this trip rolled out and along beautifully. the girls seem to be at a perfect age for international travel (so adventurous and excited about everything - and can carry their own bags!)
to do again:
:: erin's packing list template. brilliant.
:: consolidated packing. we took one large and one small suitcase with us. and each had one carry-on. (backpacks for the girls.) with London as our base we left the large one there - and took only the small to Kendal and Paris. perfect. that said, on leaving London we had to do a lot of shifting around to have all our bags within the accepted weight range. an extra bag would have made this easier. trade-off for less to carry.
:: house-sitting and apartment rental (through this site) both saved us money and put us into wonderful residential* neighborhoods. i think this added so much to the girls' experience.
:: lots of outdoor activities. fresh air and sunshine alleviated the worst of the time-difference issues.
:: shifting our day. we are usually up at 6 am and to bed at 830 pm peeps. most days this trip we slept a little later (9 am wake-up) and could be found eating dinner at 10 pm. this seemed to work well for all. and was thrilling for the girls to be walking around Paris at midnight! (alongside so many Parisians.)
:: lots of walking and lots of public transportation.
:: good walking shoes.
:: trains. train stations and rides are just as much an occasion for the girls as the other sites we took in.
*****
i so believe that these experiences hold such value for all of us. more than any stuff we could ever own. while i have been dreaming of a new car i am returning happy to drive my old (fully paid for) one knowing that our dollars went to this trip instead.
one of the best books I've read "Hold On to Your Kids" talks a lot about the family vacation and its importance in building bonds. so great to see bonds strengthened between sisters and us as a foursome.
that - alongside the feeling that we are helping shape lifelong travellers ready to explore foreign countries makes me so very happy.
can't wait for our next advenuture.
*not completely residential per se, but not in hotel/tourist districts
