Those who know me well, know that I tend to be a little bit obsessive compulsive when it comes to certain aspects of my life. I almost wish I could say it’s in all aspects of my life, because our house would probably be a lot more clean and organized then…but I suppose if I wasn’t working on a bunch of other things besides keeping our home tidy, life would be different. Instead, I’m out there being a mom and trying to make a decent income — so the perfect, tidy house is just going to have to wait!

You’ve probably seen me mention that we’re going to Hamburg this weekend. It’s our first overnight trip away from Mackenzie and you’d think I’d be a bit on edge about leaving her for 1 1/2 days…and I am a bit nervous about that. But I also know she’ll be in good hands with Stefan’s parents and I don’t think I need to worry that much, even though we’ll be several hundred miles away. I’m trying not to think about that point.

So since I don’t feel the need to worry about what will be going on at home (and I’m fairly sure Stefan will be rather worried for us), I’m worrying about our trip. In case you missed me mentioning it before, we’re going to the 2010 WEBMU — which stands for the Whiney Expat Bloggers Meet Up.

This is going to be a totally different sort of trip for us, because we’re not really planning anything ourselves. I mean, we picked out our flights and our hotel, but most of the rest of the weekend is being put together by our local Hamburg hosts. And we’ve never met any of these people face to face yet…just via our blogs and the meet-up forum. It’s going to be like our own mini-conference — with what I’m guessing is a lot less work related stuff and mostly just fun.

I thought I’d give you a peek at my craziness…and also give you a few tips if you happen to be planning a trip anywhere soon yourself. I feel that if you’ve got yourself organized before you go, you can enjoy yourself a lot more and not have to worry about all you might have forgotten along the way!

1. Get all your documents together — It’s so simple but in my mind the most crucial. Get your ID, a copy of your tickets (or e-ticket receipt plus the card associated with it since no one seems to deal with real, paper tickets anymore), information about your hotel reservation, and any other information that is crucial to keeping you on track while you’re away from your home turf.



2. Write down your itinerary (if you have one) with addresses and times — Knowing where you need to be and when is crucial for a successful trip. If you’re just going to sightsee and enjoy, the timing may not be as crucial — although it’s still nice to know if you need to wait in line for a specific site or if certain places are open only certain hours…not to mention that having an address will actually help you get where you’re going. But if you’ve got to stop at a flower shop, a bakery and then make it to your sister’s rehearsal dinner by a certain time and your flight is delayed, you need to know just where you’re going. Put it in your phone if you want or write it down by hand…but put the information all together one way or another.
3. Know where you’re going — Now I know I just said to have the addresses handy for where you’re going…but actually having some idea about the layout of the area you are going to may also be useful. We’re planning to use public transport a lot for this trip since our hotel isn’t even remotely within walking distance of where all the events are taking place. So our options are bus or cab — and the bills will definitely rack up quickly with a cab. Especially since we can spend just €9.50 to get a ticket for both of us to use the public transport system all day. I think even one cab ride might be more expensive than that! But the bus doesn’t go exactly to our meet-up spots…so we have to walk a bit. And since we’ve never been to Hamburg before, having little maps to give us a clue are extremely crucial for this trip.



4. Check the weather — I know it’s simple but if you pack for a beach trip and there’s a cold front moving in with 50mph wind gusts, you might wish you’d brought some jeans and a jacket instead of just your bikini. You’ll be a lot happier during your trip if you know what to expect. And it will also make the next tip a lot easier…
5. Make a packing list — You may not need a list to remember to pack your basic clothing (or maybe you do lol) but how about things like your cell phone charger or the battery pack for your camera? Are you bringing something special with you for your hosts or people you will meet on your trip? Since you don’t want to forget the really crucial stuff that cannot be bought if you forget it, make sure you write it all down. And if you’re traveling with kids, I think it’s even more crucial to write down what you need. I’m usually great at getting everything for the dog and Mackenzine, but when it comes to me, I forget half my stuff at home!
6. Remove half the stuff from your packing list — This is especially true if you’re going on a long trip. Be realistic with yourself and know that you are probably not going to change your clothes 3 times a day. So instead of jamming a ton of stuff into your suitcase that you will never in a million years want to put on or use, just leave it at home. Just about every time we’ve taken a trip back to the US, I’ve ended up hearing about 1/3 of the clothes I brought…and buying a ton of new stuff. So now I just bring a mostly empty suitcase and go home with a full one!
7. Make sure you’re not taking on anything that will get you in trouble (especially if you’re flying) — Check your purse for bottles larger than 2 ounces, pepper spray, a tiny pocket knife, a metal nail file or anything else that could cause you delay or hassle at the airport. If you’re not sure about the restrictions, contact your airline before you start packing. You can also use this time to just take out all the stuff you’re not going to need from your purse…if your child is staying at home, so can their snack box!
8. Check your weight limit — If you’re flying internationally, this is especially important. The amount of luggage you can actually bring with you seems to constantly be going down…so make sure you’re not bringing too much stuff. And if you need more, consider shipping some of your stuff ahead of time to your destination.
9. Plan financially — Know what you can spend, make sure all your bills are paid before you go and have a bit of cash on your person for when you land just in case. This can be tricky if you’re going somewhere with a different base currency, but before you leave the airport, find an ATM machine. You’ll usually get a great exchange rate (although the fees to use the machine may be harsh) and you’ll be able to get where you need to be without fiddling with cards. If you’re traveling to Europe, using credit cards or check cards can be a bit more difficult since a lot of places don’t accept them…but it’s getting better. And if you’re going from Europe to the US, experiment with using your EC card as a check card. You’ll be surprised at how many places accept them — and you get a good exchange rate without having to carry a bunch of cash around.
10. Prepare to have fun — If you’ve got all your ducks in a row and are ready to go, leave your worries at home and just enjoy yourself. If you get there and realize you forgot your toothbrush or deodorant, don’t stress out — you can always buy more.

Watch out, Hamburg…here we come!