The Mental Load Before a Trip

Hello from 30k feet above what appears to be one of the Great Lakes. I’m headed to NYC this week for the first time in 9 (!!) years for a team offsite.

I’m excited about the week’s activities, including seeing some dear friends. But it’s happening the week before I take my family to Europe for the first time… I’m finding myself using New York as my prep ground to go overseas.

We’re going to Spain and Portugal, and I cannot wait. But there’s a LOT to do before I go. Here’s what’s swirling around my head:

• Reminding my husband to book the rental car

• Finally pressing buy on the Amazon order I’ve been mulling over

• Ordering my Rent the Runway Europe outfits so I can have new clothes arrive before we leave (girl math)

• Going to the Genius Bar in Chelsea because my personal computer decided to die this weekend

• Organizing cat care

• Buying a gift for the birthday party for a 5-year-old on Friday because of course

I’m sharing this because

1) it’s actually helpful for me to make a list (ha! sorry)

2) to empathize with the 1,343 of you who subscribe to this and find yourself in “the thick of things.” I’m right here with you.

Do I have a solution for this? Sort of. One foot in front of the other. And some things will get dropped. I’m OK with that.

I’ll be trying my damnedest to not be thinking about whether my cat is being fed while I’m drinking sangria and swimming in the Mediterranean with my family.

Besos,

Mary