Off to Scotland

As many of you know, I leave today for a 2-week vacation to Scotland with my sister Jane. The trip all started after we both read the "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon...if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. After planning, researching, updating itineraries, making arrangements for kids, making to-do lists and checking them twice over the past year, it's finally time to leave for the airport. Whew!

The excitement for the trip went in spurts as did the research...when I'd go a couple weeks, busy with home improvements & not search for something on the internet, then the excitement would wean. But, hop onto the computer with the plans to do a couple of searches and end up spending hours, the excitement was re-energized and I wanted to leave that day. Sometimes the best part of the vacation is actually the planning, as you look forward to the trip and the excitement builds.

For instance, I remember one day a couple months back when things just weren't going right, hotels were filling up, couldn't get this or that, and needed to change our flight arrangements as my sister & I planned to extend out our trip to do more things. So, as I had already had 2 strike outs for the day, I wasn't looking forward to calling NWA as what I wanted just wasn't on the website. So, I place the call and tell them, first I want to change my flight return date, then second I want to change my sister's ticket, so she's coming through DTW & we are on the same flight, flying together, the rest of the way , then on the way back, I want her to go directly from the Amsterdam connection to LAX. Mind you, I am flying business class across the pond. I knew it was possible, it just wasn't popping up as available on the website. So the NWA agent worked hard & said, no problem we can do that, bumping my sister up to Business class with me, so we both have enjoyable flights, have a meal with real utensils, & can get some sleep versus just a crick in the neck. Wahoo! Home Run! I'm sure going to miss being an Elite member next year....maybe I'll go back to work this fall to hang onto it...it's all about the upgrades :)

So then July came....and it was time to go shopping to find clothes to wear...with dropping a few pounds, I now faced the dilemma...what do I wear. So off to Eddie Bauer I went for all their super sales! Was very successful there & began filling my suitcase. I have a design potential for all the engineers out there...make a suitcase for a woman traveler! There just isn't a good place to pack shoes...and you know we need to take multiples. Don't put them in side pockets that take up the actual usable surface space for packing & don't make me just lay them on my clothes...who knows where I walked! I have an idea in mind if any one is interested in drawing it up...maybe I'll hit up Richard's engineering drawing skills...

So now I'm Eddie Bauer-fied, organized, packed...with my shoes in plastic bags but touching my clothes, passport in one hand, boarding pass in the other & ready to leave for the airport. Meeting Jane at her gate at 4:00 pm. Chat on the flip side!