Ready To Go!!

It’s Saturday evening and we’re just about ready to go. Bags are packed, and we just have to put our final things into hand carry bags and we’ll be done. Vicki has been concerned about clothes, and I’ve been working on electronics. 

I’ve also been carrying out the great jet lag avoidance experiment. I’ve been going to bed earlier for the last few nights in an attempt to cut the time zone effects from 7 to 3-4 time zones. So I’m planning to turn in soon (7:00 p.m. CDT) and get up around 3:00 a.m. Vicki has not been quite as enthusiastic about this effort, but she is going to bed a little earlier. We’ll see how we feel on Monday and Tuesday. 

It’s always hard to know what to pack for a trip. We’re expecting high temperatures in the low 70s for the week we’re in Amsterdam (one day it’s supposed to get to 77), so we won’t need hot weather clothes. It looks like we’ll be seeing some rain though. 

We’ll be traveling with carry-on luggage only. That way we won’t have to stand around waiting for luggage to arrive in Amsterdam or Nashville. So we’ll be travelling with a few pairs of slacks, shirts, socks and underwear. We’ll also throw in some rain gear and toiletries. 

For nerds like me the big deal is packing the right electronics. So for us that includes:

George

• Microsoft Surface Pro and mouse
• Kindle Paperwhite
• Galaxy Note 4 with extra battery
• Panasonic FX1000 with extra batteries

Vicki

• Microsoft Surface 3 and mouse 
• Kindle Paperwhite
• iPhone 5

Infrastructure:

• 2-3 European to American plug adapters—no converters needed since electronics all charge on 220 volts 
• Plug “multiplier.” Takes one socket to four. 
• Multi USB charger—plugs into socket with 4 USB power slots
• TEP wireless hotspot (rented). Even though the hotel has WiFi, I wanted to be able to use my phone when away from the hotel. The alternatives were to 1) buy AT&T’s ridiculously expensive European data plan, 2) get a preloaded SIM card for Vicki’s iPhone, or 3) rent a hotspot ($9.95/day). Vicki’s iPhone is aging so that the battery doesn’t hold up all day, and I’ve had good luck with the TEP in the past, so I went with it. 
• Anker 20,000 mWh portable charger—just in case. 

Add in a few snacks for the plane trips, and we’re ready to go! We have exit row seats, so we’re hoping for lots of leg room and a good night’s sleep.