Packing

I love traveling to new places and learning new things. But, I can’t say the prep work and the day of traveling is all that much fun.

Right now, I’m in the obsessive mode of trying to make sure I have packed everything that I need for ten days but not anything I can get along without.

Tablets are going for reading and occasional email checking. I agonized over the camera decision and ended up buying a new ‘in between’ camera – Canon Powershot SX 410IS. It is bigger than my previous compact Canon but tremendously smaller than my DSLR. I’ll also have my telephone and tablet cameras for backup.

Documents, tablet, makeup, passport, cell phone, and camera with pocket for extra battery and card.

My biggest challenge is organizing all the stuff. This is where the OCD side of me kicks in, and I make little bags for everything that are attached with hooks. I got this idea from a Baggallini purse I bought that had hooks inside for a wallet and car keys. I love that purse because I’m not running around looking for something I think I lost.

Now, I just can’t set the purse or the backpack down, but I think I can handle that. 🙂

We are going to be picked up at 8 a.m. on Thursday and will probably get to our hotel in Dublin around 10:30 a.m. on Friday morning. I’m exhausted just thinking about that part.

The security lines from Boston to Newark will hopefully be somewhat expedited because we have TSAPre✓. We also applied months ago for Global Entry but then found out our interviews are scheduled for April 2017. I guess it doesn’t help when there is only one interview site for the entire Northeast.

I wonder if the government sees any irony in a nine-month waiting period to ask similar questions and get copies of the same fingerprints we gave to TSA, U.S. Department of Home Land Security, that we will now be required to give to CBP, U.S. Customs and Border Protection?

If you are even considering going through this security pre-approval process and you have any remote thoughts about taking an international trip, apply through CBP and they throw in the TSA clearance. It may still take the same amount of time it does to produce a small human being, but at least you will only have to do it once.

Hope you are having beautiful fall weather. I saw my first red leaves today.  🙂