darkemeralds: Naked woman on a bike, caption "I don't care, I'm still free" (Bike Freedom)
I practice-packed my suitcase last night and carried it up the street to my sister's house to find out how heavy it really is.

Pretty heavy.

A three week trip divided between London, Glasgow, the English countryside, and a windswept island not all that far south of the Arctic Circle--and involving trains, ferries, and planes both large and puddle-jumper--presents some packing challenges, and I just can't figure out how to do it with an overnight bag.

So, much though I wanted to prove my one-bag travel mettle and be all breeze-in and breeze-out, it seems I'll have to check a suitcase, and wait for it at baggage claim--several times.

On the plus side, it will be kind of nice not to have the contents of my suitcase scrutinized in a crowded security line, banging against my shins as I shuffle up and down the packed aisles of airliners, and weighing me down through the miles of airport that invariably separate where you land from where you get ground transportation.

Anyway, it's only three days till I leave on the first real trip I've taken in five years, and mostly all I care about is that my passport and debit card are in working order. Which (*checks*) they are.
darkemeralds: A falcon taking flight from a falconer's arm (Flight)
Eee! My trip to the UK is drawing nearer and I'm starting to be seriously excited, I think because today is the first quiet, restful day I've had in weeks to think about it.

I'll be in London from August 19th to about the 24th. I've got a hotel room reserved in Bayswater (trying hard to disregard the sticker shock--I'm sure it will be very comfortable!), and from that home base, I'm going to meet wonderful people--[personal profile] ravurian, and [personal profile] ruric (we might get to see War Horse!); [personal profile] altariel, and [personal profile] lamentables--and I hope [livejournal.com profile] happytune and [livejournal.com profile] communicator--and possibly even [personal profile] tehomet, who might be in England from Ireland at that time.

Then I'm going here! For a five-day retreat! I think "windswept Scottish island" pretty well covers it. I plan to bring knitting and writing. There will be reiki. And meditation. And walks.

And after that? Naturally, I'm going to visit [personal profile] kis, who is one of my best friends in the world, and we're going to explore Glasgow, a city I've never visited. I might take a train back to London, because I love trains and we don't have good ones here.

There are quite a few details still un-fleshed-out, and one or two reservations not yet made, but it's on. It's on! Whee!

Whee!

29/3/11 12:49
darkemeralds: Manga-style avatar of DarkEm with caption Hee (cartoony me)
I just got my vacation request approved. Whoo hoo! UK in August, here I come.

Specific planning commences as soon as I see my tax refund. Confession: I've already started practice packing. Shut up. I'm not a total retent. I'm just...detail-oriented.

I'm aiming to fly on August 18, sleep on the 19th, and do London the 20th-25th or so.

There, I shall spend time with [personal profile] ravurian, [personal profile] ruric, and several other lovely folks who have expressed interest in a London meetup. Part of the plan is to take a day trip to Cambridge to a) see Cambridge a little and b) meet [livejournal.com profile] altariel.

Then south to friends in Sussex (who haven't heard this news yet--I should probably inform them, huh?), and finally to Scotland and chez [personal profile] kis, where there will be walking and dining and coastlines and a cottage and some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

Eeee!

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darkemeralds: A round magical sigil of mysterious meaning, in bright colors with black outlines. A pen nib is suggested by the intersection of the cryptic forms. (Default)
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