The last time I wrote, I was offered a job I couldn’t refuse: cat sitting in Paris!
Since then, I visited my family on Hawaii twice, once over the holidays and once to celebrate birthdays in July but didn’t post any photos because it was essentially a trip to visit family, not a vacation.
I’m currently preparing for a longer trip which has been on the schedule for two years. I postponed it because of Covid. It was originally a solo trip but my friend Ann from England decided to join me. She and I traveled to Umbria and Tuscany together with Overseas Adventure Travels and she joined me for a few days in Paris. I’m happy she will join me on this adventure!
The chosen trip is another adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. I’m flying to London to meet her and we will continue on our journey together after a couple of days decompressing in London. We have no specific plans.
I’m flying into HEATHROW, you ask? It seems that whenever I mention this fact, I’m greeted with a grimace. That’s a terrible airport. I know. I know about its reputation for losing luggage. I’ll pack extra clothes in my carry on and hope for the best. I’ll embellish my luggage so it is unique and easy to find and add my hotel in London as an extra luggage tag
I don’t know if it’s the inevitability of growing older, but planning for a trip like this, consisting of many days in different accomodations, seems to take much longer than it used to and I can no longer throw some things in a suitcase and take off. My ”to do” list this time was very long.
When did I start taking vitamins? Are they that important? I now take blood pressure medications so I had to make sure I had enough to see me through the trip, be sure to carry the original bottles, and I had to consult a travel nurse for possible vaccines. As it turned out, I had to get Hep A, Hep B and Typhoid Fever vaccines. i am up to date on Covid vaccines and fully vaxxed and boosted. I’ve been very cautious and lucky not to get Covid. Fingers crossed my luck continues. I was told to carry a picture of my pills and prescriptions ”just in case.” We’re not going to Russia but still we have to be careful instead of carefree travelers.
I wish we weren’t so hooked to our devices but we are: my iPhone is not only my phone and internet but my only camera and my lifeline to the outside world. My phone is new but my iPad is not, which is why it’s taking forever to type this post. I am very careful about not flashing my phone around and I will be wearing a travel vest with inside pockets.
The weather will be quite warm in some places and we will be in “ tented luxury accomodations” for two nights WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. I spent a great deal of time researching “power banks” and ” portable batteries” for my devices and have one of each. Since I didn’t grow up in the world of computers, it took me time to ascertain which plug goes into which hole with which cord. I know that this will be among the most picturesque parts of the tour, so I don’t want a dead camera. I have never been a happy camper so this experience will be a challenge.
I will be posting when I can, depending on internet access and free time.
If you have any pre- trip tips, I would appreciate them.
Looking forward to my next adventure… I think !