So much preparation has gone into this trip, by many dedicated volunteers. Audrey and the Marquis crew are so organized! I don’t know if it seems this way from inside their organization, but from the outside, it is remarkable and inspiring! I think they could hire themselves out as life/productivity coaches and be well received. CT Valley’s own have also stepped up to deal with our corp’s needs and planning. This is how we operate. Very few things are assigned to a specific member of the corps, but leaders emerge, as needed and as it reflects the group’s motivations and intentions. Jen and others have taken the lead on coordinating with Marquis, the logistics of transporting cumbersome and sensitive drums, heavy uniforms, awkward hats, and people with various dietary and medical needs.
Unfortunately, my own planning for me and my two daughters has not been so expertly handled. It has been quite a few years since we’ve traveled anywhere for more than a weekend. Some of the packing issues were just made known late at night on Monday of the week we leave. Meanwhile, a big project is going on at one of my jobs that requires extra time and attention. But in the end, I know that all of the hard work done by others will see us through. As long as we remember to bring passports, uniforms, & instruments, we have the essentials covered. i am quite sure we can manage that.
This is the first trip workout for my iPad, which quickly became my favourite computer when I bought it last summer for the purpose of processing payments at my vendor booth and elsewhere in the field. It has served me very well! Now I have found several apps that I expect to rely on during this trip. Packing checklists, a travel organizer for flight info, itinerary, weather, currency conversion. Also maps & travel guides, German/English dictionary, and of course, internet browsing. I’ll let you know what I actually use, what I love, and what not.
This will also be my first experience using the iPad as a major player in my photography workflow. I use Lightroom for cataloguing and lightly editing my images. I have an app that will allow me to make metadata edits to my images while I am on the road which will then sync with Lightroom when I get home and upload all of the images there. So this means I can keyword my images while the names, places, and events are still fresh in my mind, as well as culling the inventory of images and rating the survivors. And I can upload a few to facebook real time, if it occurs to me to do so. They won’t be the high res images of the final ones, but they’ll be something. Looking forward to seeing how that all works in real life!
So! Here we are with two and a half days to go! Suitcases are spread around my living room and den. Much laundry has been done. Lists, lists, and more lists have been made. Passports, money, and rail passes are ready. Tonight I finish making the 200 dog tag keychains that CT Valley will be giving to our new Swiss friends. Tomorrow I take care of some personal business and the final packing. Friday I work and cover the loose ends. There won’t be loose ends, will there?