I’m too old for this sh!t.
You would think I’d have grown out of it by now- after filling three passports, after living and even giving birth abroad, after dragging my kids around the globe- but no. Every single trip about a week before takeoff I start to seize up as I watch the to-do list grow.
Then around day T-minus-5 I start getting easily distracted: Friends marathon? Facebook friend send me a life on Candy Crush? I’m there!
Day 4-Panic starts to set in. OhMyGodHowAmIGoingToGetItAllDone? This is usually accompanied by each kid requesting something totally random needing to be done by tomorrow, as happened today with Deal Kid needing dress clothes (and knowing a week ago) and Deal Girl deciding she wanted presents for her PE teacher.
Day 3: Frantic productivity- I’m a swirling dervish of laundry, online bill paying, errands. Get outta my way!
Day 2: Meltdown day! You can set a clock by it! This is exactly the time Deal Dad realizes we’re leaving and starts to ask questions about our itinerary, which has been planned for a year. One question and I’m off to the races.
Departure Day: Somehow we manage to get out the door-with me always wondering how it got together at the absolute last minute and promising myself it will never be that stressful again.
What’s your pre-trip confession? Please share in the comments-this is a judgement free zone.
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Shame on you. You’re human. How dare you be?
I blew up at my husband last night because he asked if we were going to “get rid of some of this clutter” before our company comes. Son will be here for the weekend, starting tomorrow. Daughter and grandson, followed by her husband a week later, will be here next Wed for the entire summer.
I have lists in my phone, I have lists in my head. And he asks that question!!! See? It’s not just you.
I hope you have the most amazing trip to Vietnam, Dia.
LOL. Thanks for getting it, MickiSue.
I wonder some travel blog writers are human sometimes! It’s just not sunshine and rainbows every single minute.
Leaving for Australia tomorrow afternoon. Getting tense, so much to do, and unexpected things coming from my teenage daughter’s activities. Oh well, I tell myself. I can buy pretty much whatever I forget in Australia! Good to know I’m not alone! Next time it will be smoother for sure!!!
We’re all in this together, Kate. Just get to the plane and it will work itself out.
You just described myself to an absolute T!!! We are in Japan and the week before we left was (as always) filled with waves of overwhelming stress and anxiety.
Two days before leaving on our trip, I returned late in the evening on a 5 hr drive from my parents’ house. Our meltdown was spurred by the kids waiting at our back door for their dad to unlock it and let them in. He never came to open the door, so they came back to mom (laden with bags and garbage from that car trip) to say “we need help. Can you let us in?”.
I actually have said to my husband on the first day or so of a big trip after we’ve arrive at our destination: next time I’m stressed out about a trip, remind me that it really is worth it and I do like traveling.
As soon as we are on our way to the airport I’m completely relaxed. But T-2 days? Stressed as all heck.
PS – I, too, have traveled, lived, and given birth in another country. Why does that not help us to be relaxed about a big trip?
We of all people should know better😂. Just no remedy but to lean in.