DAYS PRIOR

The days prior to a trip are filled with endless lists of things to do and to acquire. In my case, the desire to design and decorate my current dwelling caught hold of me at the most inopportune time. Instead of packing today, which has always occurred hours before I depart for the airport, I found myself at various stores looking for inspiration on how to decorate my children's rooms.

In addition to the distraction of decorating, I ventured to a Meetup group this morning at a coffee shop where I met a nice group of people. I realise I should have done this sort of networking years before but it is never too late to start. The only other Meetup group was a photography group, long since disbanded, which I attended a few times when my children were younger.

The meeting I attended this morning is a weekly meeting I plan to return to as soon as I return from Ireland, even if it means bringing along my three children. There is a great feeling in being able to learn from others as they offer advice and lessons learned from their experiences. Being able to share our experiences with others and pass along wisdom we have acquired from the past is a gift we need to share more often.

Distractions are good in some cases. My sojourn in Ireland this time will be the longest I have ever stayed but it does not mean I need to pack my entire closet as I have learned in my many travels to the Emerald Isle that more is not a necessity. As long as I have a black skirt, a pair of jeans, a sweater, and one or two black shirts, I am fine. 

Books, on the other hand, are a more difficult decision. I find it tempting to bring a shelf's worth of books to read knowing full well I might not even finish one to the end. Yet, I still find myself perusing the three bookstores in Ennis on an almost daily basis for another new book to read. I plan to pack two or three books in my colourful new handbag and hope the TSA agent does not decide to rifle through any of them this time.