Productivity Day + Tips for Traveling With Teens.

[same_sky]

Like a moron, I left my keys at my parents on Sunday. My mom was taking my grandfather to the doctor in Lexington (which is between us) so I decided to make it a shopping day and went to retrieve them. We met up after they were done at the doctor and my mom asked Evie if she wanted to come with her to Granny's house and... that is how I am sitting here posting at 9:20 a.m. It has been a long time since she went to stay with her Granny. Well, there was one day, about a month ago, but a) it was just one evening and b) it was for a very specific purpose (I had a crappy doctor appt) and c) they called at five a.m. because they were taking my grandfather back to the hospital. Hardly counts. I really think that E has been having a hard time with such a drastic decrease in the amount of Granny time so I hope this reassures her. Also, I had become accustomed to a little time off every so often! I know, I'm spoiled.

My grandfather, by the way, is doing better. Short recap: batteries changed in pacemaker turned into raging staph infection that would have killed him pretty quickly had they not removed it. Pacemaker removed, infection healing but problems that the pacemaker was correcting began returning--specifically, fluid in his lungs. It was well over a month before the pacemaker could be put back in, though, because of the risk of the infection returning. It's been three weeks since it was put back in and he's healing, but it's a slow process and he's fairly depressed about it. Right now, though, it's looking good and he's getting stronger. We're just praying it continues in this direction. The infection showed up two months ago today so it's been a long road.

Anyway! I have an extensive to-do list planned for today. I also have some shopping to do, though I might try to get up tomorrow morning and do it on my way to pick up the girl. My primary goal is going to be to make the binding for a baby quilt and do the machine attaching part. I will hand sew the other side, but I just need to get this part done before Evie gets back. Hopefully that won't take too long but I honestly don't remember from the last one I made. I kind of enjoy quilting but I don't see it ever becoming 'my' hobby, if you know what I mean. I really quite like the piecing part but I HATE the quilting part and I'm not too crazy about the rest of it either. So... yeah. I do have a few that I would like to make though.

We leave for Sweden in just about a month, and, being me, I am spending a bit of time doing organizational tasks. I mean, I always make lists, but I'm being more organized than usual for three reasons. 1) I am a SAHM and I am really looking forward to a change of pace 2) my niece and 3) my three-year-old. I want the traveling to be as peaceful as possible for E's sake, of course, but mainly, I have been stressing over my niece. It's just a slightly odd situation, you know. She's fifteen and she needs some guidance on STUFF. What to pack, what to not pack, what will happen, etc. If she lived with us, we'd just kind of get that info across as we were packing our own stuff. But she doesn't live with us and I don't really get to see her that often, and I almost never see her mom, my former sister-in-law. (Former..ish.) She needs to know this stuff too, since she'll be the one to help W pack. So, I am writing some notes on all that stuff, like how much the baggage can weigh and a list of what she definitely needs to pack and some notes on electrical devices and what to bring in a carryon and all of that good stuff. I guess part of it is just that it means a lot to me to be able to give this experience to her and I want it to go as well as possible.

So, help me? Most of you are the traveling sort. What do you think a fifteen year old girl needs to know about international travel and flying in general that she might not have thought about? She's never flown before. Any hints on what should she pack? What should she not pack? I have already written most of what I can think of telling her but I feel like I'm forgetting stuff so I was hoping you all would give me a few ideas. Imagine bringing a teenager with you next time you go--what would you want them to know in advance. Oh, and while you're at it... we'll be in Stockholm. Any ideas on what we should be doing with her (AND a three-year-old, of course) while we're there? We did a lot of touristy things when I was there for the summer before we got married, but it's a) been ten years and b) not like we did everything there was to do.

Comments

[carrieb.livejournal.com]

Hmmmmm. I don't know what to tell a 15 year old to pack. I guess I would try to convince her to leave a lot of her beauty products at home, esp the electrical stuff since it won't work anyway. I'd be sure to let her know to wear easy on/off shoes for the plane. Ummm. Yeah. That's all I've got. My brain is not exactly functioning right now.

[same-sky.livejournal.com]

The electric thing was the first thing I told her, because she has one of those gold-encrusted hair straighteners... at least it oughta be gold-encrusted for the cost of the thing. She is so not allowed to bring that. I am bringing my backup straightener for myself (with the appropriate converty things) because I don't care if it gets fried, but I certainly don't want to be responsible for hers. :)

[grain-damaged.livejournal.com]

Oh sorry to hear about your Granddad, though it's good to know he's doing better.
And yay for some you time! I'm sure Evie appreciates it too. ;^)

...Oh. That didn't come out right did it? Well, you know what I mean. ::blush::

As far as packing a 15yo? Tell her to pack light. It's far easier to buy what you need while there then to pack too much and have to drag it all around with you. Also, layers. Wear them, pack them. Carrie's right about the slip on shoes on the plane, with socks. She needs to bring something pretty interesting on the plane as it's a long flight. I also pack chapstick (and Q-tips) to swab the inside of my nose with. Gross I know, but it works at both creating a barrier against the germs floating around the inside of the plane and the dry air. There's nothing worse then getting sick just as you're arriving somewhere. She'll probably want to bring a digital camera if she has one. If she doesn't it might be worth it to spend the money on one before she goes. Oh and since I have funny food issues I always pack a good snack for both the flight and just if I get the munchies. It's kinda nice to have some sort of familiar food with you in a foreign place.... even if it's just a granola bar. I feel like there are a lot of other things but I can't think of what they might be at the moment.

[carrieb.livejournal.com]

That's a good point about the sickness. I always take airborne with me and drink it on the plane. If she is not an airborne taker, you might advise her to drink OJ at least a couple of times when it is offered. And take whatever medicines she thinks she might need, esp cold medications. I am a big airborne fan, as you know so will never go to Sweden without a pretty large supply of it. Also you might tell her to pack her toiletries in plastic bags and take a few extra plastic shopping bags for wet things/dirty clothes etc.

[same-sky.livejournal.com]

That is a bit.. gross, yes. hehe. I did add chapstick to her list, though I doubt she'd be without it anyway. :)

Thanks for the ideas! Also, Evie is definitely appreciating the Granny time. :)

and.. yum, a granola bar sounds good now. Thanks a lot. hehe.

[helloheather.livejournal.com]

When I was 15ish, every time I went on vacation with my family I was convinced I was going to meet a dreamy boy and have a dreamy vacation adventure with kissing.

If you can figure out any way to gently convince her that that's not likely to happen, you'll go a long way towards reducing her unnecessary luggage.

[helloheather.livejournal.com]

Dreamy vacation adventures with kissing, naturally, require a lot of extra changes of clothes and hair products and things. At least they did in my day.

[same-sky.livejournal.com]

...and that was completely logical to me even before you explained. She's pretty fashionable but she's also not averse to wearing the same thing a second day so hopefully she'll not have too much trouble with the whole dreamy vacation adventure maintenance.

[helloheather.livejournal.com]

How long are you going to be gone? Will you be able to do laundry at all while you're on vacation?

I wish someone could have convinced me when I was that age that comfortable shoes were more valuable than fashionable shoes.

Does she know basically what the weather's going to be like?

I have found it useful to coordinate my clothes so that lots of pieces go with lots of other pieces. Instead of packing lots of different outfits, I now try to pack a handful of shirts that all go with the same handful of bottoms. That way you can make different outfits out of fewer pieces. Does that make sense? (I feel like I'm focusing WAY TOO MUCH on the clothes, here, but that's what I think I thought was the most important when I was 15, and it's an area where good advice can make a big difference.) Also, if she wants to make sure her "look" is different every day, jewelry takes up a lot less room than more clothes.

Then again, I now am one to take just one pair of earrings on vacation, and those are the ones I wear on the plane. The 30-something Heather values function over fashion. The teen Heather? Not so much.

[same-sky.livejournal.com]

rofl. :) That made me laugh out loud. She has totally already said that she would really love to find a Swedish boyfriend. I have already gone some way in trying to discourage that by pointing out that all of the guys, single or not, that we know are either 36+ or 10-. Not exactly her target range there! ;)

[courtesy.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear your grandpa is doing better.

Things that come to mind for me are:
- chapstick x 5
- hair bands for the plane
- eye mask for the plane and ear plugs
- mp3 player with converter for charger for plane or bus rides etc or when she needs some 'time out'
- a diary
- if she doesn't have a good camera or its too good to take maybe some of those disposable cameras
- I like the familiar food idea
- maybe a phone card to call home??
- find out where the internet cafes are

[same-sky.livejournal.com]

If anyone should know traveling, it'd be you! :) Great list, thanks! I don't know if she would want to keep a diary but I think she should, now that you mention it. I'll ask her about it.

Good idea on the phone card, and great minds think alike! I was working on that this afternoon, actually! And... M's parents have internet, THANK GOODNESS. I believe they even have broadband now, which they didn't last time. Yay yay yay! :)

[carrieb.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking about my experience with Stockholm. It has no AC! It will probably be fine, but it could be really hot. I would maybe take a water bottle to be used when out touristing since it is very hard to find bottled water there and the Swedes just don't seem to drink much. Maybe that has changed since my last trip over.

Also, if you haven't already told her, tell her to take a few plastic grocery bags in her luggage for wet things/shoes/whatever. I'm sure you know that, but I am thinking of things an inexperienced travel might not think of.