Alright ladies & gents! This is the final issue for my trip planning. Not much has changed from the November Edition because I try not to leave a bunch for the end, especially with the end of the semester at school and the holidays. But we are about ready to hop on the plane!
My husband is in charge of 4 major things for our trips and I am currently on wife nag mode about the last THREE:
- Search for & purchase flights
- Same for any rental cars
- Take pretty pictures
- Get me from point A to B
That last one is my favorite. I plan. I have back up maps and he gets me where I want to go. This arrangement works for us because the previous times I have been in charge of getting us somewhere I walked us down a highway mountain. 🙂
Read more: Not all those who wander are lost…but I am!
The one downside to this arrangement is that usually my hubby does not actually download maps or look at my grand plan until we are literally boots on the ground. Same goes for researching our locations for photography ideas. As much as this drives me NUTS, I’m trying to get better at being patient because quite honestly, it’s better than the alternative which I me being in charge of directions & photos.
One specific difficult thing Will has had with the rental car is that most credit card companies and American insurances do not extend their offers into Italy (surprise, surprise) so Will has to do some extra googling and we will have to get insurance from the rental car company.
This is what we have accomplished this month:
- Googled & saved all our maps with activities/locations per day. Although I hardly ever use them, it’s nice to have a back up paper map of what I planned out just in case
- Received euros for us to use in country (I like bringing an estimate of what I think we’ll need for most of the trip so I don’t have to worry about running out and finding an ATM)
- Set weather updates on my phone. I like to look 2 or so weeks at the weather before I start packing (yes…packing is a looooong process for me) so that I am not surprised when I land if it is too cold or rainy or anything like that.
What I have left to do:
- Research a few more of the art/history sites we’ll see, especially those from the AP Art History 250 I will encounter (Santa Sabina & Etruscan tombs) so that I can do videos with information while there.
- Pack & leave! We head out December 26th 🙂
I can tell you that I am freaking out a bit for this trip because I don’t feel as “planned” as I normally do but that is part of my plan with this trip: to “unplan” a little. Ironic huh? Also I have done day trips to both Siena and Assisi so I am more comfortable with the layout there and don’t need to worry about those little details as much. But I am still freaking out.
Interested in my other monthly editions?
- 2018 Italy Planning: September Edition
- 2018 Italy Planning: October Edition
- 2018 Italy Planning: November Edition
JMF
