One of the interesting things about getting married, is the joy in discovering differences;) It sure makes for some surprises, and shakes things up a bit! Sure is good we came from too different families to provide a bit of excitement to daily routine things! Ben and I never fight. And we rarely disagree. But one MAJOR MAJOR difference we have discovered has been brought to the surface once again last night.
We leave today for a photography business trip of mine to San Diego. This requires preparing to leave on a trip… which requires packing and preparing…which suddenly produces two VERY VERY VERY DIFFERENT traditions to deal with.
HOW TO PLAN A TRIP:
BROOKE’s FAMILY WAY:
“maybe we should go somewhere on a trip?”
“okay…”
(sometime later…. possibly months or days)
“Maybe we should purchase plane tickets?”
“good idea.”
BEN’s FAMILY WAY
(Very much in advance of trip…)
Purchase tickets
Arrange all travel, lodging, and activities.
Research weather, style, cultural, and travel trends
purchase, or download and Study maps of the area
itemize every possible item you might need to pack for any type of activity or spontaneous need you might have
Plan for the unexpected
Confirm every plan already made at least three times;)
Pack several days in advance giving you much needed time to discover what you may have forgotten
BROOKE’s FAMILY WAY
“Have we finished all the chores yet?”
“Nope…better feed the horses, walk the dogs, check the yard, do the laundry, before we pack”
Make a list of chores for plant and animal caretaker(An hour before)
“What do we need to pack?”
“Just make sure you have clothes, pajamas, Rolaides, therapeutic pillows, camera, book to read, and a toothbrush…there’s nothing like not having clean teeth!”
BEN’s FAMILY WAY
Actual Trip:
BEN’s FAMILY
SO…
That gives you a brief look into the DIFFERENCES of our families. I don’t know details about the Ben’s family travel characteristics, but this is what I’ve gleaned over hearing about it, and also last night with packing.
Ben had a detailed list that had the weather forecast for each day we would be there, he had researched style trends and determined that in San Diego he might fit in better with a side bag rather than a backpack, and told me if I wanted to fit in I might want to research the style trends of pregnant women in the area. He had an entire printed list of everything to pack, and every activity that we might be involved in. He had every address of information that we would be at, contact information, and also packed the GPS so we could be even more precise in our travels. I was still lounging around acting like it was a normal day…after all, we didn’t leave until tomorrow afternoon! He was a little upset that we hadn’t planned the activity for each day we would be there. It took a lot of convincing to assure him that those details could wait and would largely be determined on how I “felt”… (hey, I may come from a different tradition, but more than that, I’m pregnant…which means I will very much be in charge of what we do and don’t do 
I assuaged his itinerary concerns, but not the other preparation concerns. Before bed, I had selected my 4 outfits, and had watched in utter amazement as he fit everything into one bag (which would NOT be checked.) Probably the most amazing display I saw last night was when he showed me how he could fold a white collared shirt for packing. I can not even describe how beautiful it was! That white collared shirt was so perfectly folded that he would have made all the guys at MR. MAC very jealous—especially since he did it without cardboard and pins. I suddenly got a glimpse of Ben on the mission during transfer time with 12 white shirts perfectly perfectly folded and ready to go ten minutes after the transfer call;)
Well…there’s a little glimpse into the new merging of two familial backgrounds;)
Lindsey
Brooke
Buff
5 Comments
July 9, 2009 at 2:43 pm
I’m more in between. I’m quite a bit last minute in one sense but the night before I’ll start packing and I’ll have thought about some stuff as far as where to go and stuff. Matt….totally like you! I’ll pack before we leave and we’ll find a hotel when we get there. And it’s never too frantic. He’ll even remember change for the meters at the airport for whoever may be driving us. Though this trip home we talk a lot more about because it’s like traveling out of the jungle to get out of this place!
July 9, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Ironically I am becoming a little less spontanous and more of a planner. That said, I still sleep in, try to find bookstores, and look for places to eat where everyone looks happy.
July 9, 2009 at 11:41 pm
The whole plane schedule really throws me off. When we were leaving for a driving trip being several hours later than “planned” was perfectly alright. The rule about being at the airport so many hours before flying makes last minute travelers be much more precise. I will have you know that owning a business (so having to arrange work projects for employees and subcontractors), running a farm (arranging for all animal needs, water needs of fields and gardens and flowerbeds), having kids (packing for lots of “what if’s”), and being super busy anyway before any trip just getting prepared to be gone makes traveling kind of stressful. I do love it when I pull away and know that as exhausted as I am the fun can now begin. I have become more organized over the years…at least by my gauge, but when I see someone like Ben I know I have a long way to go.
Spontaneous travel is more fun when planned for!
July 11, 2009 at 8:04 pm
very entertaining post. I’d say i’m a mix. Dustin’s definitely your mindset, and i tend toward your hubby’s. But i do pack the night before (or hours before!). I have found that i really enjoy packing lately, and putting together necessities, etc so i feel prepared.
July 26, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I didn’t know that there was more than one travel school!