L'Europe, j'arrive

Last post before I leave!  As promised, a post all about the packing process...

I have to start by saying that I have a weird level of nervousness about this trip.  I've developed several theories:  
a) I want to make sure I'm on time for everything during the trip
b) I want to make sure I don't miss out on anything 
c) I don't want to get there and realize I forgot something crucial

And....most of these theories are complete nonsense.  A) aside from getting to the wedding on Friday and getting to the airport multiple times, I'm sort of at my leisure for the rest of the trip.  Getting to the wedding on time is crucial because I'm the unofficial photog for the civil ceremony on Friday, so I'll be up early that day and making my way to Dunstable.  Getting to the airport for France....I mean...might as well throw myself under a plane if I don't make it to my flight on time.  B) Of COURSE I'm going to miss out on things, there's only so much time and I'm only so much person who can only be in one place at one time.  I am practicing breathing and saying "This is your flipping vacation, stop freaking out and just go with it".  I've got 3 flights to hammer that into my mind tomorrow, I'll get there.  And C) once I tell you about how I packed everything, you'll think I'm certifiable for worrying that I've forgotten anything even remotely useful. 

Allez, let's talk about packing.  Firstly, I had to do a minimal amount of digging on Pinterest before I found an awesomely complete packing list (anyone who needs a stocking stuffer for the traveler in your life, buy them a notepad of the lists here...I mean, how useful and clever and fabulous would one of these be?)  Since I don't have one of the notepads (yet!), I just used the image on Pinterest as a reference point, and gathered things in categories.  Yes, I also made my own list...it calms me.

First up, some massively important things to take when flying/leaving the country:

This neck pillow brought to you by IKEA, and I think I'm going to be really happy I finally bought one. I found that eye mask at Michael's yesterday, and I've had the earplugs because my neighbors and I had a rough start. Of course you need your passport, and I'm taking the smaller wallet that's on top of the passport in addition to my regular wallet...more on that in a sec.  I'm taking my phone and iPod for entertainment purposes mostly (read: Candy Crush, my Kindle app and music), and then of course there are the snacks.  My snack stash has grown considerably since I took this picture...what can I say, I wanna make sure I don't go hungry. I have to say though, Icelandair has pretty good in-flight meals. 

Now about that wallet - I found it down the shore this week when I was hanging out with my friend Jamie.  When I first saw the display of all of them, I thought they were kinda cheesy. Then I saw the one that said "France" and went all weak at the knees.  I mean, look at this thing:

The outside

The flip side

Inside one of the inner pockets

Inside other pocket - Notre Dame!

Clearly I had to buy it.  You get it, don't you?  

Ok moving on, I also took a pic of all of the stuff that I'm taking for my hosts in France.  Jenny is coming back to the States literally the day after I leave the UK, so there's really nothing I can take her that she's not gonna get herself when she comes home.  I'll cook dinner for her one night or something. So, for my fabulous French hosts, by request:

Sorry for the lighting, the flash on my camera is not doing it for me right now. Anyway, I'm excited to get there, see them, and unload this stuff.  3 bags of PB M&Ms are heavy! Isa also loves to use English stickers on her students' work, so I'm giving her the stash of a lifetime...or at least the next year!  The stamps and ink pads are for all of the English teachers at my old school to use, so I hope they like them.  We're all gathering for a BBQ while I'm there, and I can't  wait to see them all!

One more picture and then I'm wrapping up, I promise you.  Gotta make sure you're able to adapt while you're traveling, and your electronics are no different.  Here's my team of adapters (and a charger, for good measure):

The one on the left (which has a USB outlet on the bottom) and the one that's second from the right are both for France and any other country that uses that type of outlet.  The black rectangle is my camera charger.  God help me if I forget that thing.  The one on the right I had to do some digging for, but I'm so relieved that I found it.  It's got options for Europe, the UK, Japan, Thailand and the USA, so you can plug in wherever you go!  Having said that, please don't start throwing your blowdryers and curling irons and microwave ovens in your bags.  Europe and the UK have a different voltage system than the USA, so drying your hair at the hotel in Paris could result in frying all of the circuits.  Luckily my new haircut requires a little mousse and a little scrunching, so I'm really just hoping that people along the way will have blowdryers out of vanity.

Eh ben, voilà quoi!  I also spent quite a bit of time picking out the clothes that I'm taking, but I think that what I've got is super reasonable...I mean, there are the 2 dresses for both ceremonies, and enough mix-and-matchable outfits and Woolite to get me through most of the trip...and only 5 pairs of shoes!!  I'm trying to go for light layers and a sweater or two that  can keep me warm if needed.  Luckily, the weather forecast looks pretty good.  Everyone please keep your fingers crossed and do whatever voodoo that you do so that the sun will be shining at least until Anne's wedding, if not for my whole trip.  Kudos to those of you who made it through this whole post....it'll have to last you until I get to London!!  Catch y'all on the other side of the pond!

Énormes bisous!