Who would have known there is so much to get ready for a trip away from the family! I am only heading off for three weeks however it will seem like a lot longer for me as I have never been away from Bill for more than a week, not in 22 years. Dont worry I wont be pining...I wont have time for that - there is far too much on this trip that I want to accomplish. Bill is kindly parting with his most valuable possessions, the iphone and his Sony camera in order for me to come back with some beautiful shots which he will edit with his photographic eye I so I hope I can do the scenery justice. I plan to frame them in black and white to place around the house eventually.
I have exactly one week until I fly off, so much still to do; I need to get an international travel licence and make sure I DO NOT forget to apply for my VISA, buy all those last minute things and book into getting my hair cut. Must make a list as I am sure I will forget something with this menapausal brain of mine. Thank goodness for iphone applications - which I need to spend the next few weeks learning how to use otherwise this may be the end of my blogs!. Changing money has been fun, especially with the Australian Dollar in a good position. I only hope it stays strong over the next few years for when Bill and I go on our big trip in 4 years time.
I have painstakinly but thoroughly enjoyed researching the best inns and accomodation my budget would allow. I wanted to capture that quintesential American feel in places I have held in my heart such as Vermont, New Hampshire and Cape Cod in New England as well as occupying an old historic 'brownstone' in Boston and an apartment in Manhattan. From the varying accomadations Rima and I selected together we will certainly get the feel of living as Americans do, not as tourists, I didnt want that, I wanted to feel the experience and live it. I will share our self selected beautiful accomodations to those of you reading this blog. You will get to see the different places we get to stay in as this is all part of my experience and is as exciting to me as being there knowing that each and every place will be as special as the last and will carry its own special story.
My search for the perfect accomodation did not all go to plan however, Mother nature got in my way 4 weeks out of departure and and at the eleventh hour I was racing to find alternative accomodation due to Hurricane Irene flattening a good part of the farm where we were to stay, so that experience has been altered, however we do intend to still visit Woodstock, we are just not staying there. I wonder if there is a reason for this, if now I will see something new that was never on my radar, or perhaps avoid something that I cannot see just now? Whatever the reason was, it has moved us in order to be where we are meant to be at this particular moment in time.
I have a special thanks to put here and that is firstly to my darling husband who has seen me cancel this trip twice before and has never allowed me to let go of my dream, who will see me off and come and collect me when all is said and done, attending to the needs of the household, painting and cleaning the house in order to host an engagement party for our daughter the weekend I return! Yes, he does deserve a medal for what he contributes to our little family. My second thankyou is for my travel partner, Rima, a dear friend who I have known for 12 years. I am sure in the three weeks of close proximity we may send each other a little crazy however nothing we cant work out. Thankyou so much Rima for sharing this trip with me; I can assure you it will be nothing less than spectacular!!
And of course a special mention to 'the kids', Matt, Mel & Trent, Bre & Jase who have always been very supportive of me taking off and never looked bored whenever I spoke to them about my trip and how many days I had left :) I hope you enjoy my blogs as they are for you as much as for your Dad xx
