1. Passports
I had to renew my passport and my kids had to apply for their passports for the first time. Luckily, we could make one appointment at a local library to have our pictures taken and have all of the paperwork verified. We only needed to bring the kids' birth certificates, passport applications, a few separate checks and have both parents present. We received our new passports in the mail within four weeks.
2. Luggage
I decided to get the kids their own small, rolling suitcases that they will be responsible for while traveling. Although they don't hold much, it's important to me that my kids demonstrate their travel independence with their own luggage. I also got them appropriately sized travel backpacks to hold their plane & train musings. I've been collecting small activities, books, etc. to include in their backpacks for the long trip to Europe.
3. Travel Plans
Even though we booked our flights in January, we had to recently book our AVE (high-speed) train tickets, our rental car and our accommodations. We will be spending the majority of our trip with a friend in one location on the southern coast of Spain, but during the last week of our trip we will be touring northern Spain. I'm using a variety of resources, including Travelocity, through which we got our flights. My favorite resource though has been airbnb, as I really like being able to rent a 2-bedroom apartment for the same price as a hotel room.
4. Travel Journals
For Christmas we got the kids Spain travel journals. There's a short part to fill out before departure that includes a faux passport page and plans for the trip. Then, there are some generic pages where the kids can reflect on daily activities. I hope they will be a nice memory book for the kids when they are older. We have started to fill them out, my 8 year old independently and my 4 year old with some help.
5. All kinds of BOOKS: children's book, travel books and travel guides
I utilize our local library to find books to read with the kids. From a graphic novel version of Don Quixote for BionicBoy to a book about Picasso's dog for Babycita, we are spending our summer reading about all things Spain. I love being able to browse for books online from other libraries in our county and then pick them up at my local library. I plan to go into more detail about my children's book recommendations in another post.
For my mommy read, I am reading a great book called Family on the Loose to prepare for my trip. I'm quite pleased so far, as it's helping me to create my to-do list before departure and is giving me some great ideas about how to include my kids in this exciting travel experience.
I am taking advice from Rick Steves for my trip to Spain. I have been highlighting, labeling and noting everything that I can from this book. I have also taken his advice and ripped the book apart into sections, so that I only need a small section for each area that I am visiting. I have plotted our apartments/hotels and some of his recommendations on the included maps in the guide. I'm trying to prepare ahead of time for must-see spots and must-eat restaurants.
6. video footage via YouTube
I've enjoyed watching some short travel documentaries with the kids to SHOW them what it will be like where we're going. I try to keep the clips to under 5 minutes, and ask the kids to tell me whether there's anything particularly interesting that they want to make sure to visit or do. I am also learning a lot about our destinations.
7. Lists
With one month to go, I continue to add to my to-do list of important things to do before departure. This list includes items to buy, packing lists and phone calls to make. Thank goodness we pay our bills online and have family and friends to watch after our house and our beloved cats. Oh how I wish we could prepare them too.
