Monthly Musings April 2022: Vacation/Trips Planning & Prep

I love this link up with Holly at Pink Lady (find her here) and Patty at Good, Better, Best (find her here) so much! It is even better when they are talking about travel and trips, because those two subjects are some of my favourite things ever!!!

 

1) What trips/vacations do you have planned for the rest of the year?

Well, we started dreaming about this trip in February of 2020, and it's gone through a few iterations, but our family is hitting Europe this summer (EEEEEKKKKKSSSS!!!), (assuming that Covid restrictions don't cancel it, like they did last summer).

Unfortunately, one of the iterations which had to be tossed out the window was Eastern Europe, due to the war in Ukraine, so I won't be visiting any new countries (boo) but we're going to lots of places that Dave and the kids haven't been to.

Throwback to our honeymoon to Scotland (left) and Ireland (right) in 2008.

Throwback to Sam's only time in Europe, Austria 2010

This will be a really big trip for us (around three weeks) so we don't have any other travel or trips planned for this year, unless you count traveling to Toronto to see Blue Jays' games! Hahaha!!!

Actually, going to a baseball game is pretty awesome too!

2) Best packing tips?

Pack versatile clothes -- tops which can be worn with multiple bottoms, layers for changing weather, small and light shoes. Plan out all your outfits for about a week and then get rid of a couple of things. But pack one and half times the amount of underwear you think you'll need. And never forget your swimsuit! 

3) Packing cubes... yes or no?

Unnnhhh... so far I haven't loved ours. I don't know if I have inferior ones or if I'm not using them correctly, but they haven't been my favourite thing. Please share your packing cube tips (and recommendations) with me. So many people love them, I feel like I'm missing something.

4) Favourite travel outfit?

For this question, I'm thinking my favourite outfit to wear to travel on a plane, to wear a few days to get to your destination -- comfy, loose clothing with layers. To fly to Europe this summer, I'll probably wear my black workout capris, a pair of comfortable shoes without socks, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt. I'll stick a pair of socks in my carry on bag, but comfy, casual, dark coloured, clothing will be what I'm wearing.

Add a sweatshirt to this outfit and I'm good to go!

5) Favourite vacation destination and why? Share photos!

My favourite destination to go to again and again... New York City! There's lots to see and do and something to appeal to every taste.

Have I reached the limit of the number of times I can use this picture on the blog before you get sick of it?!?!?!? :) New York City, March 2022

 

Cruisin' 5th Avenue and the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, January 2019 

My favourite destination to visit with Dave was Iceland because we had so much fun and could be pretty active.

Iceland, July 2018 (Our 10th Anniversary trip) 

My favourite family trip was probably our Kenya trip to visit our good friends.

Visiting friends in Kenya, July 2017

My favourite multi-generational trip was our Disney Cruise with my parents. Cruises are a GREAT way to travel with many generations because you can meet up for dinners and the evenings but go your own ways during the day, randomly running into each other on the ship.

Disney Cruise with my parents, January 2020

6) Have you flown since March 2020?

Yes, we've flown within Canada three times to go see my parents. It's been fine and totally worth it!

A little nervous before our first post-Covid flight, August 2020

The airport felt like a ghost town and the plane was very empty. 

Flying to Saskatchewan, August 2021 (left) and making the best of a cancelled flight, December 2021 (right)

Honestly, one thing we've found about flying post-Covid is that, thus far, we have not actually flown on the flight we actually booked. Once we've booked, the airline has changed the time, cancelled the flight, or caused some other issue. I would say that flying, post-Covid, means being very flexible, at least in our experience. 

7) Beach or mountains for vacation?

Both! Beaches in the winter and mountains in the summer!

Bahamas, January 2018 (left) * Aruba, January 2020 (right)

Iceland, July 2018 (left) * Yukon, August 2019 (right) 

8) Do you prefer to sightsee or relax on vacation?

Why do I have to choose!?!? The best vacations have some of each!!!

9) Hotel, camping or Airbnb?

We don't camp. We often stay in hotels on road trips but we may be at an Airbnb, for a bit, in Europe this summer. Dave and I stayed at one in Iceland and it was amazing. We also stayed in one for a few days before our last Disney Cruise and it was great!

10) Overpacker? Underpacker?

Well, if you ask my parents, I'm an "overpacker" but if you ask anyone else, I'm probably an "underpacker."

On the right is what we took for our family of four for a seven day cruise, with a three day stay in our departure port beforehand. We checked the biggest suitcase and we had two larger carry ons and then a small carry on bag each.

On the other hand, this is what my dad took for a four week trip to India. Sam, who was not quite five at the time, could easily carry it.

I'm curious how our family compares to all of you. I like to think I'm an "underpacker" but maybe I'm really not! Hahaha!!! :)

As you can tell, we LOVE to travel and are really excited that it's something we can dream about, and participate in, again post-Covid. If you're really interested in all our travels, you can click on the "traveling" tag on the right hand side of the blog, or you can click on the "Where We've Been" link at the top, where I outline many of our travels.

I'm so excited to read all the other posts in this link up! Like I said, traveling is one of my very favourite things to do!!!