Last Sleep Before Take Off

And so our adventure is about to unfold. It has been over a year since we checked out travel books at the library and mused about wandering through parts of Europe. The time is finally here. The first portion of our journey we will meet up with my parents in Ireland for a week, traversing castle grounds, gleaning inspiration from the saints of old and throwing back a few good brews. From there our feet will land in Amsterdam for a week of cycling, World War II sites, and with welcoming my dear Hillary to her new home there (that timing couldn't be more perfect). We then take the train through Germany to Switzerland, for galavanting through the Alps and celebrating the marriage of the fantastic Brett and Rachel.

Proper packing is key to any exploration. I was the child that packed weeks in advance for camp because I couldn't contain my excitement. Turns out Sean and I share that same enthusiasm. Our bags have been packed for quite sometime and are ready to hit European soil. Socks, pants, toothbrushes, shoes and the like are all packing essentials. But there are some other important elements to take with you:

-A fellow adventurer:
And not just another breathing body, but someone with a similar travel style. We have found that as travelers (as in other things), we are an ideal match. We have mutual desire for adventure that includes some sightseeing, but the ultimate goal is to discover the hidden treasures and soak up the real culture of a place. Neither of us care for packing our days full of "seeing it all", but prefer wandering down a random street or hopping on bus to see where the day might take us (then ending that day with a good pint and chatting with the new folks we've met).





-Creativity tools:
It may be a camera for photography, a costume for civil war reenactment, a journal for writing, or paints for painting. Bringing an outlet to process and translate the new experiences is key. I am resurrecting my art kit of old, in order to capture my swirling imagination and the discoveries around me.

-Not a lot of stuff:

The less you bring, the more freedom you have to explore, and the easier the journey. We are firm believers of minimal packing and maximum exploring. Leave the luggage at home so you aren't stuck lugging it around. It's heavy, bulky, makes transportation harder and really, you don't need to greet your new destination with a new outfit everyday. The Netherlands won't know that I wore that same sweater in Ireland the day before.






-Expectation:
We go into this trip expecting whimsical discovery. This comes from truly soaking in the places around you: letting go of the weight of work, the details of home, and allowing yourself to fully experience exactly where you are in that moment. Because once you travel somewhere, you always come back changed in some way. New things are on the horizon, this trip has something to say about what those thing may be.

We are looking forward to the coming weeks and expecting that we will experience discovery doused with whim. Now we just finish up work, make sure out passports are in our bags, and have one more sleep, for tomorrow, We Adventure.