3 ***************
Shape Ups – The single most expensive thing I purchased to take with me was a pair of shoes. I have been wearing the Sketchers Shape Ups for several years. I started wearing them because of the great cushion they have. I have a lot of trouble with my feet and didn’t want to be sidelined in the middle of the trip by bad shoes.

My first pair was actually a Christmas present from Cory and Alexa because they thought it would help with my bad feet. The Shape Ups are a little harder to find now because of the class action suit filed saying they don’t really “shape you up”. Several of my friends commented that I should get in on that suit. I told them that I didn’t buy them to “shape up”; I bought them to be able to walk all day without my feet hurting. They did what I bought them for, end of story. [BTW that was a good example of honesty. Keep that in mind if for no other reason than KARMA happens-R] The Sketchers Shape Ups are well worth the price to be able to do the things I want without my feet hurting. Whatever shoes you choose, make sure they have a lot of cushion and they are very comfortable. [And well broken in] Look at it this way; you don’t want to spoil a $5000.00 trip with a $20.00 pair of shoes. The extra cushion on the bottom really helps. I have tried just about every brand and style of shoe there is and I keep coming back to these. They also come in men’s styles.

Electricity – Power is another issue. Ireland and Scotland use different voltage than the US. Christmas solved that problem. My younger son and his wife, Dan and Shannon, gave me a set of converters for the trip. They also gave me a toiletry bag that can be hung up and they loaded it with a folding toothbrush, shampoo, cream rinse and other things. The one that made me laugh, though, was the band aids. Since Shannon is a nurse, she would be the one to remember something like that that I would have forgotten.

Luggage – What am I going to pack all my stuff in? With baggage restrictions being what they are, I have to pack fairly light. Well, that would be light for me, anyway. I always over pack [this is one of the uses of the ‘load list’ so you can see what you really needed on each trip so you wont forget them next time AND so you can show that you DIDN’T need an item and not pack it for the new adventure-R]. I’m getting better, but not great, and I need to save room for souvenirs on the way home. I found a drop bottom rolling duffle bag that I think will work great. It is fairly light, can be put on the shoulder if needed and has pretty nice wheels for the rest of the time. I normally don’t like duffle bags because they are harder to find things in than a suitcase, but I’m hoping the drop bottom solves that problem. There are also a couple of outside pockets that should help keep me organized.

Back pack – I also bought a backpack that has a space for a computer. Since I am taking my Surface, iPad mini and Kindle, I need to keep them with me without being in the way. It has several front compartments and a place on the side for a water bottle. I decided on a North Face Mondaze Backpack Style AZHC. It is light weight and has outside pockets. It is also very comfortable to wear. This one has a better water bottle pocket than some that I saw. I bought the women’s style, but they have one for men also.

2 *****************
What I’ve done so far

I already have my passport, so that part was easy. I booked my flight from Chicago to Dublin. Florence will pick me up from the airport and I will stay with her and her husband, Raymond. So, the three big things to get off the list, passport, air and lodging, are taken care of.

Now, what to pack, what to pack, what to pack? I’m still working on that, but since there will probably be some rain and only about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, I’m thinking umbrella, rain coat and clothes I can layer. Also, I wanted some really good walking shoes. Being 62 years old and not very active (plus somewhat overweight – shhh – don’t tell anyone), I’ve been concerned about all that walking, so I started exercising and walking. Since its winter here in Wisconsin, it’s more exercising than walking at this point, though. Hopefully when it gets a little warmer, I will get to do more walking.

Currency – Next issue was money. North Ireland (where Florence lives) uses British Pounds Sterling and the Republic of Ireland (which is very close and we will be visiting) uses Euros. I went to my local bank and they ordered the foreign currency from Wells Fargo for me. I should have gone directly to some place like Wells Fargo, however, because it cost me more money for the foreign currency than what the exchange rate indicated – almost 5% more. Okay, that was an expensive lesson!

My older son, Cory, and I are going to go to Scotland in September (but that will be another article). I figure that any foreign currency I have left over from the Ireland trip I can use for Scotland. Cory’s wife, Alexa, was in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales on a high school trip and really enjoyed it.

Wallet – I found a combination check book and coin purse / wallet at a big box store with two separate pockets so I can keep the Euro change separate from the Pounds change. If I use the two sides meant for the checkbook and register for the Euros and Pounds I will be able to keep all of it segregated.

Maybe I should throw in a few quarters and dimes and mix them all together. That should make buying something REALLY complicated. No, maybe just keep them separate and be able to enjoy the shopping. 

Money belt – I also bought a money belt. I don’t want to keep all my money in one place, just in case. The checkbook / purse will go in my belly bag and some of the extra money will go in my backpack. I figure even I can’t lose all three of those.  I do have an advantage on this trip in that I don’t have to worry about leaving anything in a hotel room. For the trip to Scotland, that will be another issue.