Is This Thing On?

David just finished shoveling the driveway and front yard. We have a few more things to pack and he needs to fill the bird feeders so the birds don't starve while we're gone, and in a few hours we'll leave for Newark Airport and our flight to Reykjavik, which I may finally learn how to spell.

I thought I'd reactivate this blog and write about our trip, mostly for myself. After my mother died, I found the travel diaries my parents kept on their "big trips" and I've been reading through them. It's fascinating and delightful to hear their voices from the words on the page. I don't know if Emma will ever read this, and it's not as romantic as handwritten entries in a leather-bound book - but on the other hand, it's legible.

We are not traveling light! We plan to spend much of our time hiking, and if we're lucky the weather will only be cold and wet, but it might be snowy. So we have layers upon layers of warm clothes, waterproof clothes, and windproof clothes, courtesy of several trips to REI, as well as hiking boots, collapsible hiking poles, and some extra camera equipment. David did the research for the trip (and all the planning!) and discovered that you need a wide-angle lens to get good photos of the Northern Lights. We are REALLY hoping to see the aurora and of course must have photos, so he rented a wide-angle lens and packed the SLR. Plus, of course, two cellphones, two computers, one Apple Watch, several sets of earbuds, one Kindle, various charger cords and blocks, and an adapter power strip plus several additional adapters just in case. Not in the bags: makeup, hairdryer, clothes dressier than jeans, and shoes other than sneakers and hiking shoes.

Also not with us: Emma. I think her exact words were "Why would I want to go to Iceland?" She'll get her own vacation with her friends on spring break, and we'll see if we can tempt her with a family vacation next year somewhere more - interesting (read: somewhere warmer, preferably with beaches and boys who surf).

Watch this space!