3 weeks and counting

Four little passports, all in a row - proof that we can all leave the country! The time is flying - I can't believe how quickly! This time in four weeks, we'll be one week into our trip!

We finalised payment for our holiday this week, with all bookings finally confirmed. We were starting to get a bit worried when a couple were taking a while to come through, but it's all booked and paid for now. So, all we have to do now is pack and go! Sounds simple, doesn't it?

We're going to try to travel as lightly as possible, so in some ways, that makes packing slightly more difficult. Do I take the blue t-shirt, or the green t-shirt? Do I take the backpack, or the handbag (yes, still trying to work that one out!)? Do I take the slip on joggers, or the lace-up joggers? Do I really need more than 2 pairs of shoes? Two pairs of jeans, or three (one pair just not being an option)? I don't want to be lugging too much around with us, but I don't want to spend 4 weeks wishing I'd brought one more t-shirt. However, I needn't worry too much. Paul's theory is if we need something, we buy it. We're both pretty sure though, that we'll be having so much fun, and doing so much, that we probably won't miss the things we don't bring!

I must admit, there have been a few days this week where the excitment just seems to overwhelm me. I still can't believe that we really doing this. I just feel so blessed, and I can't wait to make the most of every moment!

31 Days To Go

Yep. 31 days. Somehow, the past couple of weeks have disappeared, and we've switched from counting weeks to counting days.

While the switch from week counting to day counting was slightly panic-inducing, it's also upped the excitement level around here. The boys' passports have arrived, and travel plans are progressing nicely - we now have places to stay while we are away. It's now becoming very, very real. We really are going to do this, not just talk about "maybe, one day, hopefully".

There are still lots of other things to work out, some big things (what exactly will we pack, how do we keep the boys entertained on long flights, getting around unfamiliar cities) to rather small things (what kind of bag should I take to use during the day - handbag, backpack, long handled bag I can wear across my body?, do we need a separate bag just for all our various chargers?). However, working it all out is half the fun. It makes it seem real, and it makes it seem close. It is close. It's 31 days to go.

6 weeks to go

Since our boys were babies, we've talked about and dreamed about travelling with them. Last year, we started seriously talking about a family trip to Canada and the USA. We were excited. The boys were excited. But would it happen? Would we be brave enough? Could we actually do it?

We decided to firstly see Canada, so the boys could see where I (Meaghan) was born. They had told us that they wanted to see "where Mummy was a little girl". We then decided that while we were "that close", we'd take the boys to Disneyland and throw in New York for good measure. So, Toronto will be a mix of sentimental and tourist, the other two destinations, pure tourist. The itinerary has changed so many times that it's not funny. We've had so many, it's been hard to keep track of where we thought we were going, where we wanted to go, and where we're actually going to end up going. However, after hours and hours a couple of weekends ago, we've narrowed it down, and finally feel like we know what we're doing.

So, now that we know the where, let's talk about the who. Well, there's us, Paul and Meaghan. We've been married for 10.5 years. Our two sons, who are 9 and 7. And Paul's Dad, who will be joining us on our adventure.

We are now only six weeks away, and panic is starting to set in. We are still working on improving everyone's fitness. Hotels in two cities remain unbooked. We have given very little thought to what we should pack. Our boys' passports still haven't arrived (but hopefully will in the next week).

Basically we have had a great idea that could still fall over during the implementation stage.