Countdown to Argentina - 5 weeks!

This week I practiced packing to give me time to really think about what is worth schlepping around and see if there were any things I still needed to buy with Rick Steves' words ringing in my ears. He says, "You can’t travel heavy, happy, and cheap. Pick two." Even though he sometimes he comes across as a little cheesy in his travel videos, he's an experienced traveller and has some wise words in "Pack Light and Travel Happy." While I'm not as much of a minimalist as Steves, I'm getting better at overcoming my desire to pack everything but the kitchen sink in an effort to be "prepared." I'm down to a carry-on size suitcase and a backpack (each with room to spare) which I think is pretty good considering I was the girl who showed up to summer camp with a bulging suitcase and two laundry baskets full of stuff.

I also figured out how to fully utilize the features of the new MP3 player Jake got me for Mother's Day, added more songs and created playlists. When I feel stressed, a little music is a wonderful cure so my MP3 is worth its weight in gold to me. Any device that shuts you off from your surroundings can be easily abused so I try to limit using my MP3 player especially when there are people to talk to and experiences to take in. Still, on a 10 hour flight or at the end of a long stressful day of fighting to express myself in a language that does not yet come naturally to me a little technology can be a godsend.

Today I read a children's book about Argentina. I felt a bit silly sitting at the table with my tea and a kid's book, but it was a great way to get a crash course in Argentinian history, culture, and land with lots of photographs. I've also busted out the flash cards in an attempt to dust off my Spanish skills. I know so much more than I did at this time last year but I still have so much to learn.

Just a little over a month to go!