So far on my time off, I've rearranged and cleaned the kitchen and pantry, visited the orthodontist, the dentist, and done many, many loads of laundry.

And Andrew says I don't know how to unwind. 

What he doesn't know, however, is that I enjoy household projects.  I like to throw out useless crap and repurpose what we already have. (Seriously I have wanted a small, wooden desk for the bedroom for a few months and guess what I found in the pantry being poorly used to store glassware?) 

And while laundry and the two unfortunately timed appointments register about a point two on the Super-Fun Ways To Spend My Vacation-o-Meter, they are both essential errands.  No one said preparing for a vacation is fun.  Although I bet Andrew would tell me it should be.

Certainly more fun but perhaps not entirely essential is the shopping I've also done in the last three days.  Much like the hypnotizing pull of the mini travel items, I felt compelled to buy new clothes in preparation for our upcoming Chicago vacation.  There’s just something undeniably fun about packing new items and wearing them for the first time in an unfamiliar city. 

Speaking of things being surprising amounts of fun, vacation food is far more rewarding to shop for than a regular trip to the grocery, due in large part to the splurgey nature of road trip snacks.  You know,  I never thought I’d be that girlfriend whose like “Whoooo’s hungry?” and then busts out the soy nuts.  And yet. 

(Also in tow: Twizzlers [which I’ve already ripped open], trail mix with hunks of dark chocolate, Cheez-its, yogurt-covered pretzels, apples, carrots and Vitamin water.)  Not too bad, right?)

Even with laundry nearing its end, and the essential toiletries and snacks purchased and ready to be packed, there is still a low-lying anxiety buzzing around my head.

…Where’s the other suitcase? We need to finish up the spinach in the fridge.  Does the neighbor know how to care for the cats? I need to hit the ATM.  Where’s my iPod charger?  Did I buy enough snacks for the road? Crap, the car still needs to be cleaned and I still need to pick up my sunglasses…

Actually, that’s pretty close to my daily stream of consciousness.  Maybe it just seems more urgent since I feel like our comfort and conveniences depend on my actions as the Vacation Preparer.