Friday, June 24, 2011

Planning and packing

Are you a planner?

I am. I plan my days, my weeks, my activities, my work projects.

I always have, and whilst I've loosened up a little over the last few years, I will never be a spontaneous, take it as it comes sort of person.

This approach to life also applies to holidays. The idea of going somewhere without pre-booking accommodation, or having a sense of where I will be on each day, leaves me feeling a little lost. I like to know. I'm conscious this may leave me missing out on the fun of spontaneity, and there are many people out there who have a wonderful time by seeing what happens, but I'm just not one of them. Not yet anyway.

Our accommodation for Tasmania was booked months ago, and we have a rough idea of the things we want to do in each location. When I've had longer trips, such as to Europe or my one visit to the US, the planning phase took considerable effort and I almost had a part-time job in Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet reading.

I also plan ahead when it comes to packing. I make lists of what I will take. I consider what I need to have washed and ironed (and not re-worn) before I go.



Which is why I find it frustrating that I never feel organised in the lead up to a holiday! I haven't had many adult holidays, taking leave from a job and shutting up a house, but I haven't yet had a relaxed lead up to one. There are work-related tasks to finish off. The house to clean. Washing to dry. Batteries to charge. Travel-sized shampoo bottles to find.

And I never seem to fit in my case, when it comes to the final packing effort.



At least this time I have an excuse - winter clothes and a ski jacket as carry-on present some objective challenges!


Of course, it's always worth the last-minute rush and things do come together in the end. But I would like to achieve a relaxed holiday lead up eventually.

The last minute un-readiness for this trip means that this will probably be my last post pre-trip (presuming the problematic ash disappears as predicted tonight and flights to Tasmania actually fly on Saturday...).

I'm also leaving my laptop behind, in an effort to avoid working on holiday. My final Ode to Cereal post will go out whilst I'm gone, and perhaps another entry too, but in effect my blog will have a hiatus for the next two weeks.

I hope your fortnight is enjoyable!

4 comments:

  1. I'm definitely a big planner, but sometimes this can translate into ridiculous anxiety when I start planning too far ahead and trying to figure out how to manage everything. This happened last night, and translated into very, very little sleep...

    Have an AMAZING fortnight away! I'm envious :)

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  2. @Hannah
    That does sound like the horrible point at which planning becomes worrying :( I hope you figure things out and catch up on your sleep!

    Thanks for the holiday well wishes :) I hope you have a great fortnight even if travel isn't involved.

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  3. Have an awesome trip Kari. You sound totally organised to me, and on reading your post I think I might spend the day organising myself. Now I feel a little panicked!
    Enjoy being unplugged :-)

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  4. I am a planner - in fact the way I deal with anxiety about forgetting anything is to make lists well in advance and that makes me feel organised because I know I never pack until the last moment - so I think your lists must mean you are quite organised - hope you have a great trip

    ReplyDelete

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