Searching for Adventure

We are getting ready to go on vacation. And this isn't our normal vacation to visit friends or family in another state or to ride roller coasters at an amusement park. We are going to Costa Rica! I have been out of the country twice, both times in college on a trip that was also a class. Matt has never been out of the country. Isaac is five, so enough said. In short, we are not intrepid world travelers and we are stepping way beyond our comfort zone. Matt and I have alternated between being scared and excited over the past few days. But if you want adventure, you need to leave the shire.

I have been trying very hard not to be my typical control freak self this week as we have packed and gathered documents (copies of copies of our passports and insurance cards are ready to go). But I have failed. I have made lists of what to pack, buy, and do before we depart. And now I have lost my lists! So I am making a list of how to handle not having a list. But today, I have also been thinking about how to make sure I remember this trip.

On my previous trips out of the country I kept journals of what we did, saw, spent, ate and anything else that was on my mind. Those were actually the only times in my life that I was a successful journaler. I pulled out those journals this morning and then bought a new one for this upcoming vacation. I want to remember as much as possible, not just for me but for Isaac. Journal and pen are ready to go; I am doing this the old-fashioned way.

Of course, part of the essentials for any vacation are books. I bought myself a Nook at Christmas and love it. As we get ready for vacation, this is one aspect that I am glad is not old-fashioned. I have my entire library in one device and last night I bought some books for Isaac. We are going to start reading Judy Moody on our trip. On the Nook you can also get Read to Me children's books, so Isaac can listen to the books instead of one of us having to read them to him. That means, of course, that I have to give up my toy for a while. Not sure how that is going to work.

So, off we go! We will come back full of stories of our adventures.