Do you remember the commercial years ago of a little kid the night before his trip to Disney? It contains the tagline that my friends and I still quote to this day: "We're too excited to sleep!"
You guys, this is us right now because we are headed back to Italy this week! And you should follow along on our journey! To say we're excited is an understatement.
So what are the Flâneurs up to the weekend before departure? Well, besides not sleeping, getting prepped! Here are our top steps to getting prepared for departure.
1. Lay out the clothes you intend to take
Does anything need to be washed, dry cleaned, updated? Do that now.
2. Remove a percentage of clothes from said pile
This is a crucial step if you're an over-packer, like me! Really think through what you're packing and try things on if necessary. Then double check the weather and look at the weather realistically. I tend to run cold so my mind normally latches on to the "high of 70 degrees" part of the forecast, when I should really be paying attention to the low of 38! Think in layers and pack accordingly, in a minimalistic fashion!
3. Make a list of the final edit of clothes
I feel there's nothing worse than accidentally forgetting something, whether it's before you leave home, or when packing to go back home. Lists are my jam. And we have been using Any List for years as a grocery list, but I also love it for packing lists. I can run through the list before leaving home and then mark everything as unchecked so I can make sure it all makes its way back into my bag while packing up at the hotel.
4. Charge electronics and get all tech ready to go
We've been a charging station up in this place recently! Everything from our external batteries, camera, and regular old AAAs for our noise-canceling headphones. In addition, we updated all the apps we need while on the road.
5. Double check you've got all toiletries, including medicine and prescriptions
This was a good call for us -- we both remembered we needed to fill prescriptions before we leave!
6. Get a few snacks (to ward of the hangries)
Seriously, I know what you're thinking -- why would you bring snacks to Italy, the food capital of the world! Between the time change, the jetlag, and having a different schedule (i.e. not just sitting at a desk all day), hunger will hit when least expected. That's why we travel with Clif Bars and peanut butter crackers. Because, protein.
7. Review the general itinerary and confirm reservations if needed
I mean, this is my favorite part of travel prep -- dreaming about all the things we have the opportunity to see, do, and experience while on the road. We like compiling a rough idea of what we want to do before we leave, but in true flâneur fashion, expect to throw half of it out the window when we're in the moment wandering around the city.
What else do you do before departure? Buon viaggio!