Down To The Last 24 Hours!

We are down to the last 24 hours before departing on our family vacation.  It is interesting to notice how each one of us handles the last part of waiting prior to our trip.

The boy is beyond excited; even more excited than he has been on previous trips.  While running errands yesterday, he noticed a former teacher walking her dog and told his dad to stop the car.  He then opened the door and began to tell her the countdown of our trip.  He is watching YouTube videos featuring character meet and greets and attractions.  Anticipation is a pleasurable feeling and I am glad he is able to enjoy while waiting for our vacation.

The husband created a list of things to do before we leave.  Okay, I helped him with the list and he has three days to accomplish what is on the list and in any order.  He is famous for waiting until the last minute and adding things to the list that could have been taken care of at any other time and/or are not necessary during trip preparation.  It reminds me of a time when a friend was preparing for a party at her home and on the afternoon of the party she wanted to stain her coffee table.  No time for that as there are other things to get done that are more pressing.  Anyway, his crunch for time and additional pressing items he added to the list caused temporary grumpiness which has passed.  Whew!  I reframed with “I am grateful that you took care of those things” stance.  I am however, waiting for the “did you bring/pack the. . .” questions to start upon exiting the driveway, even after going over the list with him a couple of days ago.

I know he is starting to envision the vacation, though, as he informed me of our predictable procedures while at the airport.  Yes, we fly or have flown that much to have established procedures and routines for airports. (This will be something like our 30^th time at Orlando International Airport.)  I think these routines help as there is no guessing as to what needs to be done and who is going to do it.  That unpredictable problem solving is when conflicts can occur.

As for me, well, I’m already in relaxation mode.  The Netflix movies keep arriving, get watched, and mailed back.  I’ve watched more movies and read more in the last few days than I have in the last few months.  There’s no last minute rushing; just a few more tasks that need accomplished—like packing vitamins and medicines—that have to wait until the last moments.  I do have a short list that includes packing a hairbrush.  Somehow, a hairbrush hasn’t made it into the suitcase yet.

I bet a whole book or at least a psychology paper of some sort could be written about how different people handle upcoming events that take them away from their home, even when it is something pleasurable and exciting. 

This will be my last post until we return.  You are welcome to follow along with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WilliamsFamilyBlog.  Bon Voyage!