switched to the longer tour(3-12pm) complimentary because of booking mix up. Would take the shorter tour again I'd we return to Dublin as pubs were so interesting and tour guide Shane was charming and full of tibits of information! The longer tour visited 6 puns, the smaller one visits 3.

I tend to car sickness and the country roads we took were very windy ,so Shane had myself and another lady (who also gets carsick) sit right up front,which helped a lot. The longest drive was about 40 minutes ,but that was also the least windy part, most drives were 10-20 minutes between pubs.

Fun aspect of tour was meeting and chatting with 14 other people(tours are max. of 16 guests),mostly Australians, some other Canadians, and some from Germany. Shane says group composition is different every time.
I recommend this tour.

This posting was entertaining because I swing to the other end of the pendulum of preparation. Whew, the plane door is closed - ha!

By the way, legal wills can be stored in the Safety Deposit box - just make sure that you have someone else listed in the signatures who can access the box when needed. In my example, my sister had signature access for our parents' box, so we didn't need to worry about acquiring the will of my parents.

or, your family needs to know what attorney has the wills, assuming you did not do it in the car on the way to the airport leaving your teenager to the driver........Claire, ..if I was that friend, I'd turn around and take you safely back home so that I would NOT end up with your teenager.
for our trip at the end of June, I did something that worked pretty well for me......I ended up driving to a friends house whose husband was going to drop me at ohare (to connect with my group) and keep my car......this dear friend lives seven hours away and was just diagnosed w cancer (thus the need to see her also this summer).....so it was at her house that I was going thru my regular purse transferring about half to my travel purse, making a last minute call to my insurance agent and the airline, writing a couple of birthday cards and she even let me top off my dang 3 ounce shampoo bottle from hers. what a great friend! (and i was not ignoring her, she's working half days from home) anyway, this 36 hour buffer made me get my BIG last minute stuff done earlier.

I'm leaving next Tuesday so I'm slowly working up to my usual mild panic mode, despite having all my bits and pieces sorted out and arrangements made, just need to pack over the weekend. Enjoy your trip!