I leave in six weeks and there is much to do to get ready to go. Setting up this blog and my laptop has been a major head-scratcher (but then I’m not the most technical person to ever set fingers on a computer keyboard.)
Packing is another major task and one for which I have much experience. For example, I keep a special five-drawer container holding a collection of travel accessories—currency converter, journals, travel alarm, first aid kit, toiletries, etc.—to remind me of what to pack; containers with clothes I consider when packing for Europe; plus many, many lists and journals reminding me of past packing experiences.
Yet, for this trip, my mind must adjust to living in Paris, not vacationing. In other words, when traveling from place to place, I never pack jeans—too heavy, plus they don’t have time to dry after laundering. This time I will be staying in one apartment for the entire time and I have a combination washer-dryer. I also want to look a little more dressed up and less like a tourist so I am going through my (former) business clothes to see what’s appropriate (and what fits!). This will be the first time in 15+ years that I will be experiencing cold and rainy weather—much like Seattle—so this requires decisions about which coat(s), scarves, hats, gloves to take. Do I have any comfortable, warm shoes that might be a little dressier? Which suitcase(s) will I take? How do I carry the laptop? Do I need to take any toiletries or shall I just wait until I arrive and go shopping? See what I mean??I have also been studying the French language (more about this later) and reading books to prepare for living among the French: Au Contraire; Figuring Out the French; Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong; C’est la Vie; The Arrogance of the French; Culture Shock; Paris Was a Woman; etc. (And people wonder what I do all day…)
