New Travel Worries

In two days we leave for Ireland (YAY!). I am so excited to be away without my iPhone and seven hours ahead of Denver time. It feels good to email clients right now and say, "I will be out of the country and unreachable."

There are, however, a few new concerns added to my usual list of worries when traveling.

1) Attire. I have not "popped" and most of my regular clothes still fit. I know that this will not last forever. I have used my trusty Belly Band twice now (BTW- I want to kiss whoever invented that), but haven't had to make it an every day accessory. We are going to be gone a total of ten days. Under normal circumstances, I would never think, "gee, will that fit me in a week?" Now, I have to pack very thoughtfully. A lot can change in a week, especially now. For example, last week I wore the same skirt that I am wearing today. Last week it zipped all the way up, though I didn't hook it at the top. Today, I have the zipper down a full two inches so that I can breath. Each item that I have considered packing has to pass the following test: is it stretchy or can it be worn with the Belly Band? Also, shirts that are normally a staple for travel look gross now, as my belly is starting to just look like a fat bulge above my pants. Accordingly, each shirt must be tried on to make sure it fits and looks reasonably acceptable with pants. I tried to go shopping for some cute loose shirts this past weekend, but it was a complete failure. Perhaps I should start designing maternity clothes since the selection is not impressive or affordable. I might be wearing the same three tops the entire trip.

2) Flights. I am a pretty stationary flyer. I do not like to get up a lot. I usually hunker down in my seat and stay put. For a 6.5 hour overnight flight, I would probably be taking a sleep aid to sleep the majority of the flight. Pregnancy = an increased risk for blood clots, especially in the air. Instead of sleeping and staying in my seat, I have been instructed to get up and walk every hour. EVERY HOUR! I realize I'm being a little bit dramatic, but we leave our house at 4:00am on Thursday and arrive in Dublin at 5:25am on Friday. There are three flights in between with no lengthy layovers for naps. I am going to be tired and grumpy with not sleeping for more than an hour at a time. I'm thinking I will need to set a timer on my iPod or something so that I actually get up walk every hour. Here's hoping our Dublin hotel has a room available for early check in so that we can at least get a little TWO hour nap in on Friday :)

3) Essentials. I am now using special products for almost every aspect of my daily hygiene and vanity routine. This includes special face wash, lotions, shampoo, conditioner, detergent, etc. that are fragrance free and, as much as possible, free of other yucky chemicals. Normally when I travel, I only bring items I can't buy and toss there, or if I do pack all of my essentials and forget something that is important, I can just buy it there. This may not be true in Ireland. I'm sure they sell most things we have here, but what if they don't? And if they do, will it be ridiculously expensive? The exchange rate is not in our favor at the moment. Accordingly, I am making lists so that I can check off everything so that I don't have to worry about it.

Now, I will stop whining. I cannot wait for our last big vacation as a couple. I am pretty sure I will tell our child later that they have been to Ireland, though ;) I'll post photos and some trip highlights when we get back!