Final Countdown

As the trip draws nearer, we check more and more things off of our task lists and packing lists and grow more and more excited. We keep remembering things that would be useful to have and then we debate how we can pack even lighter than we did last year.

Last year, we worked on taking things with us that we could abandon along the way, like hotel bottles of shampoo and conditioner, etc., counting out vitamins so we can abandon vitamin bottles over there, etc. leaving lighter luggage as we go and room for souvenirs. It worked really well, so we're doing it again this year. Also, we've tried to figure out what clothes can do double or triple duty so we have less unnecessary or single use clothes. It's a challenge to no over pack, but we improve each time, our suitcases get smaller, and we love a good challenge. Europe, get ready, you're about to have some of Bill's old underwear!

Since we're flying over U.S. airspace, Air Canada required further information from us. Bill dealt with that yesterday, as I was flitting around the house throwing items into various random piles. The cat wore a look of great suspicion as he traversed the house, regarding the suitcases and piles of stuff in various rooms with evident displeasure. He definitely knows what's happening. He just doesn't know when it's happening.

I wonder who the cat is on the phone with? He doesn't look pleased.

We called our credit card companies and banks to tell them we'd be away. Strangely, one of the banks didn't even want to know if a customer was travelling (that's what the website said). We both thought this odd, so I called to make sure and they said that they use different fraud monitoring now, so they don't need to know when someone travels. We thought that this was strange, but I guess it's up to them what kind of risks they want to take, since they're insuring our accounts. They assured me that the cards wouldn't suddenly be cut off in Europe. But who knows (the recovering lawyer inside me can't help but come up with catastrophic scenarios).

Tomorrow is our final day in Canada, as we fly out on Wednesday to Amsterdam. Stay tuned for our next post.

This cashmere blanket is mine. Do not dare try to take it away from me.