We started preparing a few weeks before the trip. To be honest, we started to prepare and discuss details this past summer, when the discussion came up with the nonni and they offered us to use their campervan instead of our car (a small Volvo, very Swedish of us!).
Once we settled on the dates and how to keep the campervan in Sweden before the departure (thank you Mijuki and Jonas for helping out), we began planning:
Stops
We had mentioned to most of our friends our intentions some months before taking the trip, but it took some time to write to everybody to ask if they were going to be there etc. We got a few offers from friends who wanted to host us, and had to think a lot about how long we were going to stay in each location, especially in Luxembourg (we both lived there for 5+ years). We would have loved to have many more days!
Frico is used to being with us most of the day, and he has never been alone for more than 4 hours. He is an adorable, anxious 6kg Portuguese podengo (the mini-version) with a lot of energy. We left out some details kind of “on purpose” because we did not know how stressed Frico would be in “new” environments and apartments (he is quite great in hotels, so we knew he was fine, but this was a multi-day trip with a lot of car time). He turned out to be as adventurous as it gets, provided he can see or hear us :)
Stuff
Fun, new activities for Sebastian to do during the trip, including sticker books, activity books, some toys chosen by Sebastian and placed in his small backpack (and the negotiations on which toys were too large or bulky or heavy),
Our backpacks with laptops, mouse and work-related items, to be stored away but not too far since we would have to carry them with us,
Enough food for 2-3 lunches (including vegetables, milk and yogurt) plus snacks - including some I would never get, like a bag of lightly salted chips and a package of peanuts M&M's (respectively Jay´s and my favorite “forbidden” snacks),
Clothing appropriate for the trip length and for Italy, that would allow us to also bring it all back in suitcases (definitely the most unsuccessful task!! Apart from Jay who can pack light under any circumstance),
Frico´s kennel: the most important calming factor and his “portable house” (of course, we also brought his food - for the whole duration of the trip including the Italy part - and water bowl)
Presents
Wine from Friuli (that we brought up when we traveled to Sweden with the campervan) and some presents for our friends, including small presents for the children; I prepared (and lost) twice a detailed list of what-present-is-for-who, one of my favourite type of lists <3
I love presents, so the order is inverted here just because I need to show that I am a responsible person. I
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