Ready, Set, Go!

It doesn't seem real yet. We decided at the end of April to go on this trip and the moment is almost here!  I've never been to Europe.  The stars just never aligned for me.  Either there was no money, no time or the kids were too young or too busy.  This year there was a perfect storm of events and things just fell into place.  Saying they fell into place may be a bit of a stretch if you know Uli at all.  Things were planned.  Perfectly.  I was so proud of myself when I booked the flights and managed to get all the hotels booked--not an easy task when you are a family of 5 in a world designed for families of 4.  Little did I know that I was a neophyte in the planning department and Uli is the grand master.  That being said, every angle has been covered and we should surely be able to see and do everything our hearts desire.  Uli has spent countless hours ensuring this and for that I am grateful and awed--but don't tell him that!

Packing for the trip has been interesting.  I remember going on trips when I was younger and just throwing clothes into a suitcase and away I went.  I like to consider myself relatively low maintenance, but I'm beginning to question that when I look at the size of the toiletry bag I've had to bring just for me--and I don't wear make-up.  My medication bag is immense--yes, I have a medication bag--2 in fact.  How's that for middle age?  I'm certainly not going to tolerate hot flashes on holiday! Being that Uli's a doctor and I'm a nurse doesn't help.  We have medication for every eventuality.  Do you think we'll come across Leprosy in Europe? On the upside, I have, however, discovered the joys of packing cubes thanks to my friend Barb Chang.  It's amazing how much you can fit in one of those suckers!

Life has been a whirlwind the past couple of weeks.  I had a wonderful trip to Edmonton to spend some time with family followed by a weeklong trip to Texas.  Astrid competed in the US Open Synchro Championships with Team Alberta.  I was fortunate enough to go along and cheer them all on.  Her team won a bronze medal and she and her duet partner, Maxime McLean won bronze for their duet.  It was quite a wonderful week, spent with some great people.  It meant, however, a quick turnaround as we arrived home Sunday night.  It has been a few days of laundry, finishing up work and running errands to buy last minute, forgotten items.

What I'm looking forward to the most is time.  Time to explore.  Time to relax. Time to laugh.  Time to be together--as a family.  The girls are getting older and I know how very precious time is.  I intend to enjoy every minute of it.