TEN MORE MONTHS...

I'm starting to get excited again about Lindsay's and my trip to France and Italy next year! Now that it's almost June, the trip is basically ten months away! There's something so much more exhilarating when a planned event becomes less than a year away. It's like it's more of a pipe dream when it's more than a year, and then somehow gains a certain validity once the year mark passes and begins to count down.

Everything is basically planned out at this point, which is bittersweet. For me, one of the funnest aspects of traveling is in the planning. There are so many great things to discover during that process; I like to learn basic languages, politics, history, economics, different regions, etc..., as well as plotting destinations, figuring out accommodations and transportation, and budgeting. I'm sure it's just part of my personality, but yeah, I love that stuff. Of course, it's sweet in the sense that everything is laid out, and there isn't any rush or hassle to put up with.

The next real planning won't be for a little while still, but it's fun to think about the things to do. The next phase will likely be in six months from now, and will include:

• Booking the flight
• Getting some good walking shoes

Followed a month or so later by:

• Making hotel reservations
• Leasing a car for the three weeks

And another month or so by:

• Planning the luggage and what to bring
• Getting a Video Camera for the trip
• Watch the exchange rate and grab some Euro's
  
• Getting a power adapter
• Ensure a method for keeping our valuables and wallets secure while out and about (apparently thieves target tourists pretty heavily in Europe, France isn't supposed to be too bad, however Italy is supposed to be terrible)
• Figure out a cell phone option overseas for staying connected in case of emergencies

And finally, just before leaving:

• Make photo copies of our itinerary, passports, credit cards, leaving the copies with a family member at home in case something goes missing
• PACK!!!
• Apparently it's a good idea to call your credit card company and let them know you'll be using it overseas, as they're likely to put holds on the card for security reasons otherwise
• Make sure we have everything accounted for

Anyways, boring stuff to read about I'm sure, but yeah, I'm super excited! It's fun because we'll likely be in Paris for our third anniversary as well, which isn't why we're going in March, it's just a nice coincidence. Anywho, that's all for now. I imagine that come October/November, all of my posts are going to be regarding our trip, but until then, I'll try and keep it a bare minimum :-) Cheers!