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Published: August 14th 2010
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Hi all,
We arrived and somehow a whole week already passed. Wow, how time flies!
We started the week in a very outdoor mood. We hiked a few hours every day - carrying children on our backs - up and down hills, through valleys and forests.
By the end of the week we crashed with a kind of tiredness that you can only feel by doing too much physical outdoor activity and sleeping away from your regular bed. Something akin to how you feel after a week of basic training in the army 😊 Also, similar to basic training is the fact that looking back at the experience, the stories can be told with increasing exaggeration for decades to come....
Before we get to the combat stories - first thing first - our trip preparations:
Introducing Ariel
For those of you that are not up to speed… Ariel was born 19/5/2010
On his first test, 1 min after he was born, he got a score of 9.
5 minutes later he took the exam again and got a perfect 10.
At age 1 month he took his first passport photo.
At age 6 weeks he got his first passport. (Liya, not yet 3 year-old, got her 2nd passport the same day)
At age 12 weeks he took his first 2 flights - starting this vacation. (actually... being "Norwegian made" he took 3 flights back from Norway and then 2 more flights to London before even being born)
The Binder Family will get to know Ariel in the next few weeks as he almost doubles his age on the road.
Exciting no?
One of the immediate effects of his birth was the changing this blog’s name to “Baby makes four”
pre-trip blues
We always get cold feet and fear is the dominating feeling for us as the days get near to a long travel . why leave? if we have time off why not just stay home? why the hassle? will we manage? is it really THAT fun to live out of a backpack and suitcase ?
These questions are constant even though the underlying fears might change. Before going to China the fear was how we will get by in such a foreign land with the
harsh travel conditions. 2 years ago we dreaded traveling with a 1 year-old with the fear of what will she eat?.
All our fears always fade after a few days of travel acclimatization.
This year we have so many doubts both exposed and hidden we would probably have canceled our trip if it wasn’t for our experience of knowing that we will in fact enjoy ourselves.
The non-refundable flights and car reservation - which cost a small fortune now that our family is growing - sealed the deal and we were on our way.
trip preparations
An
UNDER-documented fact about travel is that like everything in life, travel is divided into 3
equal length parts:
preparation, travel, return. So if you are off for a weekend somewhere, you will probably start being excited sometimes around Wednesday or Thursday and the effects of your vacation will probably fade by Tuesday the following week.
A one week vacation will take you about 1 week of mental preparations and excitement and will take about 1 week before you are back in you comfort zone.
And going off for 1/2 a
Bled Castle
Perched atop a steep cliff more than 100m above the lake year will require you for plan leaving your work/house/car/friends about 6 months in advance. it also takes this same period until you lose your travel rhythm and are able to look at life not as a spectator, as is common in travel, but as a participant of the "game".
Of the 3 parts, preparation is the one people usually take for granted and sometimes miss out on.
This is what sort-of happened to us on this vacation. All our preparations were rushed in the last week at home. Buying things, packing, making first hotel reservations.
We still don’t have a solid itinerary.
And worst of all….we didn’t have time to be excited between feedings and baths.
With a 1/3 of the trip behind us we must play catch-up in the next phase ….the actual travel
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yael
non-member comment
you are an inspiration
go go go!!! amazing family and amazing scenery :):) looks like you are all having a really good time... i envy you all! the fears are not worth it, in a couple of hours (for some of us) or days (for others) if all fades away and what is left is pure joy and memories for life... enjoy EVERY minute... !!! yael