That painful process in which you find out just how many clothes you have, just how few clothes you can take, and just how much you need every outfit. My experience in this area consisted mainly of packing a suitcase to visit my grandparents’ loft in Manhattan for a few days. Turns out it’s a lot harder to pack for a year abroad.
All of my clothes, shoes, etc., get crammed into a 55 liter Osprey backpack, which is my bedroom for a year. On the bright side, this is the first time I won’t have to share a room with my sister! On the not-so-bright side, my bed doesn’t fit in my bedroom – not looking forward to facing Everest in a sleeping bag. Thankfully, we won’t be in Nepal until May.
We start our trip by going to New York for the 4th of July, and then we head to Italy to see our cousins. After that, we fly to Greece for a week and a half with our grandparents, before catching a plane to Egypt (because we can’t bypass the desert for a silly reason like it being over 100℉ every day). In Egypt, we’ll visit Cairo (the pyramids), Aswan, and Luxor; we’ll take a boat along the Nile from Aswan to Luxor. After that, we’ll head around to the Sinai to earn our SCUBA certifications. We then bus up to Israel and Jordan for a few days, before taking off to Beijing.
Once we finish with Egypt, the fact that we won’t be going back to school kind of becomes real. Obviously I know I’m not going to come back to Virginia for 7th grade, but up until a little after Israel, summer break hasn’t officially ended. Before then, it’s basically like traveling during the summer, which is normal for our family. The homeschooling begins in earnest after that point. It’s going to be scary trying to pass the algebra two test when the last time your teachers went through the curriculum was when they took it as kids.
It’s definitely going to be different having school holidays for things like SCUBA diving, and watching the people who potty trained you decide if you passed or failed major presentations. It’s a year of unknowns, but one thing is certain- it won’t be boring. 🙂
Ur math tutor’s still here Kai 🙂
Keep posting and have fun in Italy (more pics plz)
Ha ha! All the things I have been wondering about for you too! How will you pack and how will you learn math from your folks? Thanks for the blog – keep us posted. 🙂 Adventures ahead!
Your blog cracked me up. The people who potty trained you can handle just about anything. Potty training isn’t a fun thing to do. 😉
Hahaha, thank you. 🙂
Great writing, Kai! I’m glad you were able to finish your packing. I took a 65L Osprey to Italy last summer for two weeks, so I’m quite impressed that you packed for a year! 😆
Thank you! To be honest, my parents were the ones who packed my bags, but I’m happy to take credit for it. ;P I really don’t know how I’ll survive for a year with only 55 liters of clothes compared to my overflowing dressers at home, but we’ll see how I do. 🙂
#first-world problems
I am amazed ou managed to get rid of even one of your many outfits, I know who much you like each one.
Good luck Kai. I hope u have tons of fun. I will miss you.
Thanks. I’ll miss you too. 🙁
Katherine…do I hear…compassion??? I didn’t know you were capable of such a feeling! Is Kai being promoted?
Well u will have already passed all your English exams with these blogs.
Haha, we’re all kind of worried about passing tests. Hopefully my parents will live up to their teaching degrees. 🙂
I have a feeling you will discard clothes and replace them with some new ones along the way. Wishing I could sneak in that backpack and be there with you. Hoping your trip will be full of exciting things. Will follow your blogs, so keep writing! LOVE YOU
Yeah, my parents say I get about $20 every country, and I plan to use every penny to the fullest! 😛 I promise I’ll write more really soon. Mateo’s keeping us busy! 🙂
Awesome first blog Kai, We’ll all miss ya next year… 🙁
Thank you! I’ll miss you guys so much, too. Don’t worry- I’ll be annoying you again by 8th grade! XP
Loved this blog! Can’t even imagine packing for a year! Can’t wait to be a part of your adventures in words! Your imagery is great. I feel like I was with you packing!
Thanks :)- we’ll miss you SO much!! Lots and lots of FaceTime. <3 <3
You have inspired curiosity and creativity in all of your children. I would not be here on this journey without you in so many ways.
I continue to think, Kai, that those who potty train can conquer the world. You’re in good hands. But you capture an interesting sort of dread in this that I had not contemplated.
Hahaha, I had a taste of what potty training feels like with my cousin, Matteo, and I definitely see your point. 🙂