Thin Places, Thick Places Day 2

Thin Places, Thick Places

Day 2.

PREPARATION and ADAPTATION

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. (a quote credited to Charles Darwin, but the origins are in dispute)”

How do we prepare and pack for an interstate move AND an extended international trip at the same time, and WHAT were we thinking (insert eye-roll)?

As it pertains to big and vast experiences there’s the ideal and there’s the reality. 

Ideally, we would be so inspired and gleefully motivated by living in Cape Cod that some Packing Fairies would hop-to and explode with productivity. Ideally, the idea of adventuring around and through other countries across the world would be so inspiring that we could just strap backpacks to our backs, get up and go, and with blissful meditation would become one with with other cultures. 

Sorry to burst your bubble. Ideal is a concept in film and novels. That’s why I want to be a writer and director. You can control the story. 

Here’s where the rubber meets the road: HOPE for the best, but plan for the worst. Yikes. That sounds so age-appropriately dour. 

No Packing Fairies remain (although we did have invaluable help from Amy Martinez and her lovely sister…they have an amazing business that helps people like us), and I am faced with an enormous task of travel with THREE KIDS.

I shall not FALTER or FALL into a stew of overwhelmed tempestuous bollywaggins! 

Here’s the solution: PREPARATION and ADAPTATION.

Pack, pack, pack, sort, sort, sort, PURGE, PURGE, PURGE!!! Thinning out belongings helps, when faced with a move. Still working on it, but in process. Just don’t touch my rebounder. That goes wherever I go.

For our big trip, preparedness is king. Anyone who knows me knows that I LIVE IN THE MOMENT. Preparing is not my strength. YET, I’ve had to adapt to the possibility of complete and utter chaos in the absence of preparedness. 

When bringing three children overseas for an extended period of time, there are many approaches to preparedness. Here’s mine:

- spend weeks gather information about destinations and bind the pages into a “itinerary guide”

- trust no technology and write out all pertinent travel itinerary information

- bring our own snacks on planes (cheaper and better for paleo people)

- bring essential oils and alternative health immune-boosters

- bring non-technology fun (cards, rubix cube, etc…)

- bring technology fun (NOOK…so much cheaper than i-anything. Kids lose things, hey)

- JOURNALS and colored pencils

- umbrellas

- a week’s worth of clothes and washing “stuff” (should last for 5 weeks, right? OR, we could just buy amazing clothes from all the amazing countries…oh, there’s a budget…washing stuff will work)

- color copies of passports

- tissues for, anything

- deodorant wipes, for everything

- toiletries (ALL UNDER 3 OZ…because I’m not willing to surrender my fancy anti-aging everything)

VOILA! That almost covers it. We have the assorted everything else like adapters, toiletry bags, blah, blah, blah. 

PREPARATION and ADAPTATION. Things will NOT go as planned. That’s what I can expect. But at least I’ve got some yummy snacks and cards that we can play. That should cover it.

To be continued…

New series- "Thick Places, Thin Places: Where the sublime and sacred collide against the chaotic and practical, and real adventure is born"

Hooray! It’s time to reveal MY NEW SERIES (slated to be a web series):

“Thin Places, Thick Places”

In Celtic Mythology there is a concept called “thin places”. Peter Gomez, a Harvard Theologian, states:

“There is in Celtic mythology the notion of ‘thin places’ in the universe where the visible and the invisible world come into their closest proximity. To seek such places is the vocation of the wise and the good — and for those that find them, the clearest communication between the temporal and eternal.”

Such a beautiful goal. Such a powerful destination, to seek out the “thin places”. Sounds like a place I’d like to park it and meditate. 

And then there’s real life. 

I’m a mother of three kids and we are a little over two weeks away from embarking on a 5 1/2 week journey through Germany, France, Scotland and Ireland. Together. In the summer. Without my husband (who is moving us to another state). With a security guard (appointed by my husband) we shall him…Agent Shades. 

Join me as we adventure through the next two months in my new series called:

Thin Places, Thick Places: Where the sublime and sacred collide against the chaotic and practical, and a real adventure is born.

Who:

I/Me- Writer, Film Director, Mom, Wife, Questionably looney, Adventurer

Ms. A- 13 yr old eldest daughter. 100% Tween. Paris enthusiast. Dog and horse addict.

Mr. J- 11 yr old middle son. Peacemaker. German enthusiast.

Miss I- 8 yr old youngest daughter. Paris enthusiast. Hummingbird and Lion Tamer.

Sugar Daddy Husband- Most giving and encouraging husband in the universe. 

Agent Shades- Designated Security Guard for me and my children. Will be traveling with us for almost three weeks.

When:

Two weeks until lift off. 

Almost six weeks of International Travel.

Where:

Colorado

Ireland

Germany

France

Scotland

Ireland (again, because there’s no such thing as too much Ireland)

Day 1. 

First full day of no school. Summer break. This morning I realized that I needed to feed my children all day. I also realized that all of their books have already been packed for our big interstate move to Cape Cod. Oh, and their activities have been packed. Oh, they really only have their clothes and things for our trip. Yikes. There is such a thing as packing too early!

That’s ok. Thank God for the library and the grocery store. 

A happy realization: I now have three additional people to help me with all the nasty household chores which haunt me each and every day. Maybe these next couple weeks of summer break (before we hit the road) won’t be that bad.

Gearing up for moving, gearing up for a long international trip. SO much to do. 

Two of my kids (the girls) are overjoyed with not having to go to school. They love having no obligations. My middle child (son) woke up at 7:30 and charted out a schedule for the next two weeks. Sigh. Why can’t our kids be clones of one another? Just keeps it consistent. I suppose that would be boring. 

The reality of bringing my three treasures overseas in these interesting times (in our world) hit me today. Thank God that Sugar Daddy Husband, the hands that are funding this incredible adventure as a gift, also wanted to add a security ninja to our entourage. But wait…….do security ninjas ever laugh and have fun??? 

To be continued…