A Week of Firsts, Lasts, and Total Pre‑Trip Madness
4/5/26
🌱 A Week of Firsts, Lasts, and Full‑Blown Chaos
Last week felt like a mash‑up of firsts, lasts, excitement, and complete chaos. So let’s start with the exciting part: Spring Break finally arrived! Even though it’s still cold here — with a little surprise snow just to keep us humble — there are signs of new life everywhere. The grass is getting greener, which means mowing season is creeping back. I actually enjoy mowing because it gives me time alone with my thoughts… except for the coyote that occasionally wanders by and scares the living daylights out of me. I have an irrational fear it’s going to eat me or my dog, so that part is less meditative.
For Spring Break, we headed to Disney for five days and soaked in the beauty of the Flower and Garden Festival — the moment that makes spring feel officially official to me.
🥎 A Bittersweet Milestone
The week also brought the last “first” high school softball game. It was incredible. Watching our daughter play has been one of the great joys of parenting — a front‑row seat to her growing up. And now we’re entering a new phase: letting her experience life without us right beside her.
She’s off to Florida with her friends for their own Disney trip. Their own room. Their own plans. Their own dining reservations. We’re simply nearby in case of a major emergency since some of them aren’t quite 18 yet. It’s her first trip that’s sort of on her own — and the first time our party of four became a party of three.
🌀 And Then… the Chaos
Traveling always activates my pre‑trip checklist mode. My family jokes that the house is never cleaner than when we’re about to leave — “for the robbers,” they say. I don’t want potential burglars judging us for a messy house. I want it spotless for them. Perfectly logical.
My list changes depending on the time of year, but it always starts the same:
🐾 Step 1: Where Is Remi Staying?
Will he be boarded at the vet?
Should we hire a dog sitter?
Or will someone stay at our house?
🗓 Step 2: Do We Need Time Off?
Is the trip during a school break?
Do we need to take vacation days?
After that, things are smooth… until the week before we leave. Then the real chaos begins.
✈️ The Ultimate Pre‑Trip Checklist (a.k.a. My Brain on Paper)
🧽 Home Prep
Clean the house top to bottom — sheets, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, bathrooms, windows.
Take out the trash so you don’t come home to a smell that could knock you out.
Clean out the fridge — goodbye, questionable leftovers.
Adjust the thermostat.
Set light timers or leave a few lights on.
Water plants or arrange for someone else to.
Secure valuables and important documents.
📬 Logistics & Documents
Hold the mail through USPS.
Screenshot or print confirmations — flights, hotels, dining, park tickets.
Check ID and passport expiration dates.
Confirm transportation — airport parking, ride‑share, rental car.
Save emergency contacts in your phone and on paper.
💊 Health & Personal Care
Check medications and refill anything running low.
Pack first‑aid basics — bandages, pain relievers, allergy meds.
Sunscreen, toiletries, and any must‑have personal items.
Snacks for travel days because airport prices are basically extortion.
🔌 Tech & Electronics
Charge all devices — phones, tablets, watches, cameras.
Pack chargers, cables, and a portable charger.
Download movies, playlists, books, and apps you’ll need.
Update theme park or airline apps.
🧳 Packing Essentials
Create a packing list based on the trip — theme park, beach, cruise, mountains.
Weather‑appropriate gear — ponchos, jackets, swimsuits, hats.
Reusable water bottle.
Ziploc bags for wet clothes, snacks, or random chaos.
Laundry supplies — detergent pods, dryer sheets.
Comfort items — neck pillow, blanket, eye mask.
🐶 Pet Prep (Beyond Remi’s Lodging)
Pack food, meds, toys, and instructions if he’s staying elsewhere.
Confirm updated vet records if boarding.
Share emergency contacts with the sitter.
💳 Money & Security
Notify your bank if traveling internationally.
Bring a backup credit card stored separately.
Check travel insurance if you have it.
🚗 Car Prep (If Driving)
Check tire pressure and fluids.
Fill the gas tank.
Clean out the car — starting a trip in a tidy car feels magical.
Pack a car emergency kit.
👕 Laundry
The never‑ending mountain. No matter how much I do, there’s always another pile waiting. It’s like it multiplies when I’m not looking.
🌼 Wrapping It All Up
So yes — last week was a lot. A beautiful, chaotic, emotional, memory‑making lot. Spring arrived (sort of), softball season kicked off with a milestone, our daughter took her first semi‑independent trip, and I survived my annual pre‑vacation tornado of cleaning, planning, packing, and panicking.
But here’s the thing I always come back to: the chaos is part of the magic. The lists, the laundry, the frantic last‑minute errands, the “Did we remember the sunscreen?” moments — they all blend into the memories we carry with us long after the trip is over. Years from now, we won’t remember how spotless the house was or how many times I rewrote the packing list. We’ll remember the laughter, the milestones, the adventures, and the feeling of being together (even when we’re learning to let them go a little).
Here’s to Spring Break, new beginnings, and the kind of chaos that becomes the stories we tell for a lifetime.